Conservation efforts are essential to mitigate climate change impacts, particularly on islands with a threatened biodiversity. Measures, such as the targeted, once-off mouse eradication planned for Marion Island, can significantly reduce the climate vulnerability of island ecosystems and biodiversity, bolstering their resilience against growing environmental change.
This once-off, game-changing intervention will solve a conservation problem, rather than mitigating or containing it, yielding significant conservation benefits in perpetuity. Eradicating mice from Marion Island will contribute to accomplishing four of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (#13, #14, #15 & #17).
Overall, the 17 goals are a blueprint for a better, more sustainable future for all and address the global challenges caused by poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.
Worldwide, data from similar interventions have demonstrated a rapid resurgence in an island’s native species following the successful eradication of invasive species. Population increases reduce their climate vulnerability, thereby contributing to their continued survival and the preservation of biodiversity. These efforts also help maintain the natural processes contributing to climate regulation, forming a crucial part of our global response to climate change.
In essence, conservation efforts to remove invasive species from islands are a vital strategy for protecting our planet’s extraordinary biodiversity, including from the escalating threats of climate change. They help ensure the health and survival of future generations of all species and reinforce the resilience of the planet’s crucial ecosystems.