International study shows benefits of tracking ocean giants for marine conservation
Research carried out with the participation of the University of Coimbra has identified key areas for the protection of marine megafauna, based on the tracking of over 12,000 individuals for 30 years.
A research team from the University of Coimbra's Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCTUC), alongside 400 scientists from more than 50 countries, contributed to the world's largest marine megafauna tracking study. The research, which was part of the “MegaMove” project led by the Australian National University and funded by the United Nations, has been published in the journal Science.
Researchers tracked over 12,000 specimens from 110 species over three decades, which allowed them to pinpoint the key ocean areas used for feeding, resting and migration. The team from the University of Coimbra (UC) includes André Afonso, Filipe Ceia, Jaime Ramos, José Xavier and Vítor Paiva, affiliated with the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) and the Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE).
Currently, only 8% of the world’s oceans are under protection. The new UN High Seas Treaty — signed by 115 countries — aims to increase that figure to 30%. Researchers see this as a step in the right direction, but stress that it is not enough to safeguard all the areas critical to threatened species such as sharks, whales and seabirds, and are thus calling for additional mitigation measures.
The data reveal significant overlap between areas used by marine megafauna and threats such as fishing, shipping traffic, ocean warming and plastic pollution. For instance, the Cory's shearwater breeds in Portuguese archipelagos and migrates annually to the coasts of Brazil, South Africa or Mozambique, facing multiple pressures along the way. Similarly, many shark species travel thousands of kilometres across various legal jurisdictions, hindering conservation efforts.
The study identifies 30% of the most important zones for marine megafauna, ranked according to how different species use them. However, the researchers point out that even if all these areas were protected, this would not be enough. They advocate complementary strategies, such as modified fishing gear, specialised lighting in nets and regulations to control ship traffic, to reduce human impact.
The work contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14 (Life Below Water), and supports the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target A, which seeks to halt human-induced extinctions of threatened species.
The full article, “Global Tracking of Marine Megafauna Space Use Reveals How to Achieve Conservation Targets”, is available here.