A framework for optimising opportunistic collaborative syntheses to propel ecological conservation

Ecological data are being opportunistically synthesised at unprecedented scales in response to the global biodiversity and climate crises. Such syntheses are often only possible through large-scale, international, multidisciplinary collaborations and provide important pathways for addressing urgent conservation questions. Although large collaborative data syntheses can lead to high-impact successes, they can also be plagued with difficulties. Challenges include the standardisation of data originally collected for different purposes, integration and interpretation of knowledge sourced across different disciplines and spatio-temporal scales, and management of differing perspectives from contributors with distinct academic and cultural backgrounds. Here, we use the collective expertise of a global team of conservation ecologists and practitioners to highlight common benefits and hurdles that arise with the development of opportunistic collaborative syntheses. We outline a framework of “best practice” for developing such collaborations, encompassing the design, implementation, and deliverable phases. Our framework addresses common challenges, highlighting key actions for successful collaboration and emphasizing the support requirements. We identify funding as a major constraint to sustaining the large, international, multidisciplinary teams required to advance collaborative syntheses in a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive way. We further advocate for thinking strategically from the outset and highlight the need for reshaping funding agendas to prioritize the structures required to propel global scientific networks. Our framework will advance the science needed for ecological conservation and the sustainable use of global natural resources by supporting proto-groups initiating new syntheses, leaders and participants of ongoing projects, and funders who want to facilitate such collaborations in the future. • Increasingly complex global environmental challenges call for speed up research. • Large collaborative data syntheses lead to high-impact successes. • Bottom-up, opportunistic collaborative syntheses can address global wicked problems. • Despite their value, opportunistic syntheses are plagued with challenges. • We provide a framework for ‘best practice’ of such collaborative projects.

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Publication Details

Journal
Biological Conservation
Published
2024-08-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110717
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.92

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article

A framework for optimising opportunistic collaborative syntheses to propel ecological conservation

Rick D. Stuart‐Smith, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Autumn‐Lynn Harrison, Charlotte Hudson et al.
2 citations
Biological Conservation
Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
0.92
article

A framework for optimising opportunistic collaborative syntheses to propel ecological conservation

Rick D. Stuart‐Smith, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Autumn‐Lynn Harrison, Charlotte Hudson, Graeme C. Hays, Barbara A. Block, Rima W. Jabado, Asta Audzijonytė, Nina Wambiji, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Martin Beal, Laura Meagher, Cynthia Riginos, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Loren McClenachan, Ester Á. Serrão, Eric Gilman, Amanda E. Bates, Richard B. Sherley, Gakushi Ishimura, Jason P. Landrum, Sarah A. Marley, Julia K. Baum, Joshua Cinner, Kaitlyn Cowley, David W. Sims, Arthur C. R. Gleason
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Ecological data are being opportunistically synthesised at unprecedented scales in response to the global biodiversity and climate crises. Such syntheses are often only possible through large-scale, international, multidisciplinary collaborations and provide important pathways for addressing urgent conservation questions. Although large collaborative data syntheses can lead to high-impact successes, they can also be plagued with difficulties. Challenges include the standardisation of data originally collected for different purposes, integration and interpretation of knowledge sourced across different disciplines and spatio-temporal scales, and management of differing perspectives from contributors with distinct academic and cultural backgrounds. Here, we use the collective expertise of a global team of conservation ecologists and practitioners to highlight common benefits and hurdles that arise with the development of opportunistic collaborative syntheses. We outline a framework of “best practice” for developing such collaborations, encompassing the design, implementation, and deliverable phases. Our framework addresses common challenges, highlighting key actions for successful collaboration and emphasizing the support requirements. We identify funding as a major constraint to sustaining the large, international, multidisciplinary teams required to advance collaborative syntheses in a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive way. We further advocate for thinking strategically from the outset and highlight the need for reshaping funding agendas to prioritize the structures required to propel global scientific networks. Our framework will advance the science needed for ecological conservation and the sustainable use of global natural resources by supporting proto-groups initiating new syntheses, leaders and participants of ongoing projects, and funders who want to facilitate such collaborations in the future. • Increasingly complex global environmental challenges call for speed up research. • Large collaborative data syntheses lead to high-impact successes. • Bottom-up, opportunistic collaborative syntheses can address global wicked problems. • Despite their value, opportunistic syntheses are plagued with challenges. • We provide a framework for ‘best practice’ of such collaborative projects.

Biological ConservationVol. 298
Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (GB), Australian National University (AU), The University of Sydney (AU), University of Tasmania (AU), Pew Charitable Trusts (US), University of Hawaii System (US), University of Lisbon (PT), University of Miami (US), Deakin University (AU), Iwate University (JP), The University of Western Australia (AU), National Oceanography Centre (GB), University of Victoria (CA), Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (US), Elasmo Project (AE), National Zoological Park (US), Centre for Marine Socioecology (AU), NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (US), Pacific University (US), University of Southampton (GB), Conservation Biology Institute, James Cook University (AU), Stanford University (US)
Smithsonian Institution, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, ConocoPhillips, Fondation Bertarelli
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 23%
Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
0.92
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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