Scientists are accidentally helping driving rare species to extinction. Here's why

The authors contend that the principles of open access and transparency in scientific publishing are being exploited by wildlife traffickers and overzealous enthusiasts to locate and harm rare species. They cite examples such as the Chinese cave gecko and the pink-tailed worm-lizard to illustrate how online databases and scientific papers facilitate poaching and habitat disturbance. The text suggests that biologists should adopt practices similar to palaeontology and archaeology by censoring specific location data for high-risk species to protect them from illegal trade and disease transmission, such as the chytrid fungus outbreak in Europe.

• Poachers and illegal wildlife traffickers use scientific papers and online wildlife atlases to identify the exact locations and habits of rare species, leading to rapid population declines following the scientific description of new species.
• Unrestricted access to location data attracts wildlife enthusiasts whose attempts to photograph or handle rare species can destroy microhabitats, disturb animals, and spread diseases, such as the amphibian chytrid fungus introduced from Asia to Europe.
• The authors propose that scientists should evaluate whether publishing specific data will aid or harm conservation, suggesting that in high-risk cases involving economically valuable species, researchers should censor location details.
• Some biologists are already adapting by publishing new species descriptions without location or habitat data, mirroring secrecy practices used in archaeology and palaeontology to protect fossil sites from illegal collection.

APA

Lindenmayer, D. (2017). Scientists are accidentally helping driving rare species to extinction. Here's why. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/scientists-are-accidentally-helping-driving-rare-species-to-extinction-heres-why/

Chicago

Lindenmayer, David. Scientists are accidentally helping driving rare species to extinction. Here's why. World Economic Forum, 2017. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/scientists-are-accidentally-helping-driving-rare-species-to-extinction-heres-why/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lindenmayer |first1=David |title=Scientists are accidentally helping driving rare species to extinction. Here's why |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=7 June 2017 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/scientists-are-accidentally-helping-driving-rare-species-to-extinction-heres-why/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lindenmayer2017scientists, author = {Lindenmayer, David}, title = {{Scientists are accidentally helping driving rare species to extinction. Here's why}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/scientists-are-accidentally-helping-driving-rare-species-to-extinction-heres-why/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }