Molluscan Research and the sustainable development goals

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015 as the blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all (United Nations 2020a). The 17 interconnected goals address global challenges, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The United Nations, working through the ‘High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development’ (United Nations 2020b) aims to achieve all of the goals by 2030. Reports on progress to the achievement of the goals are released regularly (United Nations 2020c). Consideration of this progress led to the announcement earlier this year of the United Nations’ program for a ‘Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030’. This, then, is an opportune time to review how the work of the journal Molluscan Research has been related to the goals, to commit the journal to assisting their achievement and to open the discussion as to how it can make a greater contribution to them in future.

Molluscan Research is a joint publication of two scientific societies, the Malacological Society of Australasia based in Australia and New Zealand and the Society for the Study of Molluscan Diversity based in Japan. The societies’ broad mission statements are respectively dedication to ‘the appreciation, study, and sustainable use of molluscs’ and ‘promotion of research and education of science on molluscs and conservation of their diversity’. These are embodied in the journal’s mission which is to publish authoritative papers and review articles on all aspects of molluscan research, including biology, systematics, morphology, physiology, ecology, conservation, biogeography, genetics, molecular biology and palaeontology. The journal has an international focus with submissions since 1 July 2019 received from 24 countries and reviewers drawn from 21.

The journal has not previously made an explicit statement regarding the SDGs. It is notable however, that a large fraction of its work can be used to support them. Forty articles have appeared in Molluscan Research in the four issues published most recently or in the online early articles. A considerable majority of these have direct relevance to one or more of the SDGs. I have illustrated this below by highlighting the relevance of some individual articles to particular Targets within the SDGs. I would note, however, that many of these articles are also relevant to other Targets within an SDG or to other SDGs.

The journal publishes a variety of articles relevant to SDG 2 (to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture). These are mostly related to Target 2.4 which is aimed at sustainable food production systems and the implementation of resilient agricultural practices. For example, Çelik et al. (2019) compare farmed and wild edible snails Cornu aspersum in an examination of how their nutritional properties can be improved by variation in the diet. Song et al. (2020) investigate how growing scallops in different light conditions may significantly reduce the stress imposed on organisms in aquaculture. This stress impacts on the growth and quality of molluscan food and products and its reduction would improve both nutrition and aquaculture sustainability.

SGD3 aims to ensure healthy lives and to promote well-being for all, at all ages. Articles relevant to this goal in Molluscan Research predominantly relate to Target 3.3, focussing on the snail hosts of parasites causing neglected tropical diseases. Some research (e.g., Ibrahim et al. 2019) directly investigates possible control measures for such snails. Others (e.g., Ohari et al. 2020) investigate genetic variation within the snails in relation to their propensity to transmit the disease.

SDG6 (aiming to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) includes Target 6.6 to protect and restore water-related ecosystems. A considerable proportion of the journal’s articles in this area relate to freshwater mussels. Recent examples of such publications relate to potential amelioration of deterioration of the habitat of the thick-shelled river mussel in the Carpathian Mountains of southern Poland (Bylak et al. 2020) and the genetic determination of the true biodiversity of these mussels of this genus in a major watershed of northern Tunisia (Fassatoui et al. 2019).

Our capacity to protect and safeguard natural heritage can be greatly increased by knowledge of the world’s biodiversity. The continuing emphasis of Molluscan Research on adding to this knowledge is highly relevant to Target 11.4 (Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage) of SDG11. Articles on bivalves in Thailand (Signorelli & Printrakoon 2020) and land snails in Myanmar (Pholyotha et al. 2020) exemplify this commitment to identifying the biodiversity that we need to protect. The investigation of Nijman (2019) reviews the available data on the illegal trade of molluscs in Indonesia, which has enacted legislative protection for 12 species. The review highlights that both legislative and judicial approaches are required for the protection of molluscs, in addition to scientific efforts.

SDG12 is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Its Target 12.A is to support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production. An example of research in this area is provided by Siddique et al. (2020) who establish criteria for decisions about the best periods to harvest the freshwater pearl mussel in Bangladesh. This will assist the sustainability of production of the freshwater pearl industry utilising this species.

SDG13 is to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Two studies on the marine gastropods of northern New South Wales illustrate the journal’s publications in relation to Target 13.3 which is to improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. Smith & Peregrin (2020) provide baseline biodiversity information about species in an area subject to increasing climate change impacts. These species include many at, or near, their northern or southern range limits making them ideal early warning indicators of climate change effects. Smith & Davis (2019) make innovative use of citizen science surveys to improve education and raise awareness about sea slugs in this region and provide important information for evaluating how these species may adapt to climate change.

The head aim of Target 14.2 of SDG 14 (to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development) is to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts. Mangroves are of particular concern in this area because of the degree of threat they face. Recent catalogues of molluscan diversity in these ecosystems of India (Yadav et al. 2019) and Vietnam (Zvonareva et al. 2019) provide essential information for managing such areas.

SDG15 is to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Land snails as a group are suffering very high rates of extinction. Molluscan Research publishes extensively on the biodiversity of this group across a broad geographic area recently including Ecuador (Miquel & Brito 2019), New Zealand (Daly et al. 2019) and Timor Leste (Köhler et al. 2019). The studies reveal essential biodiversity components of terrestrial ecosystems. An additional benefit of the intensive study embodied in these studies is that the accurate determination of species’ ranges makes assessment of their conservation status more precise.

One of the specific Targets (15.8) of SDG15 proposes the introduction of measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems. Invasive alien molluscs are a major and increasing problem worldwide for marine freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. The wide interest in this problem is reflected in the pages of Molluscan Research. Lim et al. (2018) have discovered that the mussel Mytella strigata has recently entered the waters of Singapore and have extensively documented the expansion of the species’ range to assist in managing this potentially very damaging pest. Another damaging invasive mussel in Southeast Asia is Mytilopsis sallei. Sa-Nguansil & Wangkulangkul (2020) have recently published an investigation of the salinity tolerance of this species in relation to the limitation of its capacity to spread from areas where it has established initial invasive populations. Increased information on its ecology may assist attempts to reduce the impact of this pest species. Terrestrial invasive Mollusca also receive attention. Satoh et al. (2020) have demonstrated that there have been multiple introductions of the invasive pest slug Ambigolimax valentianus into Japan. This has increased the genetic diversity of the pest in the country, potentially increasing its ability to adapt to a greater variety of environmental conditions and thus to spread more widely making management more difficult. This highlights the need for continued vigilance to prevent further introductions even if a pest has established itself in a jurisdiction outside its native range.

This list examples of the relevance of work published in Molluscan Research to the SDGs is by no means exhaustive and largely omits mention of the many significant articles in this area published prior to 2019. The list does, however, provide a broad overview of the emphases of the journal on work that will facilitate the achievement of the goals. It also illustrates the variety of subject matter that the journal would like to receive to increase its impact in support of the SDGs.

The journal Molluscan Research is committed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and will continue mostly to publish research that is clearly related to this. Space limitations in the journal do mean that decisions about acceptance have to consider the potential significance and impact of submissions. Those that are relevant to the SDGs are likely, judging by past experience, to be assessed as having relatively high significance. The relevance may not, however, have always been obvious in the articles as published. The journal therefore encourages authors to make explicit connections of their work to the SDGs in their cover letter for the submission or, preferably in the articles themselves. Such connections could include listing the relevant specific SDG and Target as a keyword. The journal would welcome any other suggestions as to how it can highlight its work towards the SDGs and, more generally, as to any initiatives that it can make to assist their success.