Behavioural Ecology & Conservation

Successful conservation and management of biodiversity require a multidimensional approach. In this interdisciplinary framework, the importance of behavioural ecology has been widely accepted and the term “conservation behaviour” has been introduced to legitimate this new field. Yet, some researchers still debate on the actual contribution of behavioural studies to the conservation and management of biodiversity. Moreover, the role of these studies is not often explicitly recognized or employed in concrete actions. This is particular evident in marine and freshwater projects, which are often completed neglected from the discussion: examples of the role of behavioural ecology in aquatic conservation and management are scarcely reported. However, animal behaviours can affect demography and effective population size, can act as early indicator of pollution and endocrine disruption, can reveal conservation threats, can explain movements and migrations, can predict risks and effects of biological invasions, and more. Reproductive strategies in particular affect abundance of stocks and populations and should be included in fisheries management, designation of protected areas and conservation efforts, as well as in sustainable aquaculture plans. Here, I present examples on the influential implications of behavioural responses, mating systems and strategies, and life history traits in populations of fish and crustaceans, in the face of over-exploitation, pollution and climate change