Marine conservation

Humans are having a significant direct impact on coastal zones and the oceans: the mean population density in coastal regions is about 3 times the globally averaged density, and 12 of the world’s 16 largest cities with over 100 million inhabitants are located on the coasts. Major direct impacts from human activities comprise drainage of wetlands, removal of mangroves, land reclamation, aquaculture, sewage leaks, fertilizer and contaminant discharge, and intensive exploitation of marine resources, such as sand mining and fishing. Overfishing and illegal fisheries are obviously major concerns. Other activities that contribute to climate change, ocean acidification and deoxygenation also have an important impact.

This area of research links scientists from various departments interested in understanding threats to marine biodiversity and also in finding solutions to remove, mitigate or adapt to these threats. The creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is one answer, but the overall solution also implies societal and behavioral changes which can be driven by adequate policy-making. Conservation and biodiversity monitoring and enforcement can also benefit from technological developments, such as aerial robotics (drones), sensors and remote sensing from space.

Postgraduate study in conservation

In addition to research opportunities across various departments, the Department of Life Sciences offers various courses catering specifically to the biological conservation problem, in particular the:

• MSc in Conservation Science
• MSc in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation