Revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction
Among rays inhabiting US coastal waters in the western North Atlantic Ocean, a species of potential concern is the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii. The most recent International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Assessment indicates the species is Critically Endangered, whi...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:942769fce9234ebb9e5a8e9c98f67087 2023-05-15T17:34:44+02:00 Revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction Carlson, JK Pollack, AG Driggers, WB Castro, JI Brame, AB Lee, JL 2017-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00799 https://doaj.org/article/942769fce9234ebb9e5a8e9c98f67087 EN eng Inter-Research https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v32/p177-186/ https://doaj.org/toc/1863-5407 https://doaj.org/toc/1613-4796 1863-5407 1613-4796 doi:10.3354/esr00799 https://doaj.org/article/942769fce9234ebb9e5a8e9c98f67087 Endangered Species Research, Vol 32, Pp 177-186 (2017) Zoology QL1-991 Botany QK1-989 article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00799 2022-12-31T15:19:18Z Among rays inhabiting US coastal waters in the western North Atlantic Ocean, a species of potential concern is the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii. The most recent International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Assessment indicates the species is Critically Endangered, which represents the highest risk of extinction based on IUCN criteria. The basis of this alarming designation was a reported 98% decline in abundance based on analyses of a long-term, fisheries-independent trawl survey conducted in the northern Gulf of Mexico since 1972. The status of this species generated considerable concern within the conservation community, prompting a petition for its inclusion under the US Endangered Species Act. We critically examined all available sources of data relative to the abundance of lesser electric ray, including those utilized in the original analysis, and found lesser electric rays do not appear to be at risk of extinction. Contrary to the earlier analysis, we found no evidence of decline in the relative abundance of lesser electric rays, with trends in abundance being relatively flat with high variability. Our investigation determined that analyses of previous trawl surveys did not address major changes over time in survey design and disregarded the strong habitat preference of lesser electric rays. It is critical that the best possible information be used when considering the conservation status of a given species to minimize undue burdens and ensure that increasingly limited resources are applied to the recovery of those species that are truly in peril. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Endangered Species Research 32 177 186 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Zoology QL1-991 Botany QK1-989 |
spellingShingle |
Zoology QL1-991 Botany QK1-989 Carlson, JK Pollack, AG Driggers, WB Castro, JI Brame, AB Lee, JL Revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction |
topic_facet |
Zoology QL1-991 Botany QK1-989 |
description |
Among rays inhabiting US coastal waters in the western North Atlantic Ocean, a species of potential concern is the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii. The most recent International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Assessment indicates the species is Critically Endangered, which represents the highest risk of extinction based on IUCN criteria. The basis of this alarming designation was a reported 98% decline in abundance based on analyses of a long-term, fisheries-independent trawl survey conducted in the northern Gulf of Mexico since 1972. The status of this species generated considerable concern within the conservation community, prompting a petition for its inclusion under the US Endangered Species Act. We critically examined all available sources of data relative to the abundance of lesser electric ray, including those utilized in the original analysis, and found lesser electric rays do not appear to be at risk of extinction. Contrary to the earlier analysis, we found no evidence of decline in the relative abundance of lesser electric rays, with trends in abundance being relatively flat with high variability. Our investigation determined that analyses of previous trawl surveys did not address major changes over time in survey design and disregarded the strong habitat preference of lesser electric rays. It is critical that the best possible information be used when considering the conservation status of a given species to minimize undue burdens and ensure that increasingly limited resources are applied to the recovery of those species that are truly in peril. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Carlson, JK Pollack, AG Driggers, WB Castro, JI Brame, AB Lee, JL |
author_facet |
Carlson, JK Pollack, AG Driggers, WB Castro, JI Brame, AB Lee, JL |
author_sort |
Carlson, JK |
title |
Revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction |
title_short |
Revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction |
title_full |
Revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction |
title_fullStr |
Revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction |
title_full_unstemmed |
Revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray Narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction |
title_sort |
revised analyses suggest that the lesser electric ray narcine bancroftii is not at risk of extinction |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00799 https://doaj.org/article/942769fce9234ebb9e5a8e9c98f67087 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_source |
Endangered Species Research, Vol 32, Pp 177-186 (2017) |
op_relation |
https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v32/p177-186/ https://doaj.org/toc/1863-5407 https://doaj.org/toc/1613-4796 1863-5407 1613-4796 doi:10.3354/esr00799 https://doaj.org/article/942769fce9234ebb9e5a8e9c98f67087 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00799 |
container_title |
Endangered Species Research |
container_volume |
32 |
container_start_page |
177 |
op_container_end_page |
186 |
_version_ |
1766133656743575552 |