Publications by authors named "R Thurstan"
Article Synopsis
- The European flat oyster, a vital part of marine ecosystems and a key economic resource, has seen its habitats drastically decline, leading to functional extinction.
- Recent studies compiled data from 1524 to 2022 to reveal past locations and extents of flat oyster fisheries and reefs, highlighting where these ecosystems once thrived.
- These datasets aim to support flat oyster restoration efforts and improve adaptive management strategies while helping recover overlooked histories of ocean ecosystem changes caused by human activities.
Article Synopsis
- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major health issue in the Caribbean, especially in Jamaica, where high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a significant contributor to this problem, influenced by historical and structural factors.
- The study conducted ethnographic research through interviews and workshops with local health experts, focusing on the historical context of food production and trade, particularly the effects of colonialism and deregulation on SSB consumption.
- Key findings highlight that the prioritization of sugar as a cash crop, alongside deregulation that favored transnational corporations, has fueled a culture of SSB consumption in Jamaica, undermining public health efforts and emphasizing the need for civil society initiatives to address these challenges.
Unlabelled: Developed countries are increasingly dependent on international trade to meet seafood requirements, which has important social, environmental, and economic implications. After becoming an independent coastal state following Brexit, the UK faces increased trade barriers and changes in seafood availability and cost. We compiled a long-term (120-year) dataset of UK seafood production (landings and aquaculture), imports, and exports, and assessed the influence of policy change and consumer preference on domestic production and consumption.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman activities have led to degradation of ecosystems globally. The lost ecosystem functions and services accumulate from the time of disturbance to the full recovery of the ecosystem and can be quantified as a "recovery debt," providing a valuable tool to develop better restoration practices that accelerate recovery and limit losses. Here, we quantified the recovery of faunal biodiversity and abundance toward a predisturbed state following structural restoration of oyster habitats globally.
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