LOW HUMAN INTEREST FOR THE MOST AT-RISK REEF FISHES WORLDWIDE.

Mouquet N., Langlois J., Casajus N., Auber A., Flandrin U., Guilhaumon F., Loiseau N., McLean M., Aurore R., Stuart Smith R.D. & Mouillot D. (2024).

Science Advances, 10,eadj9510. DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adj9510

Key message : Human interest in biodiversity is essential for effective conservation action but remains poorly quantified at large scales. Here, we investigated human interest for 2408 marine reef fishes using data obtained from online public databases and social media, summarized in two synthetic dimensions, research effort and public attention. Both dimensions are mainly related to geographic range size. Research effort is also linked to fishery importance, while public attention is more related to fish aesthetic value and aquarium trade importance. We also found a strong phylogenetic bias, with certain fish families receiving disproportional research effort and public attention. Most concerningly, species at the highest risk of extinction and those most vulnerable to future climate change tend to receive less research effort and public attention. Our results provide a lens through which examining the societal attention that species garner, with the ultimate goals to improve conservation strategies, research programs, and communication plans.

This paper was featured in Science Advances by Becca Franks: Vulnerable fishes, inattentive humans

(A) Box plots of the research effort (top) and public attention (bottom) among the four IUCN categories (TH comprising critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable species; NE; DD; and LC including LC and near-threatened species). Letters indicate significant differences between the IUCN groups for both research. (B) Relationship between research effort and public attention for the species belonging to the four IUCN categories. The dashed ellipses represent 90% of the data (distance from the centroid). The horizontal and vertical dashed lines represent the 90% quantiles for both dimensions of human interest (computed on all species).

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OTHER TOPICS: Aesthetics of Biodiversity, Biogeography, Macroecology & Ecophylogenetics, Experimental Evolution, Functional Biogeography, Functional Rarity, Nature for Future, Metacommunities, Metaecosystems, Reviews and Synthesis, Trophic Biogeography & Metaweb