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Freshwater Ecoregions of the World (FEOW)
FEOW is the first-ever comprehensive map and database describing the world’s freshwater biodiversity. Covering virtually all of the Earth’s freshwater systemss, the map of 426 ecoregions and associated species data are a powerful tool for freshwater conservation.
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Marine Ecoregions of the World (MEOW)
MEOW is a biogeographic classification of the world's coasts and shelves. It is the first ever comprehensive marine classification system with clearly defined boundaries and definitions
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The results of human impact
"Those 109 places that still retain the same roster of large mammals as in 1500AD are either small, intensively managed reserves or places of extremes."
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- John Morrison, WWF's Director of Conservation Measures -
Science applied in the field
Robin Naidoo, a conservation scientist in WWF's Conservation Science program, teaches rangers in the wilderness of Namibia's Caprivi Strip the fundamentals of radio collaring. Get a first-person account of what it takes to capture, collar and release large African mammals - including buffalo, sable and impala
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Wild World
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Science
The rigor of the scientific method is essential to WWF's approach in protecting nature
Kathryn Fuller Science for Nature Fund - Seminar Series
Ruth DeFries, Professor, Dept of Geography and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
Effective conservation requires that programs be results-oriented and measurable. That's why WWF projects start and end with hard science.
Our vision is to advance biodiversity conservation worldwide. More than 100 experts work to collect data, track emerging issues and set priorities for conservation. Findings are communicated directly through field programs and more widely through popular and scientific publications. We also leverage a worldwide network of scientific partners at universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government agencies.
Field work is tracked through:
- the accomplishment of specific activities, measured by performance indicators
- short-term progress toward goals, measured against financial performance
- long-term progress toward goals set for biodiversity targets, measured by performance indicators
State-of-the-art, enabling technology
Prioritizing conservation activities: Geographic Information System (GIS) helps us identify key habitats and assess threats such as deforestation
An aerial perspective: We use remote sensing to analyze aerial and satellite images of the Earth, increasing our scope beyond the areas surveyed on the ground.
24/7 monitoring: Our scientists fit animals with satellite and radio collars to track movements and gather vital information about populations and habitat use. Roaming patterns let us determine how much space is needed for healthy populations to thrive.
More than 26,000 species catalogued: WWF's WildFinder tool is the most comprehensive wildlife data site on the planet.
Innovation spotlight: marine biodiversity
Challenge: Marine biodiversity conservation has lagged far behind that of land, requiring more innovation at all levels.
Approach: WWF and The Nature Conservancy developed the Marine Ecoregions of the World (MEOW), a common framework for conservation planning in coastal and continental shelf areas. We are conducting interdisciplinary research on how to design marine protected areas (MPAs) that can deliver benefits to biodiversity and the human population as well.
Result: The results of the Conservation Science Program's endeavors inform and direct all WWF programs. The innovative ideas generated and the knowledge acquired - communicated through scientific articles, books, the internet and computer-based tools - contribute to strengthening the scientific integrity of conservation efforts around the world. Many of the Conservation Science Program's innovations and tools have been adopted by other conservation organizations, government agencies and academic researchers.
