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

Global tracking of marine megafauna; Ana M.M. Sequeira; Jorge P. Rodríguez; Sarah A. Marley; Hannah J. Calich; Mirjam van der Mheen; Michelle VanCompernolle; Lucy M. Arrowsmith; Lauren R. Peel; Nuno Queiroz; Marisa Vedor

doi:10.1126/science.adl0239

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

Global tracking of marine megafauna
, Ana M.M. Sequeira
, Jorge P. Rodríguez
, Sarah A. Marley
, Hannah J. Calich
, Mirjam van der Mheen
, Michelle VanCompernolle
, Lucy M. Arrowsmith
, Lauren R. Peel
, Nuno Queiroz
, Marisa Vedor

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1086-1097
Number of pages	12
Journal	Science
Volume	388
Issue number	6751
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl0239
Publication status	Published - 5 Jun 2025

Funding

Funders	Funder number
ARC Australian Research Council	DP210103091

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water
SDG 15 Life on Land

Access to Document

10.1126/science.adl0239

https://hal.science/hal-05100798

Cite this

Global tracking of marine megafauna, Sequeira, A. M. M., Rodríguez, J. P., Marley, S. A., Calich, H. J., van der Mheen, M., VanCompernolle, M., Arrowsmith, L. M., Peel, L. R., Queiroz, N., & Vedor, M. (2025). Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets. Science, 388(6751), 1086-1097. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl0239

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title = "Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets",

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{\textquoteright}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.",

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Alberto\} and Afonso, \{Andr{\'e} S.\} and Pedro Afonso and Heidi Ahonen and Susanne {\AA}kesson and Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto and Andrews, \{Russel D.\} and Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric Angelier and Marina Antonopoulou and Arata, \{Javier A.\} and Gonzalo Araujo and Randall Arauz and Arcos, \{Jos{\'e} Manuel\} and Igor Arregui and Haritz Arrizabalaga and Marie Auger-M{\'e}th{\'e} and Steffen Bach and Fred Bailleul and Baird, \{Robin W.\} and Balazs, \{George H.\} and Barco, \{Susan G.\} and Adam Barnett and Warren Baverstock and Baylis, \{Alastair M.M.\} and Annalea Beard and Juan B{\'e}cares and Belda, \{Eduardo J.\} and Ian Bell and Ashley Bennison and Benson, \{Scott R.\} and Diego Bernal and Berumen, \{Michael L.\} and Sandra Bessudo and Bezerra, \{Natalia P.A.\} and Blaison, \{Antonin V.\} and Blanco, \{Gabriela S.\} and Block, \{Barbara A.\} and Mark Bolton and Bond, \{Mark E.\} and Ram{\'o}n Bonfil and Braun, \{Camrin D.\} and Broderick, \{Annette C.\} and Brooke, \{Michael de L.\} and Brooks, \{Annabelle M.L.\} and Brooks, \{Edward J.\} and Bruno, \{Ignacio M.\} and Burns, \{Jennifer M.\} and Byrne, \{Michael E.\} and Campana, \{Steven E.\} and Campbell, \{Hamish A.\} and Campbell, \{Richard A.\} and Aaron Carlisle and Carmichael, \{Ruth H.\} and Gemma Carroll and Paolo Casale and Ceia, \{Filipe R.\} and Chapman, \{Demian D.\} and Chapple, \{Taylor K.\} and Charrassin, \{Jean Benoit\} and Andre Chiaradia and John Chisholm and Clarke, \{Christopher R.\} and Clay, \{Thomas A.\} and Christophe Cleguer and Elizabeth Clingham and Clua, \{Eric E.G.\} and Cochran, \{Jesse E.M.\} and Rochelle Constantine and Cooper, \{Robert W.\} and Estelle Crochelet and Michelle Cronin and Eduardo Cuevas and DaCosta, \{Kayla P.\} and Laurent Dagorn and Ryan Daly and Davis, \{Randall W.\} and \{de Bruyn\}, \{P. 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year = "2025",

month = jun,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1126/science.adl0239",

language = "English",

volume = "388",

pages = "1086--1097",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6751",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets

AU - Global tracking of marine megafauna

AU - Sequeira, Ana M.M.

AU - Rodríguez, Jorge P.

AU - Marley, Sarah A.

AU - Calich, Hannah J.

AU - van der Mheen, Mirjam

AU - VanCompernolle, Michelle

AU - Arrowsmith, Lucy M.

AU - Peel, Lauren R.

AU - Queiroz, Nuno

AU - Vedor, Marisa

AU - da Costa, Ivo

AU - Mucientes, Gonzalo

AU - Couto, Ana

AU - Humphries, Nicolas E.

AU - Abalo-Morla, Sara

AU - Abascal, Francisco J.

AU - Abercrombie, Debra L.

AU - Abrantes, Katya

AU - Abreu-Grobois, F. Alberto

AU - Afonso, André S.

AU - Afonso, Pedro

AU - Ahonen, Heidi

AU - Åkesson, Susanne

AU - Alfaro-Shigueto, Joanna

AU - Andrews, Russel D.

AU - Angelier, Frédéric

AU - Antonopoulou, Marina

AU - Arata, Javier A.

AU - Araujo, Gonzalo

AU - Arauz, Randall

AU - Arcos, José Manuel

AU - Arregui, Igor

AU - Arrizabalaga, Haritz

AU - Auger-Méthé, Marie

AU - Bach, Steffen

AU - Bailleul, Fred

AU - Baird, Robin W.

AU - Balazs, George H.

AU - Barco, Susan G.

AU - Barnett, Adam

AU - Baverstock, Warren

AU - Baylis, Alastair M.M.

AU - Beard, Annalea

AU - Bécares, Juan

AU - Belda, Eduardo J.

AU - Bell, Ian

AU - Bennison, Ashley

AU - Benson, Scott R.

AU - Bernal, Diego

AU - Berumen, Michael L.

AU - Bessudo, Sandra

AU - Bezerra, Natalia P.A.

AU - Blaison, Antonin V.

AU - Blanco, Gabriela S.

AU - Block, Barbara A.

AU - Bolton, Mark

AU - Bond, Mark E.

AU - Bonfil, Ramón

AU - Braun, Camrin D.

AU - Broderick, Annette C.

AU - Brooke, Michael de L.

AU - Brooks, Annabelle M.L.

AU - Brooks, Edward J.

AU - Bruno, Ignacio M.

AU - Burns, Jennifer M.

AU - Byrne, Michael E.

AU - Campana, Steven E.

AU - Campbell, Hamish A.

AU - Campbell, Richard A.

AU - Carlisle, Aaron

AU - Carmichael, Ruth H.

AU - Carroll, Gemma

AU - Casale, Paolo

AU - Ceia, Filipe R.

AU - Chapman, Demian D.

AU - Chapple, Taylor K.

AU - Charrassin, Jean Benoit

AU - Chiaradia, Andre

AU - Chisholm, John

AU - Clarke, Christopher R.

AU - Clay, Thomas A.

AU - Cleguer, Christophe

AU - Clingham, Elizabeth

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AU - Cochran, Jesse E.M.

AU - Constantine, Rochelle

AU - Cooper, Robert W.

AU - Crochelet, Estelle

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AU - Cuevas, Eduardo

AU - DaCosta, Kayla P.

AU - Dagorn, Laurent

AU - Daly, Ryan

AU - Davis, Randall W.

AU - de Bruyn, P. J.Nico

AU - Delgado-Trejo, Carlos

AU - Dellinger, Thomas

AU - Derville, Solène

AU - Diamant, Stella

AU - DiMatteo, Andrew

AU - Dodge, Kara L.

AU - Doherty, Philip D.

AU - Double, Michael C.

AU - Dove, Alistair D.M.

AU - Doyle, Thomas K.

AU - Drew, Michael J.

AU - Dubbs, Lindsay L.

AU - Duffy, Clinton A.J.

AU - Dutton, Peter H.

AU - Edwards, Ewan W.J.

AU - Einoder, Luke D.

AU - Erdmann, Mark V.

AU - Espinoza, Eduardo

AU - Esteban, Nicole

AU - Fagundes, Ana Isabel

AU - Feare, Chris

AU - Ferguson, Steven H.

AU - Ferreira, Luciana C.

AU - Ferretti, Francesco

AU - Filmalter, John

AU - Finucci, Brittany

AU - Fischer, G. Chris

AU - Fitzpatrick, Richard J.

AU - Fontes, Jorge

AU - Formia, Angela

AU - Fossette, Sabrina

AU - Francis, Malcolm P.

AU - Friedlaender, Ari S.

AU - Furtado, Miguel

AU - Gallagher, Austin J.

AU - Garrigue, Claire

AU - Gennari, Enrico

AU - Gilchrist, H. Grant

AU - Godley, Brendan J.

AU - Goldsworthy, Simon D.

AU - Gollock, Matthew

AU - Carman, Victoria González

AU - Grecian, W. James

AU - Green, Jonathan R.

AU - Guinet, Christophe

AU - Gustafson, Johan

AU - Guttridge, Tristan L.

AU - Guzman, Hector M.

AU - Hamer, Derek

AU - Hamer, Keith C.

AU - Hammerschlag, Neil

AU - Hammill, Mike O.

AU - Harman, Luke

AU - Harrison, Emma

AU - Hart, Catherine E.

AU - Harris, A. Errol

AU - Hastie, Gordon

AU - Hazin, Fabio H.V.

AU - Heard, Matt

AU - Hearn, Alex R.

AU - Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter

AU - Henry, Leeann

AU - Henry, Robert William

AU - Hernandez, Vicente Guzman

AU - Herrera, Arturo E.

AU - Hindell, Mark A.

AU - Holdsworth, John C.

AU - Holmes, Bonnie J.

AU - Howey, Lucy A.

AU - Padilla, Edgar Mauricio Hoyos

AU - Huckstadt, Luis A.

AU - Hueter, Robert E.

AU - Lara, Paulo H.

AU - Hussey, Nigel E.

AU - Huveneers, Charlie

AU - Hyland, Kevin

AU - Irion, Dylan T.

AU - Jacoby, David M.P.

AU - Jaeger, Audrey

AU - Jaidah, Mohammed Y.

AU - Jessopp, Mark

AU - Jewell, Oliver J.D.

AU - Johnson, Ryan

AU - Jones, Carl G.

AU - Jonsen, Ian D.

AU - Jordan, Lance K.B.

AU - Jorgensen, Salvador J.

AU - Kato, Akiko

AU - Ketchum, James T.

AU - Kitaysky, Alexander S.

AU - Klimley, A. Peter

AU - Kock, Alison A.

AU - Koen, Pieter

AU - Archila, Felipe Ladino

AU - Lana, Fernanda O.

AU - Lane, Jude V.

AU - Le Corre, Matthieu

AU - Lea, Mary Anne

AU - Lea, James

AU - Leat, Eliza H.K.

AU - Lee, Olivia A.

AU - Levenson, J. Jacob

AU - Ley-Quiñonez, César P.

AU - Llewellyn, Fiona

AU - Lockhart, Gwen

AU - Lopez, Gustave G.

AU - Lopez Mendilaharsu, Milagros

AU - Lowther, Andrew D.

AU - Luschi, Paolo

AU - Lutcavage, Molly E.

AU - Lyon, Warrick S.

AU - Macena, Bruno C.L.

AU - Mackay, Alice I.

AU - Madden, Christine A.

AU - Mallory, Mark L.

AU - Mangel, Jeffrey C.

AU - Manning, Michael

AU - Mansfield, Kate L.

AU - March, David

AU - Marco, Adolfo

AU - Marcoux, Marianne

AU - Acuña-Marrero, David

AU - Marsh, Helene

AU - Marshall, Heather

AU - Mate, Bruce

AU - McAllister, Jaime D.

AU - McGuire, Rebecca L.

AU - McKenzie, Jane

AU - McLeay, Lachlan

AU - McMahon, Clive R.

AU - Modest, Michelle

AU - Morris, John

AU - Muelbert, Mônica M.C.

AU - Namboothri, Naveen

AU - Nichols, Wallace J.

AU - Nicoll, Malcolm A.C.

AU - Norman, Bradley M.

AU - Norris, Ken

AU - Olsen, Erik

AU - Oppel, Steffen

AU - Orlowski, Sabine

AU - Pagano, Anthony M.

AU - Page, Brad

AU - Parker, Denise M.

AU - Pattiaratchi, Charitha

AU - Robinson, David P.

AU - Thompson, Paul M.

AU - Thums, Michele

AU - Vaudo, Jeremy J.

AU - White, Timothy D.

AU - Williams, Sean

AU - Windstein, Marie

AU - Wright, Lucy J.

AU - Meekan, Mark G.

AU - Duarte, Carlos M.

PY - 2025/6/5

Y1 - 2025/6/5

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105009465743

U2 - 10.1126/science.adl0239

DO - 10.1126/science.adl0239

M3 - Article

C2 - 40472106

AN - SCOPUS:105009465743

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 388

SP - 1086

EP - 1097

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6751

ER -

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

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Dynamic assessment of threats to marine megafauna in face of global change

Cite this

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

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Dynamic assessment of threats to marine megafauna in face of global change

Cite this