Futurity

How COVID-19 threatens conservation efforts

COVID-19 threatens to derail conservation efforts and research for a year, which could be a huge blow to the field. Here, a biologist explains the threat.
Researchers look down at a garden plot in a field, all wearing yellow safety vests

The COVID-19 pandemic has serious implications for environmental conservation and research, a biologist argues.

Research often takes Richard Primack, a professor of biology at Boston University, beyond his classroom to places like Malaysia, China, Japan, and Germany for extensive fieldwork and writing.

For the time being, however, Primack’s research and travels have been curtailed because he, like so many of his colleagues and students, recognizes the importance of adhering to the stay-at-home advisories issued to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Field and lab work have largely shut down, and teaching and other communications have moved online. The long-term consequences for training, data collection, and networking are still unfolding.

Here, Primack explains how the pandemic is affecting biodiversity conservation and the lessons we can apply moving forward:

The post How COVID-19 threatens conservation efforts appeared first on Futurity.

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