Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets
Date
2025
Authors
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.
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Journal article
Citation
Science, 2025; 388(6751):1086-1097
Statement of Responsibility
Ana M. M. Sequeira ... Fred Bailleul ... Simon D. Goldsworthy ... Lachlan McLeay ... et al.
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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.
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Copyright © 2025 the authors; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science subject to: Ownership by the Commonwealth of Australia, © Commonwealth of Australia 2025, apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth); no claim to US government works. All other rights reserved by American Association for the Advancement of Science. https://www.science.org/about/science-licenses-journal-article-reuse.