An evolutionary innovation for mating facilitates ecological niche expansion and buffers species against climate change.

One of the drivers of life's diversification has been the emergence of "evolutionary innovations": The evolution of traits that grant access to underused ecological niches. Since ecological interactions can occur separately from mating, mating-related traits have not traditionally been considered factors in niche evolution. However, in order to persist in their environment, animals need to successfully mate just as much as they need to survive. Innovations that facilitate mating activity may therefore be an overlooked determinant of species' ecological limits. Here, we show that species' historical niches and responses to contemporary climate change are shaped by an innovation involved in mating-a waxy, ultra-violet-reflective pruinescence produced by male dragonflies. Physiological experiments in two species demonstrate that pruinescence reduces heating and water loss. Phylogenetic analyses show that pruinescence is gained after taxa begin adopting a thermohydrically stressful mating behavior. Further comparative analyses reveal that pruinose species are more likely to breed in exposed, open-canopy microhabitats. Biogeographic analyses uncover that pruinose species occupy warmer and drier regions in North America. Citizen-science observations of Pachydiplax longipennis suggest that the extent of pruinescence can be optimized to match the local conditions. Finally, temporal analyses indicate that pruinose species have been buffered against contemporary climate change. Overall, these historical and contemporary patterns show that successful mating can shape species' niche limits in the same way as growth and survival.

A community science approach to public health and public trust in science.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the importance of health literacy and trust in pandemic management. Collaborating with the community to prepare for pandemics is incredibly effective in fostering understanding and building trust in public health and scientific research.

Detection of clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus in New York City.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b were detected in North America in the winter of 2021/2022. These viruses have spread across the Americas, causing morbidity and mortality in both wild and domestic birds as well as some mammalian species, including cattle. Many surveillance programs for wildlife as well as commercial poultry operations have detected these viruses. In this study, we conducted surveillance of avian species in the urban environment in New York City. We detected highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses in six samples from four different bird species and performed whole-genome sequencing. Sequencing analysis showed the presence of multiple different genotypes. Our work highlights that the interface between animals and humans that may give rise to zoonotic infections or even pandemics is not limited to rural environments and commercial poultry operations but extends into the heart of our urban centers.IMPORTANCEWhile surveillance programs for avian influenza viruses are often focused on migratory routes and their associated stop-over locations or commercial poultry operations, many bird species-including migratory birds-frequent or live in urban green spaces and wetlands. This brings them into contact with a highly dense population of humans and pets, providing an extensive urban animal-human interface in which the general public may have little awareness of circulating infectious diseases. This study focuses on virus surveillance of this interface, combined with culturally responsive science education and community outreach.

EchidnaCSI: Engaging the public in research and conservation of the short-beaked echidna.

The short-beaked echidna is an iconic Australian animal and the most-widespread native mammal, inhabiting diverse environments. The cryptic nature of echidnas has limited research into their ecology in most areas; however, from the well-researched and endangered Kangaroo Island echidna population, we understand that the threats include habitat loss, roads, and invasive species. To obtain more information about echidnas Australia-wide, we established the Echidna Conservation Science Initiative (EchidnaCSI) citizen science project. EchidnaCSI calls on members of the public to submit photographs of wild echidnas and learn to identify and collect echidna scats for molecular analysis. To facilitate participation, we developed a smartphone application as well as ongoing social and traditional media activities and community events. In 3 y, more than 9,000 members of the public have downloaded the EchidnaCSI app, collecting 400 scats and submitting over 8,000 sightings of echidnas from across Australia. A subset of submitted scat samples were subjected to DNA extraction and PCR, which validated the approach of using citizen science for scat collection and viability for molecular analysis. To assess the impact of the project through public participation, we surveyed our participants (n = 944) to understand their demographics and motivations for engagement. Survey results also revealed that EchidnaCSI served as a gateway into citizen science more generally for many participants. EchidnaCSI demonstrates the potential for using citizen science approaches to collect high-quality data and material from a cryptic species over a very large geographic area and the considerable engagement value of citizen science research.

Human-modified habitats imperil ornamented dragonflies less than their non-ornamented counterparts at local, regional, and continental scales.

Biologists have long wondered how sexual ornamentation influences a species' risk of extinction. Because the evolution of condition-dependent ornamentation can reduce intersexual conflict and accelerate the fixation of advantageous alleles, some theory predicts that ornamented taxa can be buffered against extinction in novel and/or stressful environments. Nevertheless, evidence from the wild remains limited. Here, we show that ornamented dragonflies are less vulnerable to extinction across multiple spatial scales. Population-occupancy models across the Western United States reveal that ornamented species have become more common relative to non-ornamented species over >100 years. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that ornamented species exhibit lower continent-wide extinction risk than non-ornamented species. Finally, spatial analyses of local dragonfly assemblages suggest that ornamented species possess advantages over non-ornamented taxa at living in habitats that have been converted to farms and cities. Together, these findings suggest that ornamented taxa are buffered against contemporary extinction at local, regional, and continental scales.

Population links between an insectivorous bird and moths disentangled through national-scale monitoring data.

Insects are key components of food chains, and monitoring data provides new opportunities to identify trophic relationships at broad spatial and temporal scales. Here, combining two monitoring datasets from Great Britain, we reveal how the population dynamics of the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus are influenced by the abundance of moths - a core component of their breeding diet. We find that years with increased population growth for blue tits correlate strongly with high moth abundance, but population growth in moths and birds is less well correlated; suggesting moth abundance directly affects bird population change. Next, we identify moths that are important components of blue tit diet, recovering associations to species previously identified as key food sources such as the winter moth Operoptera brumata. Our work provides new evidence that insect abundance impacts bird population dynamics in natural communities and provides insight into spatial diet turnover at a national-scale.

Reading tea leaves worldwide: Decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass-loss rate and stabilization.

The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large-scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization factors of plant-derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI). The stabilization factor quantifies the degree to which easy-to-degrade components accumulate during early-stage decomposition (e.g. by environmental limitations). However, agriculture and an interaction between moisture and temperature led to a decoupling between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization, notably in colder locations. Using TBI improved mass-loss estimates of natural litter compared to models that ignored stabilization. Ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early-stage decomposition, and the environmental control of this transformation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models.

Catching some air: a method to spatially quantify aerial triazole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus.

Airborne triazole-resistant spores of the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus are a significant human health problem as the agricultural use of triazoles has been selecting for cross-resistance to life-saving clinical triazoles. However, how to quantify exposure to airborne triazole-resistant spores remains unclear. Here, we describe a method for cost-effective wide-scale outdoor air sampling to measure both spore abundance as well as antifungal resistance fractions. We show that prolonged outdoor exposure of sticky seals placed in delta traps, when combined with a two-layered cultivation approach, can regionally yield sufficient colony-forming units (CFUs) for the quantitative assessment of aerial resistance levels at a spatial scale that was up to now unfeasible. When testing our method in a European pilot sampling 12 regions, we demonstrate that there are significant regional differences in airborne CFU numbers, and the triazole-resistant fraction of airborne spores is widespread and varies between 0 and 0.1 for itraconazole (∼4 mg/L) and voriconazole (∼2 mg/L). Our efficient and accessible air sampling protocol opens up extensive options for fine-scale spatial sampling and surveillance studies of airborne A. fumigatus.IMPORTANCEAspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that humans and other animals are primarily exposed to through inhalation. Due to the limited availability of antifungals, resistance to the first choice class of antifungals, the triazoles, in A. fumigatus can make infections by this fungus untreatable and uncurable. Here, we describe and validate a method that allows for the quantification of airborne resistance fractions and quick genotyping of A. fumigatus TR-types. Our pilot study provides proof of concept of the suitability of the method for use by citizen-scientists for large-scale spatial air sampling. Spatial air sampling can open up extensive options for surveillance, health-risk assessment, and the study of landscape-level ecology of A. fumigatus, as well as investigating the environmental drivers of triazole resistance.

Predictive modelling reveals Australian continental risk hotspots for marine debris interactions with key threatened species.

Anthropogenic debris is a global threat that impacts threatened species through various lethal and sub-lethal consequences, as well as overall ecosystem health. This study used a database of over 24,000 beach surveys of marine debris collated by the Australian Marine Debris Initiative from 2012 to 2021, with two key objectives: (1) identify variables that most influence the occurrence of debris hotspots on a continental scale and (2) use these findings to identify likely hotspots of interaction between threatened species and marine debris. The number of particles found in each beach survey was modelled alongside fifteen biological, social, and physical spatial variables including land use, physical oceanography, population, rainfall, distance to waste facilities, ports, and mangroves to identify the significant drivers of debris deposition. The model of best fit for predicting debris particle abundance was calculated using a generalized additive model. Overall, debris was more abundant at sites near catchments with high annual rainfall (mm), intensive land use (km2), and that were nearer to ports (km) and mangroves (km). These results support previous studies which state that mangroves are a significant sink for marine debris, and that large ports and urbanized catchments are significant sources for marine debris. We illustrate the applicability of these models by quantifying significant overlap between debris hotspots and the distributions for four internationally listed threatened species that exhibit debris interactions; green turtle (26,868 km2), dugong (16,164 km2), Australian sea lion (2903 km2) and Flesh-footed Shearwater (2413 km2). This equates to less than 1% (Flesh-footed Shearwater, Australian sea lion), over 2% (green sea turtle) and over 5% (dugong) of their habitat being identified as areas of high risk for marine debris interactions. The results of this study hold practical value, informing decision-making processes, managing debris pollution at continental scales, as well as identifying gaps in species monitoring.

Occupancy trends of overwintering coastal waterbird communities reveal guild-specific patterns of redistribution and shifting reliance on existing protected areas.

Climate change and anthropogenic stressors are redistributing species and altering community composition globally. Protected areas (PAs) may not sufficiently protect populations of species undergoing distributional shifts, necessitating that we evaluate existing PAs and identify areas for future protection to conserve biodiversity across regional and temporal scales. Coastal waterbirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health, representing mobile, long-lived, higher trophic-level consumers. Using a 20-year citizen science dataset (1999-2019) with a before-after control-intervention sampling framework for habitat protection, we applied dynamic occupancy models to assess winter occupancy trends along the Pacific coast of Canada. Specifically, we sought to understand potential drivers of regional declines, spatial commonalities among guilds, and changes in habitat use before and after PA designation, as well as between PAs and non-PAs. Occupancy trends varied regionally, with greater declines in the south compared to the north. Regional differences underlined potential range shifts, particularly for species with traits linked to temperature tolerance, movement, and high productivity foraging, as cold-tolerant, migratory benthivores and piscivores wintered farther north relative to 20 years ago or retreated to cold-water fjords. While 21 of 57 (36.8%) species responded positively to PA designation (before-after), greater occupancy declines tended to occur in PAs established pre-1999 relative to non-PAs (control-intervention). Since PAs are currently concentrated in the south, negative associations were most apparent for species retreating northward, but existing PAs may have a stabilizing or transitory effect on southern wintering species shifting into the region from farther south. We emphasize that conservation strategies must balance persistence of current communities with preserving the climate-adapted biodiversity of tomorrow by accounting for community-level effects of species moving into and out of existing PAs. Incorporating range shifts into PA planning by predicting distributional changes will allow conservation practitioners to identify priority habitats, such as cold-water refugia, for persistent wildlife communities.

Le changement climatique et les facteurs de stress anthropiques redistribuent les espèces et modifient la composition des communautés à l'échelle mondiale. Les zones protégées (ZP) ne protègent peut-être pas suffisamment les populations d'espèces qui subissent des changements de répartition, ce qui nous oblige à évaluer les ZP existantes et à identifier les zones à protéger à l'avenir pour conserver la biodiversité à l'échelle régionale et temporelle. Les oiseaux côtiers sont des indicateurs importants de la santé des écosystèmes marins, car ils représentent des consommateurs mobiles, ont une longue durée de vie et représente le niveau trophique supérieur. En utilisant un ensemble de données de science participative sur 20 ans (1999-2019) avec un échantillonnage avant-après contrôle-intervention (AACI) pour la protection de l'habitat, nous avons appliqué des modèles d'occupation dynamiques pour évaluer les tendances de l'occupation hivernale le long de la côte pacifique du Canada. Plus précisément, nous avons cherché à comprendre les moteurs potentiels des déclins régionaux, les points communs spatiaux entre les guildes et les changements dans l'utilisation de l'habitat avant et après la désignation de le ZP, ainsi qu'entre les ZP et les non-ZP. Les tendances en matière d'occupation varient d'une région à l'autre, avec des déclins plus importants dans le sud que dans le nord. Les différences régionales soulignent les déplacements potentiels de l'aire de répartition, en particulier pour les espèces dont les caractéristiques sont liées à la tolérance à la température, aux déplacements et à la recherche de nourriture à rendement élevé, car les benthivores et les piscivores migrateurs tolérants au froid ont hiverné plus au nord qu'il y a 20 ans ou se sont retirés dans les fjords aux eaux froides. Alors que 21 des 57 (36,8 %) espèces ont réagi positivement à la désignation des aires protégées (avant-après), les baisses d'occupation ont eu tendance à être plus importantes dans les aires protégées créées avant 1999 que dans les aires non protégées (contrôle-intervention). Comme les aires protégées sont actuellement concentrées dans le sud, les associations négatives étaient plus évidentes pour les espèces qui se retirent vers le nord, mais les aires protégées existantes peuvent avoir un effet stabilisateur ou transitoire sur les espèces hivernant dans le sud qui se déplacent dans la région à partir d'une région plus au sud. Nous soulignons que les stratégies de conservation doivent trouver un équilibre entre la persistance des communautés actuelles et la préservation de la biodiversité adaptée au climat de demain, en tenant compte des effets au niveau des communautés des espèces qui entrent dans les aires protégées existantes ou qui en sortent. L'intégration des changements d'aire de répartition dans la planification des aires protégées en prédisant les changements de distribution permettra aux praticiens de la conservation d'identifier les habitats prioritaires, tels que les refuges d'eau froide, pour les communautés d'espèces sauvages persistantes.

Synchronous citizen science with dogs.

Citizen science approaches have grown in popularity over the years, partly due to their ability to reach a wider audience and produce more generalizable samples. In dogs, these studies, though, have been limited in their controls over materials or experimental protocols, with guardians typically reporting results without researcher supervision. Over two studies, we explored and validated a synchronous citizen science approach. We had dog guardians act as experimenters while being supervised by a researcher over Zoom. In study 1, we demonstrated that synchronous citizen science produced equivalent levels of performance to in-lab designs in a choice task. Consistent with past in-lab research, dogs selected a treat (vs. an empty plate) in a two-alternative forced-choice task. In study 2, we showed that Zoom methods are also appropriate for studies utilizing looking time measures. We explored dogs' looking behaviors when a bag of treats was placed in an unreachable location, and dogs' guardians were either attentive or inattentive while dogs attempted to retrieve the treats. Consistent with past work, dogs in the attentive condition looked at their guardian for longer periods and had a shorter latency to first look than dogs in the inattentive condition. Overall, we have demonstrated that synchronous citizen science studies with dogs are feasible and produce valid results consistent with those found in a typical lab setting.

Feeding en route: Prey availability and traits influence prey selection by an avian predator on migration.

During animal migration, ephemeral communities of taxa at all trophic levels co-occur over space and time. The interactions between predators and prey along migration corridors are ecologically and evolutionarily significant. However, these interactions remain understudied in terrestrial systems and warrant further investigations using novel approaches. We investigated the predator-prey interactions between a migrating avivorous predator and ephemeral avian prey community in the fall migration season. We tested for associations between avian traits and prey selection and hypothesized that prey traits (i.e. relative size, flocking behaviour, habitat, migration tendency and availability) would influence prey selection by a sexually dimorphic raptor on migration. To document prey consumption, we sampled trace prey DNA from beaks and talons of migrating sharp-shinned hawks Accipiter striatus (n = 588). We determined prey availability in the ephemeral avian community by extracting weekly abundance indices from eBird Status and Trends data. We used discrete choice models to assess prey selection and visualized the frequency of prey in diet and availability on the landscape over the fall migration season. Using eDNA metabarcoding, we detected prey species on 94.1% of the hawks sampled (n = 525/588) comprising 1396 prey species detections from 65 prey species. Prey frequency in diet and eBird relative abundance of prey species were correlated over the migration season for top-selected prey species, suggesting prey availability is an important component of raptor-songbird interactions during fall. Prey size, flocking behaviour and non-breeding habitat association were prey traits that significantly influenced predator choice. We found differences between female and male hawk prey selection, suggesting that sexual size dimorphism has led to distinct foraging strategies on migration. This research integrated field data collected by a volunteer-powered raptor migration monitoring station and public-generated data from eBird to reveal elusive predator-prey dynamics occurring in an ephemeral raptor-songbird community during fall migration. Understanding dynamic raptor-songbird interactions along migration routes remains a relatively unexplored frontier in animal ecology and is necessary for the conservation and management efforts of migratory and resident communities.

Durante la migración animal, las comunidades efímeras de taxones de todos los niveles tróficos coexisten en el espacio y el tiempo. Las interacciones entre depredadores y presas a lo largo de los corredores migratorios son significativas desde el punto de vista ecológica y evolutivo. Sin embargo, estas interacciones siguen siendo poco estudiadas en los sistemas terrestres y justifican más investigaciones utilizando enfoques novedosos. Investigamos las interacciones depredador­presa entre un depredador avívoro migratorio y una comunidad de presas aviares efímeras en la temporada migratoria otoñal. Probamos las asociaciones entre los rasgos de las aves y la selección de presas y planteamos la hipótesis de que los rasgos de las presas (tamaño relativo, comportamiento de bandada, hábitat, tendencia migratoria y disponibilidad) influirían en la selección de presas por parte de una rapaz sexualmente dimórfica durante la migración. Para documentar el consumo de presas, recogimos rastros de ADN de presas de picos y garras de Gavilán Americano Accipiter striatus (n = 588) migratorios. Determinamos la disponibilidad de presas en la comunidad de aves efímeras extrayendo índices de abundancia semanales de los datos de eBird Estado y Tendencias. Utilizamos modelos de elección discreta para evaluar la selección de presas y visualizamos la frecuencia de las presas en la dieta y la disponibilidad en el paisaje durante la temporada migratoria otoñal. Utilizando el metacódigo de barras del ADN ambiental, detectamos especies de presas en el 94,1% de los halcones muestreados (n = 525/588), comprendiendo 1396 detecciones de 65 especies de presas. La frecuencia de presas en la dieta y la abundancia relativa de especies de presas en eBird se correlacionaron a lo largo de la temporada de migración para las principales especies de presas seleccionadas, lo que sugiere que la disponibilidad de presas es un componente importante de las interacciones entre aves rapaces y aves canoras durante el otoño. El tamaño de las presas, el comportamiento de las bandadas y la asociación con el hábitat no reproductivo fueron rasgos de presa que influyeron significativamente en la elección de los depredadores. Encontramos diferencias entre la selección de presas de gavilán hembra y macho, lo que sugiere que el dimorfismo sexual de tamaño ha conducido a distintas estrategias de alimentación durante la migración. Esta investigación integró datos de campo recopilados por una estación de monitoreo de migración de rapaces impulsada por voluntarios y datos generados públicamente por eBird para revelar la esquiva dinámica depredador­presa que ocurre en una comunidad efímera de rapaces y aves canoras durante la migración otoñal. Comprender las interacciones dinámicas entre rapaces y aves canoras a lo largo de las rutas migratorias sigue siendo una frontera relativamente inexplorada en la ecología animal y es necesaria para los esfuerzos de conservación y gestión de las comunidades migratorias y residentes.

Local climate change velocities and evolutionary history explain multidirectional range shifts in a North American butterfly assemblage.

Species are often expected to shift their distributions either poleward or upslope to evade warming climates and colonise new suitable climatic niches. However, from 18-years of fixed transect monitoring data on 88 species of butterfly in the midwestern United States, we show that butterflies are shifting their centroids in all directions, except towards regions that are warming the fastest (southeast). Butterflies shifted their centroids at a mean rate of 4.87 km year-1. The rate of centroid shift was significantly associated with local climate change velocity (temperature by precipitation interaction), but not with mean climate change velocity throughout the species' ranges. Species tended to shift their centroids at a faster rate towards regions that are warming at slower velocities but increasing in precipitation velocity. Surprisingly, species' thermal niche breadth (range of climates butterflies experience throughout their distribution) and wingspan (often used as metric for dispersal capability) were not correlated with the rate at which species shifted their ranges. We observed high phylogenetic signal in the direction species shifted their centroids. However, we found no phylogenetic signal in the rate species shifted their centroids, suggesting less conserved processes determine the rate of range shift than the direction species shift their ranges. This research shows important signatures of multidirectional range shifts (latitudinal and longitudinal) and uniquely shows that local climate change velocities are more important in driving range shifts than the mean climate change velocity throughout a species' entire range.

A protocol for harvesting biodiversity data from Facebook.

The expanding use of community science platforms has led to an exponential increase in biodiversity data in global repositories. Yet, understanding of species distributions remains patchy. Biodiversity data from social media can potentially reduce the global biodiversity knowledge gap. However, practical guidelines and standardized methods for harvesting such data are nonexistent. Following data privacy and protection safeguards, we devised a standardized method for extracting species distribution records from Facebook groups that allow access to their data. It involves 3 steps: group selection, data extraction, and georeferencing the record location. We present how to structure keywords, search for species photographs, and georeference localities for such records. We further highlight some challenges users might face when extracting species distribution data from Facebook and suggest solutions. Following our proposed framework, we present a case study on Bangladesh's biodiversity-a tropical megadiverse South Asian country. We scraped nearly 45,000 unique georeferenced records across 967 species and found a median of 27 records per species. About 12% of the distribution data were for threatened species, representing 27% of all species. We also obtained data for 56 DataDeficient species for Bangladesh. If carefully harvested, social media data can significantly reduce global biodiversity knowledge gaps. Consequently, developing an automated tool to extract and interpret social media biodiversity data is a research priority.

Un protocolo para recolectar datos sobre biodiversidad en Facebook Resumen El uso creciente de plataformas de ciencia comunitaria ha causado un incremento exponencial de los datos sobre biodiversidad en los repositorios mundiales. Sin embargo, el conocimiento sobre la distribución de las especies todavía está incompleto. Los datos sobre biodiversidad obtenidos de las redes sociales tienen el potencial para disminuir el vacío de conocimiento sobre la biodiversidad mundial. No obstante, no existe una guía práctica o un método estandarizado para recolectar dichos datos. Seguimos los protocolos de privacidad y protección de datos para diseñar un método estandarizado para extraer registros de la distribución de especies de grupos en Facebook que permiten el acceso a sus datos. El método consta de tres pasos: selección del grupo, extracción de datos y georreferenciación de la localidad registrada. También planteamos cómo estructurar las palabras clave, buscar fotografías de especies y georreferenciar las localidades de dichos registros. Además, resaltamos algunos retos que los usuarios pueden enfrentar al extraer los datos de distribución de Facebook y sugerimos algunas soluciones. Aplicamos nuestro marco de trabajo propuesto a un estudio de caso de la biodiversidad en Bangladesh, un país tropical megadiverso en el sureste de Asia. Reunimos casi 45,000 registros georreferenciados únicos para 967 especies y encontramos una media de 27 registros por especie. Casi el 12% de los datos de distribución correspondió a especies amenazadas, que representaban el 27% de todas las especies. También obtuvimos datos para 56 especies deficientes de datos en Bangladesh. Si los datos de las redes sociales se recolectan con cuidado, éstos pueden reducir de forma significativa el vacío de conocimiento para la biodiversidad mundial. Como consecuencia, es una prioridad para la investigación el desarrollo de una herramienta automatizada para extraer e interpretar los datos sobre biodiversidad de las redes sociales.

An ecologically sound and participatory monitoring network for pan-Arctic seabirds.

In a warming Arctic, circumpolar long-term monitoring programs are key to advancing ecological knowledge and informing environmental policies. Calls for better involvement of Arctic peoples in all stages of the monitoring process are widespread, although such transformation of Arctic science is still in its infancy. Seabirds stand out as ecological sentinels of environmental changes, and priority has been given to implement the Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan (CSMP). We assessed the representativeness of a pan-Arctic seabird monitoring network focused on the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) by comparing the distribution of environmental variables for all known versus monitored colonies. We found that with respect to its spatiotemporal coverage, this monitoring network does not fully embrace current and future environmental gradients. To improve the current scheme, we designed a method to identify colonies whose inclusion in the monitoring network will improve its ecological representativeness, limit logistical constraints, and improve involvement of Arctic peoples. We thereby highlight that inclusion of study sites in the Bering Sea, Siberia, western Russia, northern Norway, and southeastern Greenland could improve the current monitoring network and that their proximity to local populations might allow increased involvement of local communities. Our framework can be applied to improve existing monitoring networks in other ecoregions and sociological contexts.

Una red de monitoreo participativa y ecológica para las aves marinas del Ártico Resumen En un Ártico cada vez más cálido, los programas circumpolares de monitoreo a largo plazo son importantes para potenciar el conocimiento ecológico e informar las políticas ambientales. Existe un llamado generalizado para involucrar de mejor manera a los pueblos árticos en el proceso de monitoreo, aunque dicha transformación de la ciencia ártica todavía está en desarrollo. Las aves marinas resaltan como centinelas del cambio ambiental y se ha priorizado implementar el Plan Circumpolar de Monitoreo de Aves Marinas (CSMP). Comparamos la distribución de las variables ambientales de todas las colonias conocidas de la gaviota tridáctila (Rissa tridactyla) contra las colonias monitoreadas para evaluar la representación de una red pan­ártica de monitoreo enfocada en esta especie. Encontramos que esta red de monitoreo no considera del todo los gradientes ambientales actuales y futuros con respecto a la cobertura espaciotemporal. Para mejorar el esquema actual, diseñamos un método para identificar las colonias cuya inclusión en la red de monitoreo mejorará su representación ecológica, limitará las restricciones logísticas e incrementará la participación de los pueblos árticos. Por lo tanto, resaltamos que la inclusión de los sitios de estudio en el Mar de Bering, Siberia, Rusia occidental, el norte de Noruega y el sureste de Groenlandia mejorarían la red actual de monitoreo. También destacamos que la proximidad de los sitios de estudio con las poblaciones locales podría permitir una mayor participación de estas. Nuestro marco puede aplicarse para mejorar las redes de monitoreo existentes en otros contextos socioecológicos y ecoregiones.

Using social media records to inform conservation planning.

Citizen science plays a crucial role in helping monitor biodiversity and inform conservation. With the widespread use of smartphones, many people share biodiversity information on social media, but this information is still not widely used in conservation. Focusing on Bangladesh, a tropical megadiverse and mega-populated country, we examined the importance of social media records in conservation decision-making. We collated species distribution records for birds and butterflies from Facebook and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), grouped them into GBIF-only and combined GBIF and Facebook data, and investigated the differences in identifying critical conservation areas. Adding Facebook data to GBIF data improved the accuracy of systematic conservation planning assessments by identifying additional important conservation areas in the northwest, southeast, and central parts of Bangladesh, extending priority conservation areas by 4,000-10,000 km2 . Community efforts are needed to drive the implementation of the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets, especially in megadiverse tropical countries with a lack of reliable and up-to-date species distribution data. We highlight that conservation planning can be enhanced by including available data gathered from social media platforms.

Registros de las redes sociales para guiar la planeación de la conservación Resumen La ciencia ciudadana es importante para monitorear la biodiversidad e informar la conservación. Con el creciente uso de los teléfonos inteligentes, muchas personas comparten información de la biodiversidad en redes sociales, pero todavía no se usa ampliamente en la conservación. Analizamos la importancia de los registros de las redes sociales para las decisiones de conservación enfocados en Bangladesh, un país tropical megadiverso y mega poblado. Cotejamos los registros de distribución de especies de aves y mariposas en Facebook y Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), las agrupamos en datos sólo de GBIF o datos combinados de Facebook y GBIF e investigamos las diferencias en la identificación de las áreas de conservación críticas. La combinación de los datos de Facebook con los de GBIF mejoró la precisión de las evaluaciones de la planeación de la conservación sistemática al identificar otras áreas importantes de conservación en el noroeste, sureste y centro de Bangladesh, extendiendo así las áreas prioritarias de conservación en unos 4,000-10,000 km2 . Se requieren esfuerzos comunitarios para impulsar la implementación de los objetivos ambiciosos del Marco Global de Biodiversidad Kunming-Montreal, especialmente en países tropicales que carecen de datos confiables y actuales sobre la distribución de las especies. Destacamos que la planeación de la conservación puede mejorarse si se incluye información tomada de las redes sociales.

Incorporation of human-wildlife interactions in ecosystem-based management to enhance conservation of endangered guitarfish.

Growing human use of the marine environment increases the proximity of humans to marine wildlife and thus likely increases human-wildlife interactions. Such interactions influence perceptions of nature and promote or undermine conservation. Despite their importance, human-wildlife interactions are rarely considered in ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (MSP). Ideally, these interactions should be identified and considered in ecosystem-based management (EBM), which is often purported to be the basis for MSP. We used Marxan software and data from a citizen science project documenting location, species, age, sex, and activity type to identify regions along Israel's coast with a high probability of encounters between people and 2 species of guitarfish. We considered the geographic distribution of these encounters and the various activities undertaken by the reporting observers. We ran 4 scenarios in Marxan. Two had conservation goals of 30% and 50% guitarfish habitat protection. In the third and fourth scenarios, we added a 50% conservation goal of human leisure activities to each guitarfish conservation goal. We also conducted a gap analysis between our guitarfish conservation goals and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority's master plan for marine protected areas. We found the park authority was close to meeting the 30% goal but was far from meeting the conservation goal of 50% of guitarfish habitat conservation. Different human uses were more likely to interact with different life stages of guitarfish, and different recreational activities occurred in different areas. Identifying areas of specific human use showed which activities should be addressed in conservation management decisions. Our addition of certain recreational uses to the model of habitat conservation showed how enhancing human dimensions in conservation planning can lead to more holistic ecosystem-based conservation necessary for effective marine planning.

Incorporación de las interacciones humano­fauna dentro de la gestión basada en el ecosistema para mejorar la conservación del pez guitarra en peligro Resumen El uso creciente que el humano le da al mar incrementa la cercanía de las personas con la fauna marina, lo que probablemente incrementa las interacciones humano­fauna. Dichas interacciones influyen sobre las percepciones que se tienen de la naturaleza y promueven debilitan la conservación. A pesar de su importancia, pocas veces se consideran las relaciones humano­fauna dentro de la planeación espacial basada en ecosistemas marinos (PEM). Lo ideal debería ser la identificación y consideración de estas interacciones dentro de la gestión basada en el ecosistema (GBE), la cual con frecuencia se considera como la base de la PEM. Usamos software Marxan y datos de un proyecto de ciencia ciudadana que documenta la ubicación, especie, edad, sexo y tipo de actividad para identificar las regiones de la costa de Israel con una alta probabilidad de encuentros entre las personas y dos especies de pez guitarra. Consideramos la distribución geográfica de estos encuentros y las diferentes actividades que realizan los observadores. En Marxan corrimos cuatro escenarios. Dos de los escenarios contaban objetivos de conservación del 30% y 50% de la protección del hábitat del pez guitarra. En los otros dos escenarios, añadimos un objetivo de conservación de 50% de las actividades humanas de recreación a los objetivos uno y dos. También realizamos un análisis de brecha entre los objetivos de conservación del pez guitarra y el plan maestro para las áreas marinas protegidas de la Autoridad de Parques y Naturaleza de Israel. Descubrimos que esta autoridad estaba cerca de lograr el objetivo del 30% pero lejos del de 50% de la conservación del hábitat del pez guitarra. Fue más probable que los diferentes usos humanos interactuaran con diferentes estadios de vida del pez guitarra y las diversas actividades recreativas ocurrieron en áreas distintas. La identificación de las áreas con un uso humano específico mostró cuáles actividades deberían abordarse en las decisiones de gestión de la conservación. La suma de ciertos usos recreativos al modelo de conservación del hábitat mostró cómo aumentar las dimensiones humanas en la planeación de la conservación puede derivar en una conservación basada en el ecosistema más holística, necesaria para la planeación marina eficiente.

Citizen science in environmental health research: A comparison with conventional approaches and creation of a guidance tool issued from the LILAS initiative.

CONTEXT: Public interest for citizen science (CS) in environmental health is growing. The goals of environmental health research projects are diverse, as are the methods used to reach these goals. Opportunities for greater implication of the civil society and related challenges differ at each step of such projects. These methodological aspects need to be widely shared and understood by all stakeholders. The LILAS initiative (acronym for "application of citizen science approaches such as LIving LAbS to research on environmental exposures and chronic risks") aimed to 1) favor a mutual understanding of the main issues and research methods in environmental health, of their stakes for different actors, but also of the requirements, strengths and limitations of these methods and to 2) identify expected benefits and points of attention related to stronger degrees of participation as part of environmental health research projects. METHODS: The LILAS initiative gathered institutional researchers, academics and civil society representatives interested in environmental exposures. Five meetings allowed to collectively identify different types of environmental health research studies and reflect about the benefits, limitations, and methodological issues related to the introduction of growing citizen participation as part of such studies. An analytic table matrix summarizing these aspects was co-created and filled by participants, as a tool devoted to help stakeholders with the definition of future CS research projects in environmental health. RESULTS: For different fields of research (e.g.: studies for assessment of environmental exposures, interventions on these exposures, quantitative risk assessment, epidemiological studies), the matrix lists expected benefits for various stakeholders, the fundamental principles of research methods and related practical constraints, but also advantages and limitations related to the use of CS or conventional research approaches. CONCLUSION: The LILAS initiative allowed to develop a tool which provides consolidated grounds for the co-creation of research projects on environmental exposures involving CS.

Establishing a standing patient advisory board in family practice research: A qualitative evaluation from patients' and researchers' perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Patient and public involvement is vital for high-quality research. Integrating patients' and providers' perspectives early in research enhances the feasibility and relevance of study results. Within our family practice-based research network ForN, we established a standing patient advisory board (PAB) to include patients with diverse conditions and experiences. In this paper, we aim to describe the establishment and functioning of a standing PAB in family medicine research from patients' and researchers' perspectives. METHODS: After each PAB meeting, patients and researchers were asked to name anonymously positive and challenging moments in a feedback form with open questions. Researchers were also asked to reflect on how they implemented the discussion content in their research projects. The responses from both groups were transferred to MAXQDA 2018 and analyzed separately using thematic analysis. RESULTS: We analyzed 40 feedback forms from patients and 14 feedback forms from researchers. The dominant theme in the patients' feedback was 'exchange': They positively emphasized the 'exciting and open discussions' and the exchange of perspectives with one another and researchers. The clarity of the researchers' presentations and the research topics were appreciated. Researchers also positively highlighted the open atmosphere of the discussions. Presenting their research to the PAB helped most researchers reflect on their research topics from patients' perspectives and implement changes. However, researchers also mentioned several barriers to the implementation of PAB members' feedback. CONCLUSION: The establishment of a standing PAB in family practice research is feasible and productive both from patients' and researchers' perspectives. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study reports the evaluation of the establishment of a standing PAB in family practice research. Board members are involved in the design of studies, the co-production of interventions and information material, and the interpretation of data.

Public involvement in chronic respiratory diseases research: A qualitative study of patients', carers' and citizens' perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Patient and public involvement (PPI) initiatives involving patients with chronic respiratory disease (CRD) are rare. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perspectives of patients with CRD, carers and interested citizens regarding the relevance and need for a PPI network and suggestions for its implementation. METHODS: A qualitative study based on focus groups was conducted. Recruitment occurred through invitations on social media platforms and to patients who have participated in previous asthma studies of the team. Three focus groups were conducted, via video conference, using a semi-structured guide. Thematic analysis was performed by two independent researchers and discussed with the extended team. RESULTS: Fifteen patients with CRD, one carer and one interested citizen (13 females, median 36 (range: 18-72) years) participated. All participants acknowledged the importance of implementing a collaborative network and demonstrated interest in being integrated. Participants acknowledged the importance of their involvement in several phases of the research cycle. The main aim identified for this network was to facilitate communication between patients and researchers. Participants regarded the integration of patients, carers, researchers and healthcare professionals from different scientific areas as relevant. The use of digital platforms to attract members and support the work, together with group dynamics and regular meetings, were some of the most relevant practical considerations for implementing the network. The identified facilitators for their engagement were sharing experiences, researchers' and healthcare professionals' support and feedback and schedule flexibility. The identified barriers included the amount of time dedicated, low health/digital literacy and the potential detachment of nondiagnosed patients or those with low symptom impact in daily life. CONCLUSION: Patients, carers and citizens acknowledged the relevance of implementing a collaborative network and demonstrated interest in active participation in every stage of the health research cycle. A deeper knowledge of the barriers and facilitators identified in this study could support implementing these initiatives in Portugal. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study was designed by a research team that included one patient with asthma and one carer. They were specifically involved in building the study protocol and the interview guide. They also gave feedback regarding the electronic consent form and the short sociodemographic questionnaire created, namely by removing noncontributing words or phrases and rewording expressions. The lay summary was written by another patient with asthma. All participants of this study were invited to implement and integrate the ConectAR network-a collaborative network of research in respiratory health. PUBLIC SUMMARY: In Portugal, chronic respiratory patients do not have an active role as 'coinvestigators'. This study aimed to acknowledge if patients and citizens considered a patient and public involvement network useful, whose main purpose would be to facilitate communication between patients and researchers. A study based on online group interviews was carried out with patients with chronic respiratory diseases and interested citizens, both recruited on social media platforms. Participants considered that bringing together patients, carers, researchers and healthcare professionals is valuable because sharing different experiences and perspectives may help patients to improve their daily lives and increase research quality. In conclusion, patients agree that implementing a collaborative network with researchers and healthcare professionals and participating in the health research cycle is quite preponderant. Acknowledging what can help and deter this network may be beneficial to implementing this type of initiative in Portugal.