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

Publication ,  Journal Article
Sequeira, AMM; Rodríguez, JP; Marley, SA; Calich, HJ; van der Mheen, M; VanCompernolle, M; Arrowsmith, LM; Peel, LR; Queiroz, N; Vedor, M ...
Published in: Science (New York, N.Y.)
June 2025

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.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

June 2025

Volume

388

Issue

6751

Start / End Page

1086 / 1097

Related Subject Headings

  • General Science & Technology
  • Extinction, Biological
  • Endangered Species
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Biodiversity
  • Aquatic Organisms
  • Animals
  • Animal Migration
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Sequeira, A. M. M., Rodríguez, J. P., Marley, S. A., Calich, H. J., van der Mheen, M., VanCompernolle, M., … Eguíluz, V. M. (2025). Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets. Science (New York, N.Y.), 388(6751), 1086–1097. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl0239
Sequeira, Ana M. M., Jorge P. Rodríguez, Sarah A. Marley, Hannah J. Calich, Mirjam van der Mheen, Michelle VanCompernolle, Lucy M. Arrowsmith, et al. “Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets.Science (New York, N.Y.) 388, no. 6751 (June 2025): 1086–97. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl0239.
Sequeira AMM, Rodríguez JP, Marley SA, Calich HJ, van der Mheen M, VanCompernolle M, et al. Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets. Science (New York, NY). 2025 Jun;388(6751):1086–97.
Sequeira, Ana M. M., et al. “Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets.Science (New York, N.Y.), vol. 388, no. 6751, June 2025, pp. 1086–97. Epmc, doi:10.1126/science.adl0239.
Sequeira AMM, Rodríguez JP, Marley SA, Calich HJ, van der Mheen M, VanCompernolle M, Arrowsmith LM, Peel LR, Queiroz N, Vedor M, da Costa I, Mucientes G, Couto A, Humphries NE, Abalo-Morla S, Abascal FJ, Abercrombie DL, Abrantes K, Abreu-Grobois FA, Afonso AS, Afonso P, Ahonen H, Åkesson S, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Andrews RD, Angelier F, Antonopoulou M, Arata JA, Araujo G, Arauz R, Arcos JM, Arregui I, Arrizabalaga H, Auger-Méthé M, Bach S, Bailleul F, Baird RW, Balazs GH, Barco SG, Barnett A, Baverstock W, Baylis AMM, Beard A, Bécares J, Belda EJ, Bell I, Bennison A, Benson SR, Bernal D, Berumen ML, Bessudo S, Bezerra NPA, Blaison AV, Blanco GS, Block BA, Bolton M, Bond ME, Bonfil R, Braun CD, Broderick AC, Brooke MDL, Brooks AML, Brooks EJ, Bruno IM, Burns JM, Byrne ME, Campana SE, Campbell HA, Campbell RA, Carlisle A, Carmichael RH, Carroll G, Casale P, Ceia FR, Chapman DD, Chapple TK, Charrassin J-B, Chiaradia A, Chisholm J, Clarke CR, Clay TA, Cleguer C, Clingham E, Clua EEG, Cochran JEM, Constantine R, Cooper RW, Crochelet E, Cronin M, Cuevas E, DaCosta KP, Dagorn L, Daly R, Davis RW, de Bruyn PJN, Delgado-Trejo C, Dellinger T, Derville S, Diamant S, DiMatteo A, Dodge KL, Doherty PD, Double MC, Dove ADM, Doyle TK, Drew MJ, Dubbs LL, Duffy CAJ, Dutton PH, Edwards EWJ, Einoder LD, Erdmann MV, Espinoza E, Esteban N, Fagundes AI, Feare C, Ferguson SH, Ferreira LC, Ferretti F, Filmalter J, Finucci B, Fischer GC, Fitzpatrick RJ, Fontes J, Formia A, Fossette S, Francis MP, Friedlaender AS, Furtado M, Gallagher AJ, Garrigue C, Gennari E, Gilchrist HG, Godley BJ, Goldsworthy SD, Gollock M, Carman VG, Grecian WJ, Green JR, Guinet C, Gustafson J, Guttridge TL, Guzman HM, Hamer D, Hamer KC, Hammerschlag N, Hammill MO, Harman L, Harrison E, Hart CE, Harris AE, Hastie G, Hazin FHV, Heard M, Hearn AR, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Henry L, Henry RW, Hernandez VG, Herrera AE, Hindell MA, Holdsworth JC, Holmes BJ, Howey LA, Hoyos Padilla EM, Huckstadt LA, Hueter RE, Lara PH, Hussey NE, Huveneers C, Hyland K, Irion DT, Jacoby DMP, Jaeger A, Jaidah MY, Jessopp M, Jewell OJD, Johnson R, Jones CG, Jonsen ID, Jordan LKB, Jorgensen SJ, Kato A, Ketchum JT, Kitaysky AS, Klimley AP, Kock AA, Koen P, Archila FL, Lana FO, Lane JV, Le Corre M, Lea M-A, Lea J, Leat EHK, Lee OA, Levenson JJ, Ley-Quiñonez CP, Llewellyn F, Lockhart G, Lopez GG, Mendilaharsu ML, Lowther AD, Luschi P, Lutcavage ME, Lyon WS, Macena BCL, Mackay AI, Madden CA, Mallory ML, Mangel JC, Manning M, Mansfield KL, March D, Marco A, Marcoux M, Acuña-Marrero D, Marsh H, Marshall H, Mate B, McAllister JD, McGuire RL, McKenzie J, McLeay L, McMahon CR, Modest M, Morris J, Muelbert MMC, Namboothri N, Nichols WJ, Nicoll MAC, Norman BM, Norris K, Olsen E, Oppel S, Orlowski S, Pagano AM, Page B, Paiva VH, Palacios DM, Papastamatiou YP, Parker DM, Pattiaratchi C, Peckham H, Peñaherrera-Palma CR, Pepperell JG, Phillips RA, Pierce SJ, Pikesley SK, Pilcher NJ, Pinet P, Pinkerton M, Pirotta E, Plot V, Powell AN, Powers KD, Prebble CEM, Preston TJ, Prieto R, Prosdocimi L, Quinn JL, Quintero LM, Raclot T, Ramirez I, Ramírez-Macías D, Ramos JA, Read AJ, Ream R, Rees AF, Reina RD, Reisinger RR, Revuelta O, Reynolds SD, Richardson AJ, Riekkola L, Riet-Sapriza FG, Robinson DP, Robinson PW, Rocha CFD, Rogers TL, Rohner CA, Ropert-Coudert Y, Ross M, Rowat DRL, Ruhomaun K, Sagar PM, Samoilys MA, Sanchez S, Sandoval-Lugo AG, Dos Santos EAP, Santos AM, Scales KL, Schofield G, Semmens JM, Setyawan E, Shaffer SA, Shanker K, Sheaves M, Shillinger GL, Shivji MS, Sianipar A, Silk JRD, Silva MA, Sim J, Simpson SJ, Skomal G, Slip DJ, Smale MJ, Soler GA, Soria M, Sousa LL, Southall EJ, Stahl J-C, Stehfest KM, Sterling JT, Stevens JD, Stevens GMW, Stewart JD, Swaminathan A, Takahashi A, Tatayah V, Thiebot J-B, Thompson PM, Thorrold SR, Thums M, Tomás J, Torres LG, Towner A, Trathan PN, Tyminski JP, Sagarminaga van Buiten R, Van Dam RP, Vandeperre F, Varo-Cruz N, Vaudo JJ, Vely M, Villegas-Amtmann S, Vincent C, Waayers D, Wanless S, Watanabe YY, Watt CA, Weber SB, Weber N, Weise MJ, Welch L, Wells RS, Werry JM, Wetherbee BM, White TD, Whiting SD, Whiting AU, Wiebkin A, Wienecke B, Wildermann NE, Wiley DN, Will A, Williams S, Windstein M, Wischnewski S, Witt MJ, Womersley FC, Wood AG, Wright LJ, Xavier JC, Yamamoto T, Yurkowski DJ, Zarate PM, Zavala-Norzagaray A, Zerbini AN, Costa DP, Harcourt R, Meekan MG, Hays GC, Sims DW, Duarte CM, Eguíluz VM. Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets. Science (New York, NY). 2025 Jun;388(6751):1086–1097.
Journal cover image

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

June 2025

Volume

388

Issue

6751

Start / End Page

1086 / 1097

Related Subject Headings

  • General Science & Technology
  • Extinction, Biological
  • Endangered Species
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Biodiversity
  • Aquatic Organisms
  • Animals
  • Animal Migration