Applying the IUCN Species Conservation Cycle in Australia

Dr Jess Marsh, ARC Industry Fellow at the University of Adelaide and Co-chair of the Australian Species Specialist Group (under the IUCN Species Survival Commission), recently contributed to the IUCN Species Survival Symposium, where she co-led a workshop and participated in a panel discussion focused on advancing species conservation frameworks.

Representing the Environment Institute, Dr Marsh shared her expertise on how the IUCN species conservation cycle—assess, plan, and act—can be used to support conservation outcomes in Australia. The IUCN and the Species Survival Commission (SSC) approach conservation efforts through this three-step process. Assess focuses on evaluating the conservation status of species. Plan involves developing tailored conservation strategies. But it is only through Act, the final step, that conservation action is delivered on the ground, action that is essential to preventing species extinctions.

“In the workshop, we explored how the IUCN species conservation cycle of assess, plan and act can be used to support species conservation in Australia,” said Dr Marsh.

As part of the Global Biodiversity Framework, the Australian federal government committed in 2022 to achieving zero new extinctions in the Threatened Species Action Plan. While this is a critical step forward, Dr Marsh noted that delivering on this promise is particularly complex for data-deficient or hyper-diverse taxa, such as invertebrates and fungi.

“For data-deficient, or hyper-diverse taxa, such as the invertebrates or fungi, this important commitment faces a number of challenges,” she explained.

The discussion focused heavily on the IUCN Red List, which provides a globally recognised and standardised mechanism for assessing species based on risk of extinction and data availability.

“The IUCN Red List provides a globally recognised and standardised mechanism for prioritising described species, based on imperilment and data availability, and targeting species for further legislative listings under the EPBC Act or state listings,” said Dr Marsh.

Established in 1964 , the list has since transformed how information on the conservation of animals, fungi and plants is recorded globally. It not only serves as a critical indicator of the health of the world's biodiversity but also informs policy and conservation efforts through its comprehensive data. It remains a fundamental resource for guiding essential conservation decisions. 

Importantly, the Red List offers a way to complement national legislation, such as the EPBC Act, by helping identify species that may not yet be formally listed but are nonetheless in urgent need of conservation attention.

“The IUCN Red List provides a mechanism to work alongside legislative species listings, such as the EPBC Act, to help tackle some of the challenges facing data-poor and diverse taxa in Australia,” she added.

In addition to the workshop, Dr Marsh took part in a panel discussion that examined the broader role of IUCN tools in conservation policy and planning. Dr Marsh’s participation reflects her ongoing leadership in the conservation sector and her commitment to building knowledge-sharing pathways between global frameworks and national action.

Through her ARC Industry Fellowship at The University of Adelaide, Dr. Marsh is shedding light on the little-known Troglodiplura spiders of the Nullarbor caves. Her research not only deepens our understanding of these remarkable creatures but also plays a crucial role in shaping their future conservation—paving the way for important discoveries to come.