Local Scientist Contributes to Globally Useful Tool

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab has announced that its Senior Marine Scientist Dr. Ruth H. Carmichael, who is also a University of South Alabama Department of Marine Sciences professor, was among the more than 200 scientists who helped complete the initial species assessments that enabled the development of the new Green Status of Species tool on behalf of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Scientists around the world worked together on the tool, which defines the stability and recovery of species. A counterpart to the IUCN Red List of Species, which identifies species at risk of extinction, the Green Status of Species identifies conservation success and recovery progress of a species. This new status considers a species’ historical population size, present-day distribution, success of previous conservation efforts and viable habitat. The first assessments included details of 181 species. Carmichael worked with a team from the U.S. and Mexico to map out the impact of conservation efforts on the American horseshoe crab, one of four living species of horseshoe crabs. An in-depth look at the IUCN study is available here, and another recent publication from Carmichael on horseshoe crabs is available here.