Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets

Publication Date

6-5-2025

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Science

Volume

388

Issue

6751

DOI

10.1126/science.adl0239

First Page

1086

Last Page

1097

Abstract

The recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) sets ambitious goals but no clear pathway for how zero loss of important biodiversity areas and halting human-induced extinction of threatened species will be achieved. We assembled a multi-taxa tracking dataset (11 million geopositions from 15,845 tracked individuals across 121 species) to provide a global assessment of space use of highly mobile marine megafauna, showing that 63% of the area that they cover is used 80% of the time as important migratory corridors or residence areas. The GBF 30% threshold (Target 3) will be insufficient for marine megafauna’s effective conservation, leaving important areas exposed to major anthropogenic threats. Coupling area protection with mitigation strategies (e.g., fishing regulation, wildlife-traffic separation) will be essential to reach international goals and conserve biodiversity.

Comments

Ana M. M. Sequeira1,2*†, Jorge P. Rodríguez3,4,5,6†, Sarah A. Marley 7, Hannah J. Calich 1,8,Mirjam van der Mheen2,9, Michelle VanCompernolle9, Lucy M. Arrowsmith9,10, Lauren R. Peel11,12,Nuno Queiroz13,14, Marisa Vedor13,14, Ivo da Costa13,14, Gonzalo Mucientes13,14,15, Ana Couto16,17,Nicolas E. Humphries18, Sara Abalo-Morla15,19,20, Francisco J. Abascal21, Debra L. Abercrombie22,Katya Abrantes 23,24, F. Alberto Abreu-Grobois25, André S. Afonso 26, Pedro Afonso27,28,Heidi Ahonen29, Susanne Åkesson 30 , Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto31,32, Russel D. Andrews 33,Frédéric Angelier 34 , Marina Antonopoulou 35, Javier A. Arata36, Gonzalo Araujo 37,38,Randall Arauz 39,40, José Manuel Arcos 41, Igor Arregui42, Haritz Arrizabalaga42,Marie Auger-Méthé43,44, Steffen Bach45,46, Fred Bailleul47,48, Robin W. Baird49, George H. Balazs50,Susan G. Barco51,52, Adam Barnett 23,24, Warren Baverstock 53, Alastair M. M. Baylis54,Annalea Beard55, Juan Bécares41,56, Eduardo J. Belda19,19, Ian Bell57, Ashley Bennison58,59,60,Scott R. Benson 61,62, Diego Bernal63, Michael L. Berumen64, Sandra Bessudo 65,Natalia P. A. Bezerra 66,67, Antonin V. Blaison 68, Gabriela S. Blanco 69, Barbara A. Block 70 ,Mark Bolton71, Mark E. Bond72, Ramón Bonfil73,74,75, Camrin D. Braun76, Annette C. Broderick77,Michael de L. Brooke78, Annabelle M. L. Brooks79, Edward J. Brooks79,80, Ignacio M. Bruno81,Jennifer M. Burns 82, Michael E. Byrne83, Steven E. Campana84, Hamish A. Campbell85,Richard A. Campbell 86, Aaron Carlisle87, Ruth H. Carmichael88,89, Gemma Carroll 90,Paolo Casale91, Filipe R. Ceia92, Demian D. Chapman93,94, Taylor K. Chapple95,Jean-Benoit Charrassin96, Andre Chiaradia97,98, John Chisholm99, Christopher R. Clarke100,Thomas A. Clay101,102, Christophe Cleguer103, Elizabeth Clingham104, Eric E. G. Clua105,106,107,Jesse E. M. Cochran64, Rochelle Constantine108, Robert W. Cooper109, Estelle Crochelet110,Michelle Cronin59‡, Eduardo Cuevas111,112,113,114, Kayla P. DaCosta88,89, Laurent Dagorn115,Ryan Daly 116,117, Randall W. Davis118, P. J. Nico de Bruyn119, Carlos Delgado-Trejo120,Thomas Dellinger13,121, Solène Derville 122,123,124, Stella Diamant125, Andrew DiMatteo126,Kara L. Dodge 99, Philip D. Doherty127, Michael C. Double128, Alistair D. M. Dove 129,130,Thomas K Doyle58,59, Michael J. Drew 47,131 , Lindsay L. Dubbs132,133, Clinton A. J. Duffy134,Peter H. Dutton 135, Ewan W. J. Edwards 136 , Luke D. Einoder47,137, Mark V. Erdmann 138,Eduardo Espinoza 139, Nicole Esteban140 , Ana Isabel Fagundes141 , Chris Feare 142,143,Steven H. Ferguson 144 , Luciana C. Ferreira145, Francesco Ferretti 146, John Filmalter 117,Brittany Finucci 147 , G. Chris Fischer 148, Richard J. Fitzpatrick149,150, Jorge Fontes 27,Angela Formia151,152, Sabrina Fossette10,153, Malcolm P. Francis 147 , Ari S. Friedlaender101 ,Miguel Furtado13 , Austin J. Gallagher 154, Claire Garrigue122,124, Enrico Gennari117,155,156,H. Grant Gilchrist157, Brendan J. Godley127,158, Simon D. Goldsworthy47,48, Matthew Gollock159,Victoria González Carman160,161, W. James Grecian162, Jonathan R. Green163,Christophe Guinet34, Johan Gustafson 164 , Tristan L. Guttridge165, Hector M. Guzman166 ,Derek Hamer167 , Keith C. Hamer168, Neil Hammerschlag169,170 , Mike O. Hammill 171,Luke Harman58, Emma Harrison172, Catherine E. Hart173, A. Errol Harris174‡, Gordon Hastie175,Fabio H. V. Hazin66‡, Matt Heard131,176, Alex R. Hearn40,177, Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen178,Leeann Henry104 , Robert William Henry III101,179,180, Vicente Guzman Hernandez181,Arturo E. Herrera 182, Mark A. Hindell 183, John C. Holdsworth184, Bonnie J. Holmes 185,Lucy A. Howey 186,187,188, Edgar Mauricio Hoyos Padilla 189,190, Luis A. Huckstadt 101,127,158,Robert E. Hueter93,148, Paulo H. Lara191, Nigel E. Hussey192, Charlie Huveneers131, Kevin Hyland53,Dylan T. Irion 193,194, David M. P. Jacoby195, Audrey Jaeger 196, Mohammed Y. Jaidah46 ,Mark Jessopp58,59, Oliver J. D. Jewell2,197, Ryan Johnson198, Carl G. Jones199,200, Ian D. Jonsen201,Lance K. B. Jordan187, Salvador J. Jorgensen202, Akiko Kato34, James T. Ketchum40,189,203,Alexander S. Kitaysky204, A. Peter Klimley 40,205, Alison A. Kock117,206, Pieter Koen 207,208,Felipe Ladino Archila 65, Fernanda O. Lana66,209, Jude V. Lane71, Matthieu Le Corre196,Mary-Anne Lea183,210,211, James Lea11,78, Eliza H. K. Leat212, Olivia A. Lee213, J. Jacob Levenson109,174,214,César P. Ley-Quiñonez 215, Fiona Llewellyn216, Gwen Lockhart 217,218, Gustave G. Lopez 219,Milagros Lopez Mendilaharsu191,220, Andrew D. Lowther29, Paolo Luschi91, Molly E. Lutcavage221,222,Warrick S. Lyon223, Bruno C. L. Macena27,28,66, Alice I. Mackay47, Christine A. Madden224,Mark L. Mallory 225, Jeffrey C. Mangel32,127, Michael Manning147 ‡, Kate L. Mansfield226,David March127,227, Adolfo Marco228, Marianne Marcoux 144 , David Acuña- Marrero229,Helene Marsh 150, Heather Marshall 63,230,231, Bruce Mate 123,232, Jaime D. McAllister183,Rebecca L. McGuire233, Jane McKenzie234, Lachlan McLeay47,48, Clive R. McMahon183,235,236,Michelle Modest101, John Morris93, Mônica M. C. Muelbert237,238, Naveen Namboothri239,Wallace J. Nichols240‡, Malcolm A. C. Nicoll216, Bradley M. Norman241,242, Ken Norris243 ,Erik Olsen244 , Steffen Oppel245, Sabine Orlowski196, Anthony M. Pagano246, Brad Page 234,Vitor H. Paiva247, Daniel M. Palacios123,232,248, Yannis P. Papastamatiou249, Denise M. Parker250,Charitha Pattiaratchi9, Hoyt Peckham251,252, Cesar R. Peñaherrera-Palma40, Julian G. Pepperell253,Richard A. Phillips60, Simon J. Pierce185,254, Stephen K. Pikesley127, Nicolas J. Pilcher255,Patrick Pinet256, Matt Pinkerton147, Enrico Pirotta257, Virginie Plot196, Abby N. Powell258,Kevin D. Powers259, Clare E. M. Prebble254, Tiana J. Preston98, Rui Prieto27,28, Laura Prosdocimi260,John L. Quinn58, Lina Maria Quintero40, Thierry Raclot261, Iván Ramirez262, Dení Ramírez-Macías263,Jaime A. Ramos92, Andrew J. Read264, Rolf Ream265, ALan F. Rees127,266, Richard D. Reina98,Ryan R.Reisinger267,Ohiana Revuelta268,Samantha D.Reynolds241,242,269,Anthony J. Richardson269,270,Leena Riekkola271, Federico G. Riet-Sapriza272, David P. Robinson46,53,273, Patrick W. Robinson180,Carlos F. D. Rocha274, Tracey L. Rogers275, Christoph A. Rohner254, Yan Ropert-Coudert34,Monica Ross276, David R. L. Rowat277, Kevin Ruhomaun278, Paul M. Sagar279, MelitaA.Samoilys280,Sonia Sanchez48, Alejandra G. Sandoval-Lugo215,281, Erik A. P. dos Santos282, António M. Santos13,283,Kylie L. Scales185, Gail Schofield284‡, Jayson M. Semmens183, Edy Setyawan285, Scott A. Shaffer286,Kartik Shanker239,287, Marcus Sheaves150, George L. Shillinger40,70,288, Mahmood S. Shivji289,Abraham Sianipar241,285, Janet R. D. Silk60, Mónica A. Silva 27,28, Jolene Sim 212,Samantha J. Simpson 18 , Gregory Skomal 290, David J. Slip236,291, Malcolm J. Smale292,German A. Soler65,183, Marc Soria115, Lara L. Sousa293, Emily J. Southall18, Jean-Claude Stahl294,Kilian M. Stehfest183,295, Jeremy T. Sterling265, John D. Stevens296, Guy M. W. Stevens12,Joshua D. Stewart12,123,232, Adhith Swaminathan239, Akinori Takahashi,297,298, Vikash Tatayah200,Jean-Baptiste Thiebot297,299, Paul M. Thompson136, Simon R. Thorrold76, Michele Thums145,Jesús Tomás227, Leigh G.Torres123,Alison Towner156,300, Philip N. Trathan60, John P. Tyminski93,148,Ricardo Sagarminaga van Buiten301, Robert P. Van Dam302, Frederic Vandeperre27,Nuria Varo-Cruz303,304,305, Jeremy J. Vaudo289, Michel Vely153, Stella Villegas-Amtmann180,Cecile Vincent306,DavidWaayers307,SarahWanless308,Yuuki Y. Watanabe309, Cortney A. Watt144,310,Sam B. Weber127,158,212, Nicola Weber127,212, Michael J. Weise311, Linda Welch312, Randall S. Wells313,Jonathan M. Werry314,315, Bradley M. Wetherbee289,316, Timothy D. White317, Scott D. Whiting10,Andrea U. Whiting318, Annelise Wiebkin234, Barbara Wienecke128, Natalie E. Wildermann319,David N. Wiley 320, Alexis Will 204,321, Sean Williams79,187, Marie Windstein 177,241,Saskia Wischnewski58,71, Matthew J. Witt322,323, Freya C. Womersley18,267, Andrew G. Wood60,Lucy J. Wright71, José C. Xavier60,247, Takashi Yamamoto324, David J. Yurkowski144,Patricia M. Zarate40,325, Alan Zavala-Norzagaray215,326,Alexandre N.Zerbini33,49,265, Daniel P. Costa101,Rob Harcourt235,236, Mark G. Meekan 327, Graeme C. Hays329, David W. Sims 18,267§,Carlos M. Duarte319§, Víctor M. Eguíluz 3,330,331§

Department

Biological Sciences

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