Pinpointing Drivers of Extirpation in Sea Snakes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Ashmore Reef
Over the past decade, vertebrate populations globally have experienced significant declines in distribution and abundance. Understanding the reasons behind these population declines is the first step in implementing appropriate management responses to improve conservation outcomes. Uncovering driver...
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2021-06-01
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doaj-6bc4f6754fa74e73b380cc473c510f512021-06-01T04:52:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452021-06-01810.3389/fmars.2021.658756658756Pinpointing Drivers of Extirpation in Sea Snakes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Ashmore ReefRuchira Somaweera0Ruchira Somaweera1Vinay Udyawer2Michael L. Guinea3Daniela M. Ceccarelli4Rohan H. Clarke5Michelle Glover6Mathew Hourston7John Keesing8Arne Redsted Rasmussen9Kate Sanders10Richard Shine11Damian P. Thomson12Bruce L. Webber13Bruce L. Webber14Bruce L. Webber15CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Floreat, WA, AustraliaSchool of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, AustraliaAustralian Institute of Marine Science, Darwin, NT, AustraliaResearch Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, AustraliaMarine Ecology Consultant, Magnetic Island, QLD, AustraliaSchool of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaMarine Protected Areas Branch, Parks Australia, Kingston, TAS, AustraliaDepartment of Fisheries, North Beach, WA, AustraliaCSIRO Ocean and Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia0Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark1School of Biological Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia2Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaCSIRO Ocean and Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, AustraliaCSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Floreat, WA, AustraliaSchool of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia3Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute, Perth, WA, AustraliaOver the past decade, vertebrate populations globally have experienced significant declines in distribution and abundance. Understanding the reasons behind these population declines is the first step in implementing appropriate management responses to improve conservation outcomes. Uncovering drivers of extirpation events after the fact, however, requires a careful forensic approach to prevent similar declines elsewhere. The once abundant and species-rich sea snake fauna of Ashmore Reef Marine Park, in the Timor Sea, collapsed dramatically in the early 2000s. No such decline has occurred on surrounding reefs. We synthesise the evidence for this collapse and the subsequent slow recovery and evaluate the plausibility of potential drivers for the declines, as well as provide evidence against certain explanations that have been proposed in the past. Our systematic review shows that of seven possible hypotheses considered, at least three are credible and require additional information: (1) stochastic environmental events may have increased the snakes’ susceptibility to pathogens, (2) a resurgence in the abundance of top predators may have induced a localised change in trophic structure, and (3) an acute increase in local boat traffic may have had negative physical impacts. One or more of these factors, possibly acting in combination with as yet other unidentified factors, is the most plausible explanation for the precipitous decline in sea snake populations observed. Based on this position, we identify future research directions with a focus on addressing critical gaps in knowledge to inform and prioritise future management actions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.658756/fullapex predatorextinctionhydrophiidspathogensharkspecies decline |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Ruchira Somaweera Ruchira Somaweera Vinay Udyawer Michael L. Guinea Daniela M. Ceccarelli Rohan H. Clarke Michelle Glover Mathew Hourston John Keesing Arne Redsted Rasmussen Kate Sanders Richard Shine Damian P. Thomson Bruce L. Webber Bruce L. Webber Bruce L. Webber |
spellingShingle |
Ruchira Somaweera Ruchira Somaweera Vinay Udyawer Michael L. Guinea Daniela M. Ceccarelli Rohan H. Clarke Michelle Glover Mathew Hourston John Keesing Arne Redsted Rasmussen Kate Sanders Richard Shine Damian P. Thomson Bruce L. Webber Bruce L. Webber Bruce L. Webber Pinpointing Drivers of Extirpation in Sea Snakes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Ashmore Reef Frontiers in Marine Science apex predator extinction hydrophiids pathogen shark species decline |
author_facet |
Ruchira Somaweera Ruchira Somaweera Vinay Udyawer Michael L. Guinea Daniela M. Ceccarelli Rohan H. Clarke Michelle Glover Mathew Hourston John Keesing Arne Redsted Rasmussen Kate Sanders Richard Shine Damian P. Thomson Bruce L. Webber Bruce L. Webber Bruce L. Webber |
author_sort |
Ruchira Somaweera |
title |
Pinpointing Drivers of Extirpation in Sea Snakes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Ashmore Reef |
title_short |
Pinpointing Drivers of Extirpation in Sea Snakes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Ashmore Reef |
title_full |
Pinpointing Drivers of Extirpation in Sea Snakes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Ashmore Reef |
title_fullStr |
Pinpointing Drivers of Extirpation in Sea Snakes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Ashmore Reef |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pinpointing Drivers of Extirpation in Sea Snakes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Ashmore Reef |
title_sort |
pinpointing drivers of extirpation in sea snakes: a synthesis of evidence from ashmore reef |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
issn |
2296-7745 |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
Over the past decade, vertebrate populations globally have experienced significant declines in distribution and abundance. Understanding the reasons behind these population declines is the first step in implementing appropriate management responses to improve conservation outcomes. Uncovering drivers of extirpation events after the fact, however, requires a careful forensic approach to prevent similar declines elsewhere. The once abundant and species-rich sea snake fauna of Ashmore Reef Marine Park, in the Timor Sea, collapsed dramatically in the early 2000s. No such decline has occurred on surrounding reefs. We synthesise the evidence for this collapse and the subsequent slow recovery and evaluate the plausibility of potential drivers for the declines, as well as provide evidence against certain explanations that have been proposed in the past. Our systematic review shows that of seven possible hypotheses considered, at least three are credible and require additional information: (1) stochastic environmental events may have increased the snakes’ susceptibility to pathogens, (2) a resurgence in the abundance of top predators may have induced a localised change in trophic structure, and (3) an acute increase in local boat traffic may have had negative physical impacts. One or more of these factors, possibly acting in combination with as yet other unidentified factors, is the most plausible explanation for the precipitous decline in sea snake populations observed. Based on this position, we identify future research directions with a focus on addressing critical gaps in knowledge to inform and prioritise future management actions. |
topic |
apex predator extinction hydrophiids pathogen shark species decline |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.658756/full |
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