Priscila Fabiana Macedo Lopes

Marine research increasingly demands that early career researchers collaborate across disciplines, work with diverse communities including Indigenous peoples, and navigate social-ecological challenges characterised by ambiguity, uncertainty, and contested values. Yet the conceptual tools needed to do this well—chief among them reflexivity—are rarely taught in science training. This commentary argues that reflexivity (i.e., the practice of actively and continuously examining how one’s position, assumptions, and subjectivity shape the research process and its outcomes) is not an optional methodological add-on, but a foundational practice for rigorous, ethical, and inclusive inter- and transdisciplinary marine research. It is addressed primarily to early career researchers and their supervisors: people who can act on the strategies offered here within their own research practice. We acknowledge that sustaining reflexive practice also requires institutional and structural change—but that change is beyond the remit of any individual researcher. Rather, our focus is on what individual researchers can integrate, practise, and lead by example: from writing a positionality statement and asking reflexive planning questions, to active listening, peer dialogue, and keeping a reflexive personal journal—as entry points into larger accountability.

Lionfish ( Pterois spp.) are hypothesized to negatively influence cryptobenthic reef fish assemblages through predation. We evaluated these potential effects on Caribbean reefs in Costa Rica and tropical reefs in Brazil. Brazil provided a reference condition for cryptobenthic assemblages prior to lionfish invasion, while the Costa Rica sites enabled comparisons between reefs inside marine protected areas (MPAs), where lionfish removal did not occur for several years, and adjacent fished reefs where removals occurred. Visual censuses (30 m × 2 m transects, 0.5–4 m depth) were complemented by simplified assessments of reef structure and benthic cover. Cryptobenthic fish abundance was consistently higher in Brazil than in Costa Rica. Within Costa Rica, abundance was significantly lower inside MPAs, where higher lionfish densities were recorded, compared to adjacent fished reefs. This pattern indicates differences in cryptobenthic fish abundance across sites with contrasting lionfish presence. Our findings reinforce concerns that MPAs may inadvertently function as refuges for invasive species, highlighting the importance of adaptive management strategies, including targeted removals and monitoring, to mitigate ecological impacts and protect reef biodiversity.

Small-scale fisheries are central to the economy, food security, and cultural continuity of many coastal communities across the Global South, yet fishing activities and community well-being are increasingly exposed to pressures from overfishing, pollution, and coastal ecosystem degradation. When fishing occurs within or near coastal protected areas, regulatory frameworks and livelihood dependence become tightly intertwined, making fishers’ perceptions of the environment and fishing dynamics a socially structured dimension of these systems rather than merely individual views. We interviewed 105 fishers from three coastal protected areas in Northeastern Brazil (Paraiba and Pernambuco) to (1) analyze their perception of changes in small-scale fisheries and socio-environmental threats, and (2) examine how socioeconomic factors (e.g. sex, education, income, dependence on fishing) influence these perceptions. We did a content analysis of the qualitative interview data and applied multinomial logistic regression to model their perception of socio-environmental threats. Our findings showed that male fishers were significantly more likely to perceive pollution (odds ratio [OR] = 5.45) and overfishing (OR = 2.57) as major threats. Additionally, higher income was associated with a lower likelihood of perceiving overfishing (OR = 0.27) and pollution (OR = 0.009) as significant concerns, regardless of gender. Lower income levels were associated with greater sensitivity to socio-environmental threats, while gendered divisions of labor shaped distinct environmental perceptions. These findings demonstrate that socio-ecological dynamics in coastal protected areas are structured by poverty and social inequalities. Effective governance must therefore integrate biodiversity conservation with strategies that address livelihood security, gender inequities, and structural vulnerability in small-scale fisheries.

The increasing prevalence of invasive plants thriving under changing climates underscores a major ecological concern. While many studies address invasions at broad taxonomic scales, our approach emphasizes the simultaneous projection of multiple species grouped by functional traits. In addition to modeling their joint distribution, we evaluated the persistence and spatial overlap between functionally distinct invaders as a possible indicator of future ecological shifts. Ecosystems like the Brazilian Caatinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest spanning 833,000 km², may be especially vulnerable to invasions and climate change due to widespread land degradation. We projected the future distribution of 11 invasive species under both optimistic and pessimistic climate scenarios, spanning 2021 to 2100. Potential distribution changes were assessed considering the joint invasion of all species, grouped into woody and non-woody categories. Areas with annual mean temperatures between 24 and 27 °C and higher precipitation were more prone to invasions. Non-woody species are projected to occupy the largest high-suitability areas throughout the century. Cenchrus ciliaris L. and Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) are examples of major invaders under both scenarios. One region in the Caatinga remained suitable for both woody and non-woody invaders, reflecting a localized zone of functional co-occurrence retention despite overall habitat contraction. Even with projected declines in suitable areas (−36.4% optimistic, −28.2% pessimistic), the continued presence of invasive species poses risks to native flora, which is generally more sensitive to environmental change. These results highlight the urgency of proactive management to safeguard biodiversity.

Food biodiversity is vital for human health and sustainable food systems. However, research on neglected and underutilized species is limited by funding, uneven research capacity, and the challenge of balancing ecological, cultural, and public health considerations, requiring innovative prioritization approaches. Using Brazil as a model, this study inventories 369 neglected food species across algae, aquatic fauna, wild terrestrial vertebrates, insects, mushrooms, and plants. A mixed-methods approach, combining expert knowledge and explainable AI (LightGBM and SHAP value analysis), identified key factors for prioritizing species for food composition and consumption studies. The inventory is dominated by plants (29.5%) and wild vertebrates (24.4%), with major nutritional data gaps, particularly for algae, insects, and wild vertebrates. Over 36,000 recipes using neglected species were identified. In both food composition (R²: 0.677) and consumption studies (R²: 0.782) recipe number and species occurrence across different states were the most influential features predicting prioritization. These findings emphasize the role of cultural uses and local accessibility in shaping nutritional research priorities. We urge increased research on neglected species to bridge data gaps and integrate them into food systems, promoting sustainable diets in Brazil and other tropical regions.

Marine conservation efforts, often through top-down marine protected areas (MPAs), have typically prioritized biodiversity over the needs and rights of local communities. This approach can lead to social injustices and unintended consequences, including promoting unsustainable practices and eroding traditional, sound management methods, along with the loss of cultural heritage and identity. This food-for-thought piece explores some of these overlooked ramifications of top-down MPAs, using the Tamoios MPA in Brazil and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve in Romania as examples. It highlights how the exclusionary nature of top-down conservation can potentially undermine or delay conservation goals. Integrating local ecological knowledge (LEK) and customary management practices into formal management can be beneficial, regardless of potential limitations and/or disconnection with recommended conservation practices. LEK can serve as a bridge between communities and conservation goals, offering insights into sustainable practices and fostering dialogue. Inclusive approaches that combine LEK with scientific knowledge and involve local communities in decision-making can be beneficial for both new and existing MPAs, especially those that may not have been established in a socially fair way. Prioritizing negotiation and active listening in conservation efforts can help achieve both ecological sustainability and social justice, providing a potentially effective approach to marine conservation.

The conservation of biodiversity includes the maintenance of genetic variation and evolutionary processes. Consequently, identifying evolutionarily significant genetic lineages within exploited species can benefit the development of conservation management strategies. With the absence of genetic data life history traits are sometimes assumed to be good predictors of genetic patterns in natural populations. Here we used DNA sequences of cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome b to test the effects of geographical features on genetic variation in 15 commercially important Brazilian fish species with varying life history traits. Despite extensive environmental heterogeneity, we did not observe evidence of concordant patterns of genetic structure for those species along the Brazilian coast. Similarly, no correlation was found between species traits and levels of gene divergence or diversity. The inference of past demographic changes using mtDNA sequence data suggests that most species have maintained stable population sizes, potentially reflecting the stable environmental conditions in the southwest Atlantic region.