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From Evidence to Engagement: A Toolkit for Working with Policymakers

Published 19 Apr 2026

Tracey Hearn

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Across GCBC programming, experience shows that whether research informs policy depends as much on relationships, trust, timing, and communication, as it does on the quality of the evidence itself.

Drawing on experience across diverse contexts, this GCBC toolkit situates policy engagement within both direct and indirect spheres of influence, focusing on intermediate outcomes such as stronger networks, greater salience of evidence, and better positioning of solutions for use.

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Listening to mangroves: Using Autonomous Recording Units and Machine Learning tools to assess avian biodiversity in the mangroves of coastal Suriname

Published 08 Jan 2026

Suman.R

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Listening to Mangroves: Using Autonomous Recording Units and Machine Learning Tools to Assess Avian Biodiversity in the Mangroves of coastal Suriname, presents findings from research conducted across six coastal sites between December 2024 and July 2025.

Using passive acoustic monitoring and the BirdNET algorithm, the study identified 508 bird species and demonstrated statistically significant differences in acoustic complexity between mangrove types. The research highlights the ecological importance of mangroves for biodiversity and coastal protection, and demonstrates how non-invasive, data-driven tools can strengthen ecosystem monitoring and inform climate-resilient coastal management.

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Primer Informe Técnico de Restauración Forestal en la Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé (Spanish)

Published 08 Dec 2025

Suman.R

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The first Forest Restoration Monitoring Report from the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca in Panama, produced by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, presents early results from the Intelligent Reforestation Programme.

Monitoring of 14 one-hectare restoration plots and 15 transects, established in 2022, evaluated seedling survival, species richness, and successional dynamics across 27 native tree species.

The findings demonstrate the potential of community-led, science-based restoration using native species to enhance biodiversity recovery, increase carbon sequestration and support resilient, sustainable livelihoods in Indigenous territories.

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Multifaceted Assessment of Amazonian Tree Diversity Reveals Pervasive Impacts of Human Modification

Published 07 Nov 2025

Suman.R

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A Global Change Biology article presenting research that supports the project Enabling Large-scale and Climate-Resilient Forest Restoration in the Eastern Amazon, led by Lancaster University.

The article assesses how logging, fire and forest degradation alter taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in Eastern Amazon forests, demonstrating significant biodiversity losses in disturbed landscapes. The project integrates field ecology, remote sensing and stakeholder engagement to inform evidence-based forest restoration and long-term resilience in the Brazilian Amazon.

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State of the World’s Seaweeds 2025

Published 07 May 2025

Suman.R

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The State of the World’s Seaweeds 2025, presented by the Natural History Museum and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, provides a global assessment of seaweed biodiversity, production, trade and sustainability, synthesising ecological and socio-economic evidence to inform conservation and responsible industry growth.

It highlights trends in wild harvesting and aquaculture, pressures on coastal ecosystems, governance gaps, and opportunities to strengthen sustainable management and equitable value chains. The analysis supports improved data systems, policy coherence and investment in climate-resilient seaweed sectors.

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Recognising Seaweeds: Addressing Gaps in International Biodiversity Frameworks for Global Seaweed Conservation

Published 15 Apr 2025

Tracey Hearn

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A thematic analysis of 18 international biodiversity frameworks to assess the representation of seaweeds. It explores ways to better integrate them into policies. Obstacles preventing full integration include imperfect institutional coordination, inconsistent terminology use, limited representation within biodiversity targets and the absence of legally binding agreements with enforcement mechanisms.

It recommends improvement of seaweed integration into biodiversity frameworks, thereby supporting broader marine ecosystem resilience. This will contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life below water).

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Diagnostico Participativo de Bioversidad del Resguardo el Gran Tescual (Spanish)

Published 07 Apr 2025

Suman.R

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This report presents evidence from the Gran Tescual Indigenous Reservation Climate Plan project, which generated participatory, intercultural and gender-responsive research to inform biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and sustainable livelihoods in the Gran Tescual territory of Colombia.

Based on community co-production of a participatory biodiversity diagnosis, illustrated ethnobotanical guide and climate plan, findings highlight key ecosystem pressures, integrate Indigenous knowledge with scientific evidence, and support strengthened territorial governance and climate-resilient strategies.

 

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Comparison of two cultivation methods for domesticating wild red algal eucheumatoids for use in the seaweed industry

Published 15 Aug 2024

Tracey Hearn

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A study of Eucheumatoid seaweed cultivation methods Semporna, East Malaysia. Seaweed farming supports coastal livelihoods in Malaysia but relies on old, genetically uniform Kappaphycus clones, increasing vulnerability to pests and diseases which in turn is exacerbated by climate change.

Two cultivation methods, tie tie and basket net, were tested for wild eucheumatoids from four sites. Tie tie cultivation produced higher growth rates, while basket nets improved survival by reducing grazing and detachment. Surviving wild strains show potential as resilient new commercial cultivars.

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