Building Collaborations and
Networks
We believe in the power of many to tackle conservation needs. We build social capital for marine wildlife conservation.
We do this by linking the various skillsets held by partners through well-defined collaborations and networks. With these we are able to better understand, manage and protect the migratory marine species we work with and increase conservation impact. MarAlliance has established local and international networks of partners to replicate and scale up research and outreach efforts to leverage greater conservation outcomes for marine wildlife. In 2013 we created a network of marine megafauna monitoring practitioners in the MesoAmerican Reef countries and the region (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras). This network now includes 24 partners, with several now leading local monitoring efforts. In November 2015, we founded the Caribbean Chondrichthyan Network (CCN) with 39 partners from the Caribbean region’s NGO, governmental, private and research sectors to better address the regional declines in elasmobranch populations and foster both collaborative science and policy reform.
Our Projects
Studying Contaminants with the Institute for Integrated Research on Materials, Environment and Society (IIRMES)
Marine fishes are important sources of protein throughout the world. As fish grow and age, they will accumulate contaminants, such as heavy metals and PCBs, that can be harmful to humans if consumed in high concentrations. Large, slow growing fishes that are at the top of the food web bioaccumulate contaminants over their lifetime, and therefore the largest fish often have the highest levels of these toxins.
MarAlliance is collaborating with researchers at IIRMES to determine the levels of contaminants such as methyl mercury in fish and sharks to determine how contaminant levels in these organisms change over time. Results from these studies will help to inform the public about which fish species, and what sizes of these fish are safest to eat and which should avoided.
Partnering for Genetic Science
Studying the DNA of organisms can reveal more than just their genetic code. We are working with scientists in the US and Australia to determine species identification, patterns of movement and connectivity, biodiversity, population relatedness, and spatial ecology of sharks, rays, and finfish.
We collect genetic information by cutting a small piece of fin from the animal and preserving it in ethanol or DMSO. This procedure is non-invasive, and the small piece of tissue holds vast amounts of information about the individual.
Working with the Sawfish Conservation Society
Sawfish, a family of cartilaginous fishes consisting of five species, were recently identified as the most vulnerable of all elasmobranch families.
Ecologically extinct throughout most of their ranges due to overexploitation, notably through the expanded use of gillnets, sawfish are now on the brink of extinction.
We work with the Sawfish Conservation Society and the scientists in the US to contribute data to help assess population diversity and distribution throughout their remaining range.