As more of us share the limited resources of this planet, it is not difficult to understand that to allow future generations to enjoy and benefit from these natural resources, we need to consider such effective sharing as our serious business today.
Our small islands are an excellent example of how limited space and natural resources often clash with human desires for further exploitation, development, profit and economic well-being at the expense of nature, biodiversity and the goods and services these provide to mankind for free.
So whether it is exploitation of Bluefin tuna stocks, or development over reefs rich in marine biodiversity, or incessant sewage outflow in coastal waters, a degraded and impoverished sea with less life which is useful to man in direct and indirect ways, the more expensive it would be to restore our lost commodities, goods and services.
Effective conservation is meant to allow for sustainable development by prioritising both human and nature’s needs in the long term. This requires serious insight into how nature works and how it is impacted by the various human activities.
Conservation biology allows for research to understand the role played by single species and populations up to whole communities and habitats. Such work is fundamental not only to scientists working in the field of assessing the status of populations and species but by policy-makers, governments, NGOs, environmental economists, environmental planners and environmental lawyers who would have to implement the increasing number of regulations and agreements that need to be followed in a sustainable developing world.
But why bother with a sustainable developing world when each one of us can focus on just money-making and investing? This question is in the minds of many who have forgotten how closely linked we still are with nature and this confining planet.
Though our food is nicely labelled and packaged, it still comes from natural products, or at least we hope it does. Though we believe nature is there to serve us, it is wise to consider that this service is achieved through functional natural systems that can sustain mankind and the intricate network of relations and dependencies among other species. Like a net that sustains an increasing load, it is useful until one or more links break giving way to loss of its effective function.
Conservation science therefore needs to deal with various species and populations in each ecosystem, and this would include species that may very often be seen by all, such as lizards or honey bees, to elusive species, such as dolphins and various other marine species that need greater effort to study scientifically.
It is not surprising that to achieve the required knowledge to be in a position to recommend suitable management of human activities in respect of such species and their habitat, various scientific methods need to be used – from intensive field ecology to laboratory high-tech methods that include molecular genetics similar to those used in forensic science, where minute tissue samples may reveal enormous amounts of valuable information to assess and protect the populations and species concerned.
Such diversity of research methods are used by the Conservation Biology Research Group (Department of Biology, University of Malta), that has assessed a variety of species, from Bluefin tuna to sharks, rays and groupers, from octopus, squid and Hermit crabs to starfish and sea cucumbers.
Research on larger species, such as dolphins, whales and turtles, and on the smaller gelatinous species found around Malta, allow for an increasing array of marine life which is being studied to understand better the dynamics of local marine life and its conservation needs.
As conservation needs are also urgent on land and on our coasts, the CBRG has also contributed to various research projects that have allowed terrestrial biodiversity in various parts of Malta to be studied scientifically, such as mammals, hedgehogs, wild rabbits and bats – these being studied through nocturnal research that often sees researchers spend sleepless nights and come face to face with not too amused hunters at dawn.
Studying nature is never easy but through human dedication, persistence and support it is possible to obtain the precision and rigour required for accurate and reliable knowledge needed for effective conservation and sustainable development.
adriana.vella@gmail.com
The Department of Biology will be organising a series of educational talks during University Open Week (www.um.edu.mt/discoveruniversity).
Dr Vella will also give a presentation at the Departmentof Biology on Wednesday, from 6 to 7 p.m. which will focuson ‘Conservation of dolphins, whales and turtles as anintegral part of our marinebiodiversity’.
Dr Vella is a conservation biologist.