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Spineless Wonders: How Listing Marine Invertebrates And Their Larvae Challenges The Us Endangered Species Act, Ryan P. Kelly
Spineless Wonders: How Listing Marine Invertebrates And Their Larvae Challenges The Us Endangered Species Act, Ryan P. Kelly
Ryan P Kelly
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently determined that 82 species of corals may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This decision highlights a disconnect between the ESA and the biology of many species to which it applies. In particular, marine invertebrates – ocean-dwelling species without a backbone – are an uneasy fit for the Act’s terms, largely as a result of their complex life cycles that can involve swimming larval stages. These species and their larvae challenge the federal agencies to fulfill the protective mandate of the ESA while minimizing disruption to the wide range of economic …
The Use Of Population Genetics In Endangered Species Act Listing Decisions, Ryan P. Kelly
The Use Of Population Genetics In Endangered Species Act Listing Decisions, Ryan P. Kelly
Ryan P Kelly
In recent years the federal agencies that administer the Endangered Species Act have increasingly relied on genetic data to decide which species and populations merit protection. Because the analysis of genetic data is highly technical and unfamiliar to the majority of those concerned with the Act, agency decisions are in danger of becoming less transparent, insulated by the language of genetics and the seeming surety of its associated statistics. In this paper, I attempt to provide a resource for lawyers and other non-biologists faced with understanding the genetics that underlie many modern claims under the Endangered Species Act. I do …