A pilot scheme has successfully improved species extinction risk assessment, by making the process more accessible to researchers A team of experts tasked with reassessing the extinction risk of reef-building corals has made the process more inclusive and diverse, by increasing participation of local researchers.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Speciesis the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk of animals, fungi and plants. Developed over 50 years ago by the IUCN, it influences policy development and priority setting at a global, regional, and national level.
In 2008, the first-ever worldwide assessment of reef-building corals was carried out, revealing one third were threatened. However, a lack of information meant many species were assessed as ‘Data Deficient’.
A decade later, the IUCN SSC Coral Specialist Group, chaired by Dr David Obura, began a global reassessment to update the Red List of Threatened Corals. The bulk of the project was due to take place in 2019 and 2020, but plans were interrupted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Assessments which had previously been carried out in-person could now only be conducted online, which gave the team an opportunity to widen the geographical scope of the work. from underrepresented countries
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Posted On: 07/07/2022