Peer-reviewed publications

The sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) is a mobile epipelagic billfish whose range extends across the world’s tropical and subtropical oceans. Once thought to be two allopatric species, respectively inhabiting the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic oceans, molecular analyses support a single species with global distribution. Adequate sampling of widespread pelagic species presents considerable challenges, and most previous studies on sailfish used small numbers of molecular markers. As such, our understanding of their global population structure was limited. In this study, we collaborated with fisheries researchers and fishers to build a comprehensive genomic dataset of single-nucleotide polymorphisms for sailfish spanning most of its range. Here, we examined genetic variation using three filtering approaches: (i) the full-loci dataset, (ii) putatively neutral loci, and (iii) large-FST loci for 590 sailfish from 20 locations to explore contemporary population structure and connectivity in a global context. Cluster analyses of all datasets indicated three discrete populations: the Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and Indo-West Pacific oceans. For the first time, sailfish sampled from locations across the Indo-West Pacific revealed genetic connectivity throughout this region. Analyses of a subset of large-FST loci suggested a small reduction in gene flow between the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean and between the western Indian Ocean and the rest of the Indo-West Pacific. These insights into contemporary population structure can inform future stock assessments and cross-jurisdictional management of this migratory marine species.

Globally, many bumble bee species are declining in abundance due to diverse factors that include habitat loss, pesticide exposure, disease, and climate change. Some species’ populations, however, appear to be relatively stable or even increasing, with reasons for this disparity unclear. Increased genomic resources for different bumble bee species will aid in identifying any genetic causes of these differences. We assembled highly contiguous and complete de novo genomes of two species with different levels of population imperilment: the Sonoran bumble bee (Bombus sonorus Say 1837) and the Vosnesenky or yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii Radoszkowski 1862). Here we present genomes for both species assembled with Pacific Biosciences HiFi long reads and Dovetail Omni-C data. These genomes are at the scaffold level, but contain multiple chromosome-length scaffolds, and have similar or higher levels of contiguity of other published chromosome-level Bombus genomes. These genomic resources support conservation planning for both important pollinator species by facilitating future resequencing efforts to understand genetic variation within the species.

Corporations routinely use environmentally-extended input-output models to estimate and report greenhouse gas emissions upstream in their supply chains. However, the most widely used models assume that supply chains and emissions intensities of industries match those of a single region—usually the U.S. or the U.K. Here, we use a high-resolution multiregional input-output model to demonstrate the scale and pattern of emissions that may be missed by single-region models. We find that the upstream emissions of the companies reporting to CDP are together greater by 2.0 gigatons of CO2-equivalent emissions (~10%) when estimated by a multiregional model instead of a U.S.-based single-region model, with the largest differences in manufacturing sectors of moderate emissions intensity. Widespread adoption of multiregional models could thus improve the accuracy of corporate emissions inventories and help prioritize primary data collection and emissions reduction efforts, often by shifting focus to energy- and emissions-intensive sectors of industrializing nations.

Social equity is increasingly recognised as a fundamental principle in marine conservation. Global conservation policies now contain commitments to equitable management and governance, yet practical guidance on how to understand and assess equity in marine conservation remains limited. In this methodological paper, we introduce our process for developing three conceptually grounded, practical and adaptable approaches for assessing equity in marine conservation: (1) a rapid equity assessment, (2) a stakeholders and rightsholders equity assessment, and (3) a co-produced and customised equity assessment. All three approaches emphasise the assessment process as part of an ongoing learning journey that requires continuous reflection and adaptive actions to improve social equity. The discussion identifies practical lessons and key considerations for choosing, preparing and carrying out equity assessments and for moving from assessment to action to improve social equity in marine conservation.

In response to Fabinyi et al.1, “Rethinking maritime security from the bottom up,” we raise a matter of scope and inclusivity. The article argues convincingly, and rightly so, for reimagining maritime security through the lenses of pluralism, agency, justice, and coordination. However, it omits engagement with a substantial body of African scholarship and policy practice that directly aligns with and enriches these principles. This illustrates the persistent epistemic marginalisation of Global South scholars by Global North academia, even when the former hold contextual and practical expertise, an issue central to decolonial critiques of knowledge production2,3,4. Even if unintended, such exclusions highlight the urgent need to acknowledge African scholarship in these discussions, to prevent the continued reproduction of knowledge hierarchies and to advance the creation of inclusive, contextually grounded teams in global research.

The reciprocal relationships between human communities and mangrove forests, how people relate with, perceive, and maintain these seascapes, has received little attention in the ecosystem services literature, which has largely focused on the benefits mangroves provide rather than the relational values embedded in human-nature connections. This study distinguishes the value-preference paradigm in a protected mangrove forest region, Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, on the east coast of India. We ask how exclusion impacts local values, motivations, and priorities toward mangrove forest conservation. Using Q-methodology, a mixed-method approach, we identify the narratives that dominate the human-mangrove reciprocal sphere among different participant groups and gender. Our findings reveal three distinct narratives: livelihood security (30 %) that calls for both current and perceived focus on quality-of-life attributes in the region closely related to the livelihoods of the local people, conservation value through management (16 %) which drives the management regime of this region, and sense of place (13 %) that reinforces the importance of recognizing social and cultural norms. Differences in perspectives were also evident between participant groups (Researchers, NGO Workers, Government Officials, vs Villagers) and influenced by gender, accentuating the need for both value-centered and gender-sensitive approaches for mangrove conservation.

Food systems transformations are needed to meet global climate, health, and biodiversity goals. Improving production practices, reducing food loss and waste, and shifting towards healthier diets are food system transformation strategies that could help achieve global sustainability priorities. Opportunities to advance these strategies will require considering national contexts because food systems vary substantially between countries. Little research has explored how transformations toward more sustainable food systems might manifest at the national level. Here, we use evidence from semi-structured qualitative interviews with 68 food systems experts to identify what opportunities exist at the national level for advancing food systems transformation strategies and how they are similar or different depending on the country context. We use a case study approach that compares four countries that represent a range of food systems: Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Our analysis revealed that broadly similar opportunities to address all three food system transformation strategies (improving production practices, reducing food loss and waste, shifting towards healthier diets) could be found across all four countries. However, national-level geographic and socio-economic conditions lead to differences in how similar opportunities may be most effectively implemented. Our results suggest that the national level may be an especially productive geopolitical domain for decision makers seeking to advance food system transformation efforts aligned with global targets.

This study explores how organizations that conduct scientific research support communication activities, including activities aimed at fostering public engagement. It uses qualitative, thematic analyses of semi-structured interviews to propose an initial partnership categorization based on the degree to which communication support is embedded within or external to the organization, as well as the degree to which engagement resources are pooled across funding sources. It then discusses how different categorizations might be associated with several different metrics of public engagement quality. Findings suggest that partnerships with external groups that have shared goals can enhance engagement efforts in situations where the organization lacks the resources to build internal engagement teams and programs. These findings challenge past work focused on the value of internal communication infrastructure. However, the potential benefits and limitations of different approaches to within-organization versus external-to-organization communication support need further research.

The planet is facing enduring and intersecting challenges from climate change, land degradation, habitat and biodiversity loss, as well as social inequalities. To achieve sustainability in the face of these crises, transformative changes are essential. While the path towards a more sustainable future has the capacity to bring net social benefits, it also holds the potential to exacerbate vulnerabilities. As such, there is growing recognition that social equity and justice must be central to action for sustainability transformations. However, it remains unclear what characterises a ‘just transformation’ and how to achieve it. To develop a baseline understanding of how social justice is integrated into sustainability transformations and to help guide research and practice in this emerging field, we present a systematic literature review of 125 papers that explicitly account for social equity and justice in research on place-based transformations. Results reveal considerable variation and ambiguity in how the concepts of transformation and equity are employed, and highlight a focus on a narrow set of systems, with a large number of papers focusing on energy and urban transformations, located primarily in the Global North. While distributional and procedural dimensions of justice are frequently addressed, contextual and restorative justice remain underexplored. We identify key areas that require future attention in research and practice, including promoting interdisciplinary research that champions global inclusivity as well as a more explicit consideration of contextual justice and place.

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