Conservation Letters

Spanish clam fisheries have contracted sharply over the past two decades, with repeated closures and declining landings affecting coastal livelihoods. Using local ecological knowledge (LEK), we examine how fishers, fishers guild leaders and regional managers interpret (i) ecological change and (ii) the institutional conditions shaping management outcomes in Spains main clam fisheries, focusing on wedge clam (Donax trunculus), striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) and smooth clam (Callista chione). We conducted 94 semi-structured interviews (April 2024-August 2025) across the Spanish Mediterranean and the south Atlantic coast (Catalonia, Valencian Community, Balearic Islands, Murcia and Andalusia). Stakeholders characterised declines as a cumulative process driven by interacting stressors: climate variability and extremes, coastal habitat alteration, pollution, episodic disease events and fishing pressure intensified by illegal extraction and informal marketing. Governance assessments were predominantly negative, emphasising fragmented authority across administrative scales, delayed or reactive measures, uneven rules among gears exploiting shared stocks, limited user influence in decision-making, and chronic monitoring and enforcement gaps, especially for shore-based fisheries operating outside port-based control points. Overall, LEK closely aligns with scientific evidence on cumulative stressors, suggesting that persistent declines reflect less a lack of ecological understanding than institutional constraints that hinder timely, legitimate and enforceable responses. Policy priorities include climate-adaptive harvest rules linked to environmental indicators, co-produced monitoring, strengthened traceability and compliance, harmonised rules across gears and management units, and improved cross-sector coordination to reduce conflict and safeguard nearshore habitats. HighlightsO_LIStakeholders across Spain describe clam declines as the outcome of interacting ecological, climatic, and governance stressors rather than as the consequence of isolated drivers. C_LIO_LIPerceived drivers differ regionally: climate- and habitat-related pressures dominate the Mediterranean, while effort, illegal fishing, and market dynamics are more salient in the Gulf of Cadiz. C_LIO_LIMost interviewees view management and governance as ineffective, citing fragmented authority, uneven rules among gears and regions, and weak enforcement. C_LIO_LIInformal practices (off-auction sales and poaching) are repeatedly identified as mechanisms undermining legitimacy, traceability, and effort controls--particularly in nearshore wedge clam fisheries. C_LIO_LIPolicy pathways include harmonising cross-scale rules, strengthening monitoring and compliance, and institutionalising co-management that integrates LEK with science. C_LI

Global conservation agreements emphasize protected area coverage targets, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Frameworks 30x30 target, yet their effectiveness in safeguarding biodiversity remains uncertain. We measure the intersection between marine protected area (MPAs) coverage and the distribution of sharks and rays. Using global range maps and MPA boundaries within national Exclusive Economic Zones, we calculate the percent of species ranges within MPAs, focusing on no-take areas. We reveal significant shortfalls in species-level protection. Within national waters, no Critically Endangered species has more than 5% of its range in no-take MPAs, and 79% of threatened species have less than 1%. We also find the WDPA contains major gaps in take-status reporting, only one third of countries (34%) report take-status of any MPAs to the WDPA, further limiting estimates of meaningful protection. These results highlight the implementation gap between global coverage targets and biodiversity outcomes, reinforcing the need for species-focused protection.

AimFreshwater species face significant challenges from direct and indirect anthropogenic impacts, leading to a global decline in freshwater biodiversity. Protected areas are a key tool for conservation, but their effectiveness in covering freshwater biodiversity remains uncertain. This study assesses the protection coverage of freshwater macroinvertebrates, vertebrates, and macrophytes in Cuba against the 17% and 30% conservation targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity. LocationCaribbean biodiversity hotspot, including freshwater ecosystems across the Cuban archipelago. MethodsWe analyzed the distribution of 182 freshwater macroinvertebrates, 26 vertebrates, and 19 macrophyte species using an ensemble of four species distribution modeling techniques: Maxent, Boosted Regression Trees (BRT), Random Forest (RF), and Spatial Stream Network (SSN). We evaluated species overlap with Cubas current protected areas and conducted spatial conservation prioritization exercises that (i) included (lock-in) and (ii) excluded (free-choice) existing protected areas. ResultsOur analysis revealed that 41% (90 species) and 71% (161 species) failed to meet the 17% and 30% conservation targets, respectively. Many of the insufficiently protected species are globally threatened or endemic to the Cuban archipelago, heightening their extinction risk. Conservation planning that includes current protected areas requires significantly larger areas to meet the 30% representation target due to redundancy in existing protections. Conversely, excluding current protected areas achieves conservation goals more efficiently with fewer resources. Both approaches highlight the need to improve connectivity, particularly in upstream regions that are often neglected under the current protected area configuration. Main conclusionsFreshwater biodiversity in Cuba is poorly represented within existing protected areas. Meeting the 30% conservation target would require protecting an additional 30-70% of area, with a focus on headwaters and underrepresented taxa. Expanding Cubas National System of Protected Areas (SNAP) to prioritize fresh-water species, particularly endemics, is essential. A spatial conservation planning approach that integrates both lock-in and free-choice strategies can optimize resource use while enhancing connectivity across key rivers and tributaries.

Marine and brackish-water ecosystems are increasingly degraded by cumulative human pressures, with biological invasions representing a major driver of biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, and socio-economic impacts. Effective management requires regionally harmonized and scientifically robust baselines capable of supporting coordinated transboundary decision-making. Here we present the first consolidated marine biosecurity baseline for the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) Sea Area, a transboundary region characterized by extreme environmental conditions and increasing biosecurity pressure. A total of 192 species (123 extant and 69 horizon), including birds, fishes, tunicates, invertebrates, plants, and chromists, were systematically reviewed, taxonomically validated, and cross-checked against major databases and Member State inputs. Re-evaluation of a previous regional screening revealed substantial inconsistencies, with 24 species ({approx}18%) requiring status correction or exclusion. The resulting consolidated inventory comprised 130 validated retained species supplemented by 62 additional taxa. Extant species were classified according to biogeographic origin and impact status, whereas horizon species were evaluated based on introduction pathways, environmental suitability, and projected climate trends. Risk screening under current and projected climate conditions identified 39 extant species as very high risk, providing an operational basis for progression to full risk assessment and coordinated regional biosecurity management.

Catch inequality--the disproportionate distribution of catch across anglers-- is a fundamental but overlooked driver of recreational fisheries dynamics. Here, we use 11 years (2012-2022) of compulsory angler report cards to characterize long-term catch dynamics in the specialized recreational steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fishery in California, U.S.A. Spatialized catch data reveal the fishery is principally supported by wild fish, despite evidence of widespread hatchery straying. California steelhead appear to represent the most catch-unequal recreational fishery studied yet, exhibiting a statewide Gini coefficient of 0.81. Across basins, inequality varies substantially but remains relatively stable over time and flow conditions; high inequality is primarily driven by significant proportions of zero-catch anglers. We find the relationship between sample size and inequality measures is especially influential in fisheries data. Hence, we develop a three-prong approach for identifying minimal sample sizes required for robust Gini estimation. Across basins and years, an average minimum of 77 report cards were required for the present fishery. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the necessity of considering catch inequality in fisheries management, particularly when utilizing angler data. Graphical AbstractN.a.

O_LITropical forest restoration is critical for mitigating biodiversity loss and climate change, including in forests impacted by selective logging. Active restoration through liana cutting and enrichment tree planting can substantially accelerate carbon recovery, potentially reducing economic pressures to convert logged forests. But its long-term biodiversity impacts remain largely unknown. C_LIO_LIUsing over two decades of bird survey data from Borneos largest logged-forest restoration project, we quantified occupancy patterns for 176 species across primary, naturally regenerating, and actively restored logged forests spanning a 30+ year post-logging chronosequence. C_LIO_LIForest-dependent, threatened and near-threatened species generally declined through time in actively restored areas, whereas many species in naturally regenerating forests progressively recovered toward primary forest levels. Between 17-40% of 66 threatened or near-threatened species had consistently lower occupancies in actively restored than in naturally regenerating forest. Across species of global conservation concern, median occupancies in restored areas remained [~]22% below primary forest even 50 years after harvests, compared with only [~]6% lower under natural regeneration. C_LIO_LIArboreal insectivores, frugivores, and predatory species appeared most negatively affected by active restoration, with 27-49% of arboreal gleaning insectivores (of 62), 13-30% of arboreal frugivores (of 40), and one-third of predatory species (of 15) showing higher occupancy in naturally regenerating forests. Sallying insectivores also showed a possible but uncertain response, whereas ground-associated frugivores and insectivores were largely unaffected by restoration treatment. C_LIO_LIConcerningly, even 50 years post-logging, up to 52% of 50 high forest-dependency species retained distinct occupancies in actively restored compared with primary forest, suggesting persistent negative impacts of vine-cutting and/or tree planting activities on avian populations. C_LIO_LISynthesis and applications. Our findings indicate that despite substantial carbon benefits, active restoration within selectively logged forests may impede the recovery of forest-dependent biodiversity. This challenges the common assumption embedded within nature-based climate solutions that carbon and biodiversity outcomes will necessarily align. Nonetheless, despite the persistent declines in bird communities, actively restored forests continued to provide key habitat for many species. Active interventions may thus still contribute to broader biodiversity conservation objectives if they protect logged areas from conversion, potentially via carbon payments. C_LI

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly promoted as climate mitigation tools, yet guidance on their placement to maximize resilience against climate stressors like marine heatwaves remains limited. Here, we develop MPA placement guidelines that explicitly consider a mechanistic pathway through which MPAs could enhance kelp forest resilience to heatwaves: protecting fishery-targeted urchin predators to prevent kelp overgrazing. Using a spatially explicit, tri-trophic model of California kelp forests, we evaluate alternative MPA configurations across a hypothetical coastline where half the habitat experiences an increased probability of experiencing heatwaves. We found that effective MPA placement depends on whether MPAs are being newly established or reconfigured within an existing network, and that among-patch connectivity and spillover played vital roles in the relative effectiveness of different MPA configurations. Changes in resilience occurred primarily at the patch scale, with trade-offs between increased within-MPA resilience and decreased resilience in some fished areas, resulting in minimal coastwide population effects. For example, for new MPAs, large single MPAs within heatwave-prone areas maximized within-MPA resilience gains, while multiple small MPAs in heatwave refugia best supported whole-coast resilience. When reconfiguring established networks, expanding existing MPAs in refugia areas was most effective. We also demonstrate the importance of considering MPA recovery timescales: for example, relocating old MPAs to heatwave refugia yielded minimal short-term benefits due to the loss of rebuilt, previously fished, predator biomass. Our findings demonstrate that climate-adaptive marine planning should explicitly consider the spatiotemporal implications of trophic cascades, connectivity, and transient population dynamics to support ecosystem resilience.

The yellownose skate (Dipturus chilensis) is an endangered skate with a narrow distribution in the southeastern Pacific, facing intense fishing pressure and potential climate threats. Using a species distribution model, we projected the current and future distribution of D. chilensis under contrasting climate change scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) for mid-century (2050) and end-of-century (2100). Our models, which demonstrated robust predictive performance significantly better than random expectations, identified maximum temperature and minimum oxygen as the primary environmental drivers of habitat suitability. Projections revealed a consistent poleward range shift towards the Channels and Fjords of Southern Chile ecoregion across all scenarios. While localized habitat loss was projected in Central Chile and Araucanian ecoregions, particularly under high emissions (SSP5-8.5), these losses were outweighed by southern expansions, leading to a net increase in total suitable habitat by 2100. These findings underscore the critical need for climate-adaptive management strategies, including the protection of emerging southern refugia and dynamic fisheries regulations, to ensure the long-term persistence of D. chilensis.

In biodiversity offsetting, balancing biodiversity losses with gains can be achieved by using multipliers that define the ratio between the magnitude of biodiversity loss and the area required to deliver equivalent biodiversity gains. Although there is broad scientific consensus that multipliers should be calibrated to deliver no net loss or a net gain for biodiversity, they are often applied without quantitative assessment of the ecological outcomes of offset actions. Here we operationalise the Response-based Habitat Hectare Assessment of Biodiversity Gains (REHAB), a framework where multipliers are informed by an understanding of habitat-specific ecological responses to offset action. To support Finlands national biodiversity offsetting scheme, we harnessed the knowledge of 111 experts to compile ecological attributes and condition matrices for all 388 Finnish habitat types and derive 346 offset action multipliers that represent ecological response functions for 216 habitat type-specific offset actions including restoration, management and passive recovery. Our analysis reveals substantial variation in response-functions, resulting in offset multipliers between 1.3-4,000 across offset actions and habitat types. We find that the fixed multipliers commonly used in offset schemes would result in net loss in 60% of the cases if action- habitat specific responses were not considered. This variability underscores that fixed multipliers cannot deliver reliable biodiversity outcomes and should be avoided in offsetting schemes. The REHAB framework has already been integrated into Finlands national offsetting policy. Other potential areas of application include informing ecosystem restoration planning and assessing biodiversity gains linked to credit issuance in emerging nature-credit markets.

The rising demand for outdoor recreation worldwide may be undermining the conservation objectives of protected areas (PAs). We leveraged a natural experiment, in which two adjacent PAs were closed to the public for different durations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using detections from 39 camera traps in Joffre Lakes and Garibaldi Parks, Canada, from 2020-2022, we examined how recreation influenced mammal habitat use and diversity. Bayesian regression showed weak evidence that, when recreation was higher, detections declined for black bear, mule deer, and marten, while detections of bobcat and hoary marmot shifted closer to trails. Accumulation curves revealed that species richness and diversity were higher in the closed vs. open PA in 2020 (mean differences of -5.04 for richness and -0.33 for Shannon diversity). However, diversity did not decline consistently despite increases in recreation in 2021 and 2022. Notably, several rare species were only detected in the lower-recreation PA, suggesting they may be filtered out of the higher-recreation PA. This emphasizes the need for long-term monitoring to detect delayed and cumulative effects of recreation on mammal communities. Given growing global pressures on biodiversity, we urge PA managers to prioritize adaptive management to assess and balance outdoor recreation with conservation goals.

Global biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate due to rapid environmental change and increasing human pressures. Ongoing urban expansion fragments natural systems, while urban design increasingly seeks to mitigate these impacts through the integration of blue-green infrastructure. Effective biodiversity monitoring is therefore essential to evaluate ecological conditions within these novel socio-ecological systems. Although urban biodiversity monitoring is challenged by its high landscape heterogeneity, dense human populations provide opportunities for large-scale data collection through public participation in citizen science. Using data from 25 City Nature Challenge (CNC) projects across the United Kingdom (2020-2025), we assessed the effects of the four-day bioblitz on species inventories, participation in biological recording, and spatial patterns of recording effort. CNC events doubled public participation in iNaturalist recording relative to baseline activity, leading to the documentation of numerous previously unrecorded species through increased observer effort and broader use of urban blue-green spaces. These results show that CNC events enhance urban biodiversity datasets by increasing the number of observers and reducing spatial and observer biases, providing a cost-effective tool for enriching urban biodiversity data. In addition to generating ecological data, CNC events could have public health benefits through increased exposure to urban blue-green spaces.

Conservation outcomes in the socio-economically disadvantaged regions are strongly influenced by human behaviour, social norms, and existing governance mechanisms. This study examined stakeholder attitudes, perceptions, values, norms and decision-making processes associated with the conservation of freshwater fishes in two neighbouring states in Eastern India - Jharkhand and Bihar. An approach integrating the Conservation Planning Framework (CPF) with the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Social Values (SV) enabled the development of four interlinked themes: "livelihood and economic prioritisation over conservation", "constraints on participation", "values and conservation willingness" and "erosion of social and cultural memories of mahseer", indicative of a process of dual extinction faced by these iconic freshwater fishes. Despite the widespread positive attitudes of the stakeholders towards native fishes and freshwater ecosystems, conservation intentions and actions in both states were found to be negatively influenced by feeble communication, prioritisation of aquaculture, institutional rigidity, inadequate conservation education, limited actual behavioural control (ABC) and subjective norms-driven livelihood pressures. However, the presence of active fishermen cooperative societies and stronger relational values among the local communities makes Jharkhand better equipped to implement participatory governance and stakeholder-involved conservation engagement plans. By strategically linking CPF, TPB, and SV, this study demonstrates how human attitudes, behaviour, social norms, and institutional structures interact to shape freshwater fish conservation outcomes in regions where livelihood needs intersect with conservation priorities, thereby offering actionable insights for managing the native freshwater fish diversity.

Coral reefs globally face unprecedented threats from climate change, with the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) experiencing cumulative stressors and increasingly severe declines in coral cover from thermal stress events. Understanding drivers behind reef resilience to climate impacts is critical for conservation planning and intervention strategies. A scenario-based population modelling approach was adopted with larval connectivity dynamics and environmental factors to assess coral reef resilience across the GBR using projected conditions under five Global Climate Models (GCMs). Projected coral cover was analysed for each reefs ability to maintain positive carbonate production budgets under future conditions, using coral cover as a proxy. Larval connectivity patterns did not correlate with increases in maintenance of positive carbonate budgets. Instead, reef depth emerged as the primary predictor, with deeper reefs (>10m) benefitting from reduced thermal exposure. These findings suggest that depth is a tangible and pragmatic reef characteristic to consider in future intervention practices for coral reef restoration. These results have important implications for reef management, indicating that depth should be considered as a key variable in conservation planning to maximize coral survival under continuing climate change.

Removing river barriers - such as dams or weirs - is an increasingly used strategy for restoring freshwater ecosystems. In Europe, these actions are key for achieving the goal of 25,000 kilometers of free-flowing rivers that the recent regulation on nature restoration establishes for 2030. However, social acceptance remains uneven, and local opposition--often related to cultural attachments, poor ecological awareness, and misinformation--may influence or even impede restoration efforts. Among stakeholders, anglers play a particularly influential role, yet their perceptions and knowledge remain poorly documented. This study addresses how anglers from three river basins in Northern Spain perceive river barriers, their removal, and their ecological impacts, and contrasts their attitudes to those of other residents. We carried out a telephone survey of 1,200 adult residents in the target basins. We assessed perceptions, misconceptions, and self-reported knowledge of river barriers, and collected various sociodemographic parameters. We selected 180 self-identified anglers and compared their answers to those from a subsample of 180 non-anglers with similar demographic characteristics. Despite reporting significantly higher self-perceived knowledge and more polarised responses, anglers showed lower awareness of the ecological impacts of fluvial barriers. They were more likely to underestimate their negative effects compared to the control group. In addition to falling for the main misconceptions surrounding the issue, their responses displayed a degree of bimodality, suggesting that the type of fishing practised may influence their attitudes. Our findings reaffirm the importance of strengthening awareness-raising efforts among relevant stakeholders about the impacts of river barriers and the benefits of their removal when planning specific interventions. It is essential to engage local communities--particularly key groups such as anglers--to strengthen the social acceptance of such actions and improve environmental governance.

Attributes of fire regimes are known to drive habitat suitability for many species in fire-prone environments. Comparatively little is known about how abiotic conditions (e.g. rainfall events, cumulative rainfall, drought) at the time of fire may affect long-term (>2-years) post-fire occurrence. We sought to a) establish whether the post-fire development of heathland habitat for the endangered mallee emu-wren is influenced by rainfall within 12-months before or after the most-recent fire, b) identify the preferred fire-age of heathland vegetation for the mallee emu-wren, and c) map those habitats most likely to support the species across a large reserve ([~]271,000 ha), Ngarkat Conservation Park, from which it has been extirpated. Using historical presence records, collected prior to the extirpation of mallee emu-wrens from the study area, we implemented a random-forest modelling approach to predict relative likelihood of occurrence (considered a proxy for probability of suitable habitat). Rainfall in the 12-months before and after fire had a positive effect on relative likelihood of mallee emu-wren occurrence. The development of high-quality mallee emu-wren habitat required at least 420 mm of rainfall in the 12-months prior to the most recent fire. Only 35% of Ngarkat received rainfall above this threshold prior to the most recent fire. Rainfall in the 12-months after fire positively influenced relative likelihood of mallee emu-wren occurrence, though the effect was less pronounced than pre-fire rainfall. Relative likelihood of mallee emu-wren occurrence peaked 15 years after fire, with an [~]10-year peak time window of relative occurrence (10-20-years). This study highlights that abiotic conditions at the time of fire, particularly rainfall in the 12-months preceding fire, have long-lasting impacts on relative probability of occurrence for this fire-sensitive species. Targeting fire management in ways that maximise post-fire occurrence of the mallee emu-wren - particularly by burning senesced habitat following periods of elevated rainfall - has potential to enhance conservation outcomes. Given the substantial and long-term impact of rainfall around the time of a fire identified in this study, short-term climatic conditions deserve greater attention in a range of ecosystems where managers aim to use fire to manipulate habitat for the benefit of fire-sensitive species.

Coral restoration is recognised as a critical tool to mitigate pantropical degradation of reef ecosystems. Robust monitoring of restoration progress is crucial for projects to evaluate their success, improve practice, and share knowledge. However, traditional visual surveys often fail to capture the full impact of coral restoration on reef function. Therefore, we employed Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) to assess whether the soundscape of a coral restoration site in the Seychelles differs from adjacent healthy and degraded reference reefs. We applied two methods of soundscape analysis: manual detection of unidentified fish sounds; and machine learning-based Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection analysis. Results were approach-specific: the manual approach highlighted similarities in fish calls between the restoration site and the healthy reference reef, while the machine learning approach extracted broader soundscape patterns, clustering the restoration site alongside the degraded reference reef. Although this is a single-site study, these findings suggest that a) coral restoration alters reef soundscapes, though recovery time may be taxon-specific, and b) multiple metrics are needed to bridge single-taxon and broad soundscape scales. This study contributes to the evolving field of soundscape ecology in coral reef ecosystems, highlighting the utility of PAM in monitoring changes to reef function through coral restoration.

O_LIMegaherbivores are increasingly promoted as agents of nature restoration, yet most research on their ecological effects has focused on temperate and non-forested systems, with limited consideration of tropical forests and their historical land-use contexts. C_LIO_LIA better understanding of megaherbivore impacts in tropical forests is essential to inform rewilding and restoration efforts. This is particularly important in regenerating secondary systems that historically supported megafaunga and remain highly valuable targets for ecological recovery. C_LIO_LIWe address this knowledge gap by comparing tree species composition, forest structural attributes, and understory habitat composition across three disturbance regimes in an East African tropical dry forest: (1) primary forest with megaherbivores, (2) secondary forest with megaherbivores, and (3) primary forest without megaherbivores. C_LIO_LIUnder megaherbivore presence, understory habitat and tree branching architecture converged across primary and secondary forests, suggesting functional consistency in disturbance effects imposed by large herbivores and indicating that key structural ecosystem processes can be rapidly restored. In contrast, canopy structure and tree species composition remained distinct between forest types and strongly constrained by persistent legacies of past human land use. C_LIO_LIOur findings underscore that restoration strategies relying on megaherbivores must explicitly account for historical land-use constraints rather than assuming spontaneous convergence toward primary-forest conditions. C_LI

The north coast of mainland Portugal supports a strong dolphin presence and extensive fishing activity, increasing the likelihood of interactions, such as bycatch. This study provides an initial assessment of potential conflict areas, using automatic identification system (AIS) data from Global Fishing Watch. To this end, sighting data from the ATLANTIDA project (2021-2024) on the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) were used to describe spatiotemporal patterns of occurrence and encounter rates, and to predict their association with fishing effort to identify and map areas of potential overlap. A generalised additive model (GAM) was then applied, integrating environmental, spatial, temporal, and fisheries-related variables to identify the main predictors of species occurrence. Common dolphins were frequently observed during the summer, with an average encounter rate of 3.662 sightings/km. This high encounter rate may be associated with factors such as sea surface temperature, diet, and purse seine fishing activity. The maps showed a spatial overlap between fishing grounds and areas of common dolphin occurrence. Fishing effort was nearly identical between locations with sightings (2.00 h/km{superscript 2}) and those without (1.62 h/km{superscript 2}), suggesting that dolphins are not actively avoiding fishing areas but may instead frequent them due to shared habitat preferences. The best-fitted GAM indicated that encounters were related to year, latitude, fishing effort, depth, sea surface temperature, and season. There was an increase in occurrence over the years and a decrease with increasing fishing effort and sea surface temperature, possibly linked to changes in prey availability, although broad confidence intervals warrant cautious interpretation. Despite some limitations encountered in this study, we believe our findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between dolphin occurrence, environmental conditions, and fishing activities in the area, establishing an important baseline for future conservation and fisheries management efforts.

Despite the successful population recovery of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) across much of Eurasia, its subspecies, the Sino-Mongolian beaver (C. f. birulai), remains critically endangered, with an estimated population of approximately 1,500 individuals confined to a small number of isolated and fragmented refugia along the China-Mongolia border. Effective conservation of this highly threatened subspecies requires a holistic perspective that integrates constraints on population dynamics, habitat associations, and future climatic vulnerability. Here, we combined systematic annual field surveys conducted between 2003 and 2023 with historical survey records from 1975 to 1989 in northern Xinjiang, China, to synthesize long-term spatiotemporal population dynamics, evaluate habitat preferences based on nine local environmental variables, and assess future climatic vulnerability using ensemble species distribution models (SDMs) under projected climate change scenarios. We detected a significant and phased population recovery, with beaver colony numbers increasing from 27 (approximately 100 individuals) in 1975 to 227 (681-908 individuals) in 2023. This recovery closely corresponded with major conservation milestones, including the establishment and upgrading of nature reserves, strengthened legislative protection, and enhanced multi-stakeholder collaboration. Habitat analyses further indicated that the Sino-Mongolian beaver preferentially occupied areas characterized by minimal anthropogenic disturbance and stable hydro-geomorphic conditions. Critically, SDM projections revealed that only 14% of the current study area presently exhibits high climatic suitability, and these highly suitable habitats are expected to disappear entirely by the 2050s. Together, our findings provide a comprehensive overview of the historical population recovery and conservation trajectory of the Sino-Mongolian beaver in China, and offer robust scientific support for developing adaptive management strategies in the face of ongoing climate change and increasing human pressures.

Climate change can affect salmon and steelhead (Oncorhynchus spp.) throughout their anadromous life cycles, yet there have been no assessments of which Canadian populations face the greatest exposure. We developed a framework to quantify relative climate change exposure of salmon and steelhead populations based on the spatial and temporal distribution of different life stages. Exposure was calculated from climate model projections for freshwater and marine climate variables considering unique impact thresholds for each population and life stage. We applied this framework to 60 Conservation Units of Pacific salmon and steelhead in the Fraser River basin, British Columbia. Lake-type sockeye had the highest exposure, driven by elevated stream temperatures during adult freshwater migration and spawning stages and relatively low thermal tolerance of marine stages. Chinook salmon were the next most exposed, while coho, pink, and chum salmon had relatively low exposure. Uniquely, steelhead exposure was driven by high stream temperatures during incubation. Our framework is broadly applicable, and our findings provide critical input for climate change vulnerability assessments and forward-looking resilience planning for Pacific salmon.