MegaMove uncovers where protection is needed for marine megafauna
A new Science paper from MegaMove project maps global hotspots for marine megafauna and finds that planned increased protection will be insufficient to cover most important areas.
A key publication from the global MegaMove project led by our Lab Lead, Assoc Prof Ana Sequeira, has just been published in the journal Science! This work marks a significant step forward in our collective efforts to map and protect the movements of migratory marine megafauna.
The study brought together 370+ scientists from 50 countries around the work to uncover how marine megafauna species are using the global ocean! Together the MegaMove international team assembled the largest-ever global tracking dataset of marine megafauna species, which includes tracking data from 12,794 animals across 111 species, including whales, turtles, sharks, seabirds, and more.
Using this huge tracking dataset, the team identified Important Marine Megafauna Areas (or IMMegAs), which represent critical areas most used by these species as migratory corridors or for residential behaviours such as feeding, mating or resting.
They found that marine megafauna spends around 90% of their time in IMMegAs, yet only 5% of these areas are currently protected. Over 60% of the area used as IMMegAs lie in the high seas, reinforcing the urgent need for international action.
However, the results also highlighted an opportunity for country-based conservation actions to make a huge difference in the protection of these species because the animals still spend most of their time within IMMegAs that fall within jurisdictions.
The results of the study strongly suggest that in addition to increased protected areas in the high seas and within jurisdictions, prompt implementation of mitigation measures to alleviate impact from current threats will be key to assist the conservation of these charismatic species.
A huge thank you to all co-authors for their amazing efforts tracking these species and bringing this study together.
And of course, a very special thanks to all our supporters who made this global effort possible, including the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Australian Research Council.