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The Asian elephant Elephas maximus is of cultural significance for the Thai people. The development of legal protection for elephants in Thailand dates back to the 17th century, reflecting concerns about both human livelihoods and elephant conservation. The legal status of privately owned, captive elephants differs from that of wild individuals, with consequences for the lawful use of ivory from captive animals. Prior to 2015, the lack of comprehensive measures to control the Thai ivory market enabled the laundering of illegally sourced ivory in the country. The Thai government introduced legal reforms in 2015, imposing strict controls over the possession and domestic trade of ivory from captive Asian elephants, and aligning the protection of African elephants and their ivory with CITES regulations. Nonetheless, the sustainable use of Thai ivory remains disputed, and international pressure to close the commercial trade in domestic ivory persists. Here we review this complex situation, aiming to inform future reforms. Consolidation of laws related to elephants and ivory would facilitate law enforcement and compliance. Use of an electronic database would improve the monitoring of ivory movements and aid the implementation and enforcement of laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A 24km2 seagrass meadow in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia, was confirmed as important dugong habitat by a satellite tracking study. Marine videography, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and geographic information systems (GIS) were used to survey, analyse and map seagrass species composition, nutrient profile and patch structure at high resolution (200m). Five species of seagrass covered 91% of the total habitat area. The total above and below-ground seagrass biomass was estimated to be 222.7±19.6t dry-weight. Halodule uninervis dominated the pasture (81.8%, 162.2t), followed by Halophila ovalis (35.3%, 16.5t), Zostera capricorni (15.9%, 22.2t), Halophila spinulosa (14.5%, 21.9t), and traces of Halodule pinifolia. Because seagrass distributions overlapped, their combined percentage totalled >100% of the survey area. The seagrass formed a continuous meadow of varying density. Abiotic variables explained relatively little of the spatial patterns in the seagrass. For all seagrass species, the above-ground component (shoots and leaves) possessed greater total nitrogen than the below-ground component (roots and rhizomes), which possessed greater total starch. Because of the relatively low intraspecific variation in nutrient composition, nutrients were concentrated according to seagrass biomass density. Halodule uninervis was the most nutritious seagrass species because of its superior whole-plant nitrogen (1.28±0.05% DW) and starch (6.42±0.50 DW %) content. Halodule uninervis formed large, clustered patches of dense biomass across the pasture and thus nitrogen and starch were concentrated where H. uninervis was prevalent. This seagrass meadow appears to be utilised well below its potential dugong carrying capacity. The survey and analytical techniques used enabled rapid, economical and accurate quantification and characterisation of seagrass habitat at scales relevant to a large forager. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The elephant ivory trade remains controversial because of concerns about the extinction risk of elephants and the different needs of CITES member states. Thailand's situation is particularly contentious because of the different legal status among types of elephant ivory. Thai law allows the local sale of ivory from domesticated Asian elephants, which creates challenges for Thai enforcement officers in identification of ivory provenance. We investigated the capacity of non‐destructive Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy (600–1700 nm), combined with Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS‐DA), to discriminate between ivory from African, wild Asian and domesticated Asian elephants. Ivory spectra of 64 elephants were divided randomly into calibration and validation datasets. We were able to determine elephant ivory provenance at both the interspecies (African and Asian elephant ivory), and within species (wild and domesticated Asian elephant ivory) classifications with 100% accuracy. These results showed the potential use of handheld NIR spectrometers for rapid assessments of ivory provenance, as well as a forensic tool for wider enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Many species of marine mammals have evolved behavioural adaptations to minimize heat loss to the surrounding water. We tracked 21 dugongs (Dugong dugon Müller 1776) using acoustic and satellite/GPS transmitters in 2012, 2013 and 2014 in Moreton Bay, Queensland at the high latitude limit of the species' winter range in eastern Australia to examine if there was a relationship between movements and environmental temperature that might suggest behavioural thermoregulation. Oceanic waters immediately outside the bay where the dugong's seagrass food is unavailable exhibited temperatures from 5.5 °C warmer to 3 °C cooler than the Eastern Banks, the major dugong habitat in the bay. All tracked dugongs made at least one (and up to 66) return trip(s) from the Eastern Banks to the adjacent oceanic waters. The probability of making an outgoing trip was highest in 2014 and lowest in 2013 when the water temperature inside the bay was higher than the other two years. The odds of making an outgoing trip were lower when temperature differences (outside minus inside) were small or negative but increased by a factor of up to 2.12 for each 1 °C positive difference. Individual dugongs were most likely to travel out of the bay between midnight and noon on an outgoing tide or at slack high water and return to the bay on an incoming tide or slack low water between noon and midnight. The amount of time a dugong spent outside the bay on each trip was relatively short with an overall median of 5.9 h. The dugongs' individual activity spaces generally declined as winter progressed suggesting a change in the cost-effectiveness of moving outside the bay. Our analysis adds to the evidence that dugongs undertake behavioural thermoregulation at least at the high latitude limits of their range. Highlights • Dugongs undertake behavioural thermoregulation at high latitude limits of their range • Dugongs move outside protected inshore bay habitats to access warmer oceanic waters • Dugongs saved energy by taking advantage of tidal flow in and out of the bay • Dugongs were more likely to travel out of Moreton Bay between midnight and noon [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the direct economic impacts of dolphin watching tourism in Lovina, north Bali (Indonesia). The study applied the direct expenditure approach to tourists who went on dolphin tours in Lovina in 2008 and 2009. This industry depends on predictable access to coastal dolphins, attracts at least 37,000 overnight visitors per annum (~60% of the region's overnight tourists) and contributes at least 46% of the total direct expenditures (USD 4.1 million p.a.) for accommodation, meals, transportation, communication and souvenirs. The 179 boatmen enjoy an above average income and thus have little financial incentive to leave the industry. Nonetheless, trip fees constitute only 3% of the total expenditures generated by dolphin watching tourism. The remainder e.g., for accommodation, restaurants and transport is spent with local businesses which become the substantial beneficiaries and hence these stakeholders should also be consulted prior to any management intervention. This profitable industry supports 35–100 tour boats operating daily. The number of boats should be regulated to address concerns over their impacts on the dolphins and visitor satisfaction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ingestion of anthropogenic marine debris can lead to injuries in the digestive system of marine turtles through blockages, lacerations and enteritis, as well as sub-lethal effects from bioaccumulation of adhered chemicals and toxic substances leached out into tissues and blood. The early detection of these impacts is central for the treatment and recovery of turtles in a rehabilitation setting. In this study, we provide baseline data on gastrointestinal transit times in healthy green turtles (Chelonia mydas) to enable non-intrusive detection of digestive motility disorders. We conducted two experiments with juvenile green turtles (N = 14) (curved carapace length range 33.7–47.0 cm) using inorganic (inert plastic discs) and organic (corn kernels) markers respectively, in order to estimate gastrointestinal transit times and assess the effectiveness of each marker type in recording them. Gastrointestinal transit times for the inorganic marker trial group (n = 6 turtles) ranged from 14.6 ± SD 3.6 days for the first markers recovered to 22.5 ± SD 4.2 days for the last markers recovered. The corresponding data for the organic marker trial group (n = 8 turtles) ranged from 6.63 ± SD 1.6 days to 17.3 ± SD 3.3 days respectively. We obtained 96% recovery success of markers in the inorganic marker trial versus 72.5% in the organic marker trial. Thus, inorganic markers proved to be more efficient in reporting gastrointestinal transit times because they do not degrade or discolour as they pass along the digestive process, enabling higher recovery success. Opportunistically, veterinarians diagnosed an obstruction caused by plastic fragments, which had been swallowed in the wild prior to the trial, in one of the experimental animals after we failed to recover any markers. This incident is evidence that gastrointestinal transit time assessment is a useful approach for providing early warning of digestive system blockages. Furthermore, this knowledge on transit times could be of interest for toxicology studies regarding exposure to chemicals lixiviated from debris ingested, as an index of the time spent by these substances inside the organism. • Gastrointestinal transit times can last up to 22 days in juvenile green turtles. • Transit times are a proxy for detecting digestive motility disorders. • Inert plastic markers are highly efficient in reporting transit times. • Baseline data to inform toxicology studies on chemicals lixiviated from debris ingested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Comprehensive, global information on species' occurrences is an essential biodiversity variable and central to a range of applications in ecology, evolution, biogeography and conservation. Expert range maps often represent a species' only available distributional information and play an increasing role in conservation assessments and macroecology. We provide global range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species harmonised to the taxonomy of the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) mobilised from two sources, the Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) and the Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World (CMW)., Location: Global., Taxon: All extant mammal species., Methods: Range maps were digitally interpreted, georeferenced, error-checked and subsequently taxonomically aligned between the HMW (6253 species), the CMW (6431 species) and the MDD taxonomies (6362 species)., Results: Range maps can be evaluated and visualised in an online map browser at Map of Life (mol.org) and accessed for individual or batch download for non-commercial use., Main Conclusion: Expert maps of species' global distributions are limited in their spatial detail and temporal specificity, but form a useful basis for broad-scale characterizations and model-based integration with other data. We provide georeferenced range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species as shapefiles, with species-level metadata and source information packaged together in geodatabase format. Across the three taxonomic sources our maps entail, there are 1784 taxonomic name differences compared to the maps currently available on the IUCN Red List website. The expert maps provided here are harmonised to the MDD taxonomic authority and linked to a community of online tools that will enable transparent future updates and version control., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no competing interests.

There have been efforts around the globe to track individuals of many marine species and assess their movements and distribution, with the putative goal of supporting their conservation and management. Determining whether, and how, tracking data have been successfully applied to address real-world conservation issues is, however, difficult. Here, we compile a broad range of case studies from diverse marine taxa to show how tracking data have helped inform conservation policy and management, including reductions in fisheries bycatch and vessel strikes, and the design and administration of marine protected areas and important habitats. Using these examples, we highlight pathways through which the past and future investment in collecting animal tracking data might be better used to achieve tangible conservation benefits., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

It is a golden age for animal movement studies and so an opportune time to assess priorities for future work. We assembled 40 experts to identify key questions in this field, focussing on marine megafauna, which include a broad range of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. Research on these taxa has both underpinned many of the recent technical developments and led to fundamental discoveries in the field. We show that the questions have broad applicability to other taxa, including terrestrial animals, flying insects, and swimming invertebrates, and, as such, this exercise provides a useful roadmap for targeted deployments and data syntheses that should advance the field of movement ecology., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Prioritisation methods have been used in conservation planning for over 20 years. The scientific literature focuses on the technical aspects of prioritisation, providing limited information on factors affecting the uptake of priorities. We focused on the Back on Track species prioritisation program in Queensland, Australia, used to prioritise species conservation efforts across Queensland from 2005. The program had low uptake by intended users. Our study aimed to identify the perceived limitations in the technical-scientific quality of this species-based prioritisation process and its outcomes in terms of credibility (scientific adequacy of the technical evidence) and relevance (of information to the needs of decision-makers). These criteria have been used to understand the uptake of scientific information in policy. We interviewed 73 key informants. Perceptions of credibility were affected by concerns related to the use of expert judgement (rather than empirical evidence) to assess species, impressions that key experts were not included in the planning process, and the lack of confidence in the information supporting prioritisation. We identified several trade-offs and synergies between the credibility and relevance of priorities to potential users. The relevance of the output plans was negatively affected by the lack of clarity about who were potential users and implementers of the priorities identified. We conclude with recommendations to enhance the credibility and relevance of such initiatives.

In human-dominated landscapes, interactions and perceptions towards wildlife are influenced by multidimensional drivers. Understanding these drivers could prove useful for wildlife conservation. We surveyed the attitudes and perceptions of fishers towards threatened Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) at Chilika Lagoon India. To validate the drivers of fisher perceptions, we : (1) observed dolphin foraging behavior at stake nets, and (2) compared catch per unit effort (CPUE) and catch income of fishers from stake nets in the presence and absence of foraging dolphins. We found that fishers were mostly positive towards dolphins, believing that dolphins augmented their fish catch and using culture to express their perceptions. Foraging dolphins were observed spending half their time at stake nets and were associated with significantly higher catch income and CPUE of mullet (Liza sp.), a locally preferred food fish species. Wildlife conservation efforts should use the multidimensional drivers of human-wildlife interactions to involve local stakeholders in management.

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) provides a globally significant demonstration of the effectiveness of large-scale networks of marine reserves in contributing to integrated, adaptive management. Comprehensive review of available evidence shows major, rapid benefits of no-take areas for targeted fish and sharks, in both reef and nonreef habitats, with potential benefits for fisheries as well as biodiversity conservation. Large, mobile species like sharks benefit less than smaller, site-attached fish. Critically, reserves also appear to benefit overall ecosystem health and resilience: outbreaks of coral-eating, crown-of-thorns starfish appear less frequent on no-take reefs, which consequently have higher abundance of coral, the very foundation of reef ecosystems. Effective marine reserves require regular review of compliance: fish abundances in no-entry zones suggest that even no-take zones may be significantly depleted due to poaching. Spatial analyses comparing zoning with seabed biodiversity or dugong distributions illustrate significant benefits from application of best-practice conservation principles in data-poor situations. Increases in the marine reserve network in 2004 affected fishers, but preliminary economic analysis suggests considerable net benefits, in terms of protecting environmental and tourism values. Relative to the revenue generated by reef tourism, current expenditure on protection is minor. Recent implementation of an Outlook Report provides regular, formal review of environmental condition and management and links to policy responses, key aspects of adaptive management. Given the major threat posed by climate change, the expanded network of marine reserves provides a critical and cost-effective contribution to enhancing the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.

Corneal avascularity-the absence of blood vessels in the cornea-is required for optical clarity and optimal vision, and has led to the cornea being widely used for validating pro- and anti-angiogenic therapeutic strategies for many disorders. But the molecular underpinnings of the avascular phenotype have until now remained obscure and are all the more remarkable given the presence in the cornea of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, a potent stimulator of angiogenesis, and the proximity of the cornea to vascularized tissues. Here we show that the cornea expresses soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1; also known as sflt-1) and that suppression of this endogenous VEGF-A trap by neutralizing antibodies, RNA interference or Cre-lox-mediated gene disruption abolishes corneal avascularity in mice. The spontaneously vascularized corneas of corn1 and Pax6+/- mice and Pax6+/- patients with aniridia are deficient in sflt-1, and recombinant sflt-1 administration restores corneal avascularity in corn1 and Pax6+/- mice. Manatees, the only known creatures uniformly to have vascularized corneas, do not express sflt-1, whereas the avascular corneas of dugongs, also members of the order Sirenia, elephants, the closest extant terrestrial phylogenetic relatives of manatees, and other marine mammals (dolphins and whales) contain sflt-1, indicating that it has a crucial, evolutionarily conserved role. The recognition that sflt-1 is essential for preserving the avascular ambit of the cornea can rationally guide its use as a platform for angiogenic modulators, supports its use in treating neovascular diseases, and might provide insight into the immunological privilege of the cornea.