PRIORITIZATION OF CONSERVATION INTERVENTIONS AND OPTIMAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION

Resources for conserving biodiversity are invariably insufficient. Thus, the identification of robust yet flexible priorities for management is necessary. Our lab is interested in the development of frameworks and decision-support tools to help prioritize the allocation of resources and selection of interventions to maximize the conservation of marine megafauna, in particular marine turtles.

SPECIFIC PROJECTS

  • Prioritizing multiple management actions for marine turtle conservation
  • Conservation hotspots for marine turtle nesting areas based on their exposure to anthropogenic pressures
  • Understanding the spatial ecology of sea turtles to inform marine spatial planning in Bimini

PUBLICATIONS

Fuentes, M. M. P. B. , Meletis, Z. A., Wildermann, N. E., Ware, M. (2021). Conservation interventions to reduce vessel strikes on sea turtles: A case study in Florida. Marine Policy, 128, 104471.
Silver-Gorges, I., Ceriani, S. A., Ware, M., Lamb, M., Lamont, M., Becker, J., . . . Fuentes, M. M. P. B. (2021). Using systems thinking to inform management of imperiled species: A case study with sea turtles. Biological Conservation, 260, 109201.
Williams, J.L., Pierce, S.J., Hamann, M., Fuentes, M. M. P. B. (2019). Using expert opinion to identify and determine the relative impact of threats to sea turtles in Mozambique. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 1– 13.
Sella, K., & Fuentes, M. M. P. B. (2019). Using expert opinion to prioritize impacts of coastal construction on sea turtle nesting grounds. Coastal Management. doi:10.1080/08920753.2019.1642176.
Fuentes, M. M. P. B. , Gredzens C, Bateman BL, Boettcher R, Ceriani SA, Godfrey MH, Helmers D, Ingram DK, Kamrowski RL, Pate MP, Pressey RL, Radeloff VC. (2016) Conservation hotspots for marine turtle nesting in the United States based on coastal development. Ecological Applications, 26, 2706-2717.
Fuentes, M. M. P. B. , Gillis, A.J., Ceriani, S.A., Guttridge, T. L., Van Zinnicq Bergmann, M.P.M., Smukall, M. Gruber, S.H., Wildermann, N. (2019). Delineating Marine Protected Areas in Bimini, Bahamas by considering hotspots for the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Biodiversity and Conservation, 28,197–211.
Fuentes, M. M. P. B. , Blackwood J, Jones B, Kim M, Leis B, Limpus CJ, Marsh H, Mitchell J, Pouzols FM, Pressey RL, Visconti P (2015) A decision framework for prioritizing multiple management actions for threatened marine megafauna. Ecological Applications. 25, 200 -214.
Gredzens C, Hamann M, Marsh H, Fuentes, M. M. P. B. , Limpus CJ, Shimada T (2014) Satellite tracking of sympatric marine megafauna can inform the biological basis for species co-management. PlosONe. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098944.
Fuentes, M. M. P. B. , Fish M, Maynard J (2012) Management strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtle’s terrestrial reproductive phase. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. 17, 51-63.
Fuentes, M. M. P. B. , Cinner JE (2010) Using expert opinion to prioritize impacts of climate change on sea turtles' nesting grounds. Journal of Environmental Management. 91, 2511-2518.

COLLABORATORS

Bob Pressey, Australian Research Council

FUNDING

Sea Turtle License Plate
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Sea Turtles Program
Australian Research Council (ARC)
Save Our Seas Foundation