How Scientific Organizations Are Evolving to Address Our Greatest Environmental Challenges
In the summer of 2023, Antarctic sea ice shrank to its lowest level since record-keeping began—part of a troubling trend where five of the eight lowest sea ice years have occurred since 2016 8 . Meanwhile, Australia battled forest fires of unprecedented ferocity that burned through areas normally serving as fire-free refuges, pushing specialized plant species to the brink 2 . These events represent just a fraction of the complex environmental crises unfolding worldwide, creating a pressing question: Can conservation-oriented scientific societies founded in different eras remain relevant in addressing 21st-century challenges?
Once focused primarily on establishing protected areas and conserving individual species, these societies now face a world of interconnected environmental threats that demand new approaches, tools, and collaborations. The very nature of conservation science has expanded to include not just biology and ecology, but also data science, social sciences, economics, and advanced technology . This article explores how conservation scientific societies are adapting—or failing to adapt—to their changing world, and whether they can successfully transform to lead environmental protection efforts in this critical century.
Traditional conservation science often focused on protecting individual species or creating isolated protected areas. While these efforts achieved important successes, they frequently failed to address the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss. Today, conservation scientists recognize that protecting biodiversity requires understanding and managing complex systems—from genetic diversity within populations to entire ecosystems and the ecological processes that sustain them 2 .
| Challenge Area | Specific Threats | Potential Impacts |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Change | Extreme weather events, sea ice loss, changing fire regimes | Species range shifts, ecosystem collapse, loss of coastal protections 2 8 |
| Land Use Change | Urban expansion, agricultural intensification, deforestation | Habitat fragmentation and loss, reduced ecosystem services, soil degradation 5 |
| Novel Technologies | Seabed mining, offshore wind farms, biomass processing | Altered ocean processes, species displacement, new pollution sources 8 |
| Multiple Interacting Stressors | Combined effects of habitat degradation, over-exploitation, and climate change | Unexpected non-linear effects, ecosystem tipping points 2 |
"Effective conservation requires understanding landscape history and the processes that generate the biodiversity patterns we see today" — Dr. Lindsey Gillson, plant conservation expert 2 .
To understand how conservation science is evolving, let's examine a telling experiment in horizon scanning—a systematic approach to identifying emerging conservation issues before they become widespread threats. In a study partially funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and coordinated by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, a team of 32 international scientists and practitioners consulted more than 600 experts to identify the most significant issues likely to shape environmental conservation over the next decade 8 .
Gathering specialists from diverse geographies and institutions to avoid regional blind spots
Systematically examining scientific publications, reports, and policy documents
Engaging wider networks to identify novel issues and trends
Ranking issues based on novelty, potential impact, and scientific credibility
Refining the list through discussion and expert feedback
The horizon scan identified 15 significant issues, several of which represent entirely new conservation frontiers.
| Emerging Issue | Description | Potential Conservation Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Macroalgae for Rare Earth Elements | Using seaweed to extract minerals, reducing destructive mining | Could transform mining impacts but creates new marine farming pressures 8 |
| Antarctic Sea Ice Loss | Record low sea ice coverage around Antarctica | May shift coastal ecosystems from animal-dominated to macroalgae-dominated 8 |
| Seabed Carbon Disturbance | Human activities disturbing marine carbon stores | Could release vast carbon stores, accelerating climate change 8 |
| Offshore Wind Farm Impacts | Large-scale water mixing from wind installations | Might disrupt marine food webs through nutrient redistribution 8 |
Addressing novel challenges requires expertise across multiple fields
Establishing permanent horizon scanning functions
Rapidly translating emerging science into policy recommendations
Modern conservation science relies on an increasingly sophisticated array of tools and approaches. Conservation societies must ensure their members have access to and understanding of these resources:
| Tool Category | Specific Technologies | Conservation Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Data Collection | Environmental DNA (eDNA), camera traps, acoustic monitors, citizen science apps, drones | Non-invasive species monitoring, large-scale data collection, community engagement 2 |
| Analysis & Modeling | Species Distribution Models (SDMs), Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs), artificial intelligence | Predicting range shifts under climate change, modeling ecosystem responses to interventions 2 |
| Communication | Data visualization platforms, interactive maps, virtual reality experiences | Stakeholder engagement, policy advocacy, educational outreach |
Allow detection of species from water or soil samples without direct observation
Enable assessment of genetic diversity and population connectivity
Reveals information about animal migrations, food webs, and habitat connectivity
Provide large-scale monitoring of habitat changes and threats
These tools enable conservation scientists to work at multiple scales, from genetic diversity to entire ecosystems, addressing the complex, interacting drivers of biodiversity loss that characterize 21st-century environmental challenges 2 .
The most forward-thinking conservation societies are dramatically expanding their disciplinary boundaries. Where traditional societies focused primarily on biology and ecology, relevant 21st-century organizations incorporate:
Understanding human behaviors, economic incentives, and cultural practices
Managing and analyzing massive datasets from modern monitoring technologies
Developing sustainable alternatives to environmentally damaging products
Navigating governance systems for effective conservation implementation
This interdisciplinary approach reflects the reality that conservation is ultimately as much about human systems as natural ones . Societies that fail to integrate these diverse forms of expertise risk becoming scientifically irrelevant.
Another critical strategy involves bridging scientific and indigenous knowledge systems. As one analysis notes, "Integration of customary management and local ecological knowledge into conservation practice can help maintain heterogeneous landscapes that benefit both people and biodiversity" 2 . This includes:
Engaging local communities in data collection through platforms like iNaturalist
Respecting and incorporating indigenous understanding of ecosystem management
The effective conservation of plants (and other species) is underpinned by fundamental information on diversity, distribution and abundance—data that can be powerfully augmented through community involvement 2 .
The question of whether conservation-oriented scientific societies can remain relevant in the 21st century does not have a predetermined answer. Their relevance depends not on the continuation of past approaches but on meaningful evolution in how they conduct science, engage with society, and address emerging challenges.
The societies that will thrive—and, more importantly, will effectively contribute to environmental conservation—are those embracing interdisciplinary, inclusive, and anticipatory approaches. They recognize that conservation science is no longer just about protecting pristine nature, but about managing complex social-ecological systems under unprecedented conditions of change.
As technological advances accelerate and human impacts on the planet intensify, the need for robust conservation science has never been greater. The choice for conservation societies is not whether to change, but how quickly and effectively they can transform to meet the urgent demands of our time. Their success or failure will literally help determine the fate of ecosystems worldwide.
References to be added manually in the final version.