Actions to conserve biodiversity
We have summarised evidence from the scientific literature about the effects of actions to conserve wildlife and ecosystems.
Review the evidence from the studies
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Order results by:
Action | Effectiveness | Studies | Category | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Add chemicals or minerals to sediments to remove or neutralise pollutants Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Allow natural regeneration of ground cover beneath perennial crops Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 9 | Synopsis Link | |
Alter the timing of insecticide use Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Apply herbicide to mid- and understorey vegetation Action Link |
Likely to be ineffective or harmful | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Apply insecticide to protect seedlings from invertebrates Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Bury cables and pipelines in the seabed rather than laying them on the seabed Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Bury drill cuttings in the seabed rather than leaving them on the seabed surface Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Bury electricity cables to reduce electromagnetic fields Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Bury pipelines instead of surface laying and rock dumping Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Captive breeding frogs Action Link |
Trade-off between benefit and harms | 34 | Synopsis Link | |
Captive breeding salamanders (including newts) Action Link |
Trade-off between benefit and harms | 8 | Synopsis Link | |
Carnivores: Provide live invertebrate prey, including in feeding devices Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease grazing on grassland to allow early succession Action Link |
Evidence not assessed | 26 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or alter maintenance activities on subtidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit aggregate extraction Action Link |
Beneficial | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit all (mobile and static) fishing gears that catch bottom (demersal) species Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit all towed (mobile) fishing gear Action Link |
Beneficial | 8 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit all types of fishing Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit all types of fishing in a marine protected area Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 79 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit aquaculture activity Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit bottom trawling Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 4 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit commercial fishing Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit dredging Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 4 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit marine mining Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit midwater/semi-pelagic trawling Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit mining waste (tailings) disposal at sea Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit mobile fishing gears that catch bottom (demersal) species and are dragged across the seafloor Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 10 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit oil and gas drilling Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit shipping Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit static fishing gear Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit the deposit of drill cuttings on the seabed Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit the harvest of conch Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit the harvest of sea urchins Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Cease or prohibit the harvesting of scallops Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Clean anthropogenic platforms, structures or equipment Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Clean the hull, anchor and chain of commercial and recreational vessels Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Co-locate aquaculture systems with other activities and other infrastructures (such as wind farms) to maximise use of marine space Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Connect areas of natural or semi-natural habitat Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Construct artificial reefs Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Control populations of wild invertebrates Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Create 'rock pools' on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 18 | Synopsis Link | |
Create a Marine Protected Area or set levels of legal protection where natural climate refugia occur to further promote the persistence and recovery of species facing climate change Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Create artificial reefs Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 12 | Synopsis Link | |
Create artificial reefs of different 3-D structure and material used Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 8 | Synopsis Link | |
Create artificial wetlands to reduce the amount of pollutants reaching the sea Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Create beetle banks Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 24 | Synopsis Link | |
Create beetle banks Action Link |
Unlikely to be beneficial | 18 | Synopsis Link | |
Create groove habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 14 | Synopsis Link | |
Create groove habitats (1–50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Create grooves and small protrusions, ridges or ledges (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 16 | Synopsis Link | |
Create grooves and small protrusions, ridges or ledges (1–50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Create hole habitats (>50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Create hole habitats (>50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Create large protrusions (>50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Create large ridges or ledges (>50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Create long flexible habitats (>50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Create long flexible habitats (>50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Create natural rocky reef topography on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Create pit habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 22 | Synopsis Link | |
Create pit habitats (1–50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Create ponds for amphibians Action Link |
Beneficial | 30 | Synopsis Link | |
Create ponds for natterjack toads Action Link |
Beneficial | 6 | Synopsis Link | |
Create refuges Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Create scrapes and pools Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 6 | Synopsis Link | |
Create scrapes and pools in wetlands and wet grasslands Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 6 | Synopsis Link | |
Create short flexible habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Create short flexible habitats (1–50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Create skylark plots Action Link |
Beneficial | 11 | Synopsis Link | |
Create small adjoining cavities or ‘swimthrough’ habitats (≤100 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Create small protrusions (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Create small ridges or ledges (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 4 | Synopsis Link | |
Create textured surfaces (≤1 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 4 | Synopsis Link | |
Create textured surfaces (≤1 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields Action Link |
Beneficial | 49 | Synopsis Link | |
Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields for birds Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 8 | Synopsis Link | |
Cut/mow herbaceous plants to maintain or restore disturbance: freshwater marshes Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 20 | Synopsis Link | |
Decrease the circumference or diameter of the codend of a trawl net Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 13 | Synopsis Link | |
Delay mowing or first grazing date on pasture or grassland Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 11 | Synopsis Link | |
Delay mowing or first grazing date on pasture or grassland Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 15 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and install physical barriers to prevent trawling Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and introduce some fishing restrictions (types unspecified) Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 4 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and limit the density of traps Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and limit the number of fishing vessels Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and only allow hook and line fishing Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit all towed (mobile) fishing gear Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit all types of fishing Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 29 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit aquaculture activity Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit bottom trawling Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit commercial fishing Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit dredging Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit static fishing gear Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit the harvesting of conch Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit the harvesting of scallops Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit the harvesting of sea urchins Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area and set a no-anchoring zone Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area with a zonation system of activity restrictions Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 13 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Marine Protected Area without setting management measures, usage restrictions, or enforcement Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Designate a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) to regulate impactful maritime activities Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Dispose of drill cuttings on land rather than on the seabed Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Divert shipping routes Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link |
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What are 'Individual studies' and 'Actions'?
Individual studies
An individual study is a summary of a specific scientific study, usually taken from a scientific journal, but also from other resources such as reports. It tells you the background context, the action(s) taken and their consequences.
If you want more detail please look at the original reference.
Actions
Each action page focuses on a particular action you could take to benefit wildlife or ecosystems.
It contains brief (150-200 word) descriptions of relevant studies (context, action(s) taken and their consequences) and one or more key messages.
Key messages show the extent and main conclusions of the available evidence. Using links within key messages, you can look at the paragraphs describing each study to get more detail. Each paragraph allows you to assess the quality of the evidence and how relevant it is to your situation.
Where we found no evidence, we have been unable to assess whether or not an intervention is effective or has any harmful impacts.