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Translating Marine Animal Tracking Data into Conservation Policy and Management
Abstract
There have been efforts around the globe to track individuals of many marine species and assess their movements and distribution, with the putative goal of supporting their conservation and management. Determining whether, and how, tracking data have been successfully applied to address real-world conservation issues is, however, difficult. Here, we compile a broad range of case studies from diverse marine taxa to show how tracking data have helped inform conservation policy and management, including reductions in fisheries bycatch and vessel strikes, and the design and administration of marine protected areas and important habitats. Using these examples, we highlight pathways through which the past and future investment in collecting animal tracking data might be better used to achieve tangible conservation benefits.
... Many conservation and management activities require knowledge of bird movements in both space and time and an understanding of migratory connectivity, i.e. the spatial and temporal connections and co-occurrence of species and populations throughout their full annual cycle (Webster et al., 2002;Marra et al., 2006;Cohen et al., 2018), to be effective. Examples include status assessments, recovery plans, the timing of management interventions (for example, speed and operational timing of wind turbines or water level adjustments in agricultural fields (Stodola et al., 2014), and the designation of protected areas (Whittaker et al., 2005;Fraser et al., 2018;Hays et al., 2019). ...
... The movement shortfall also limits understanding of how the environment and human modifications to the environment can influence bird survival and how these relationships may change in the future (Campbell et al., 2016;Hays et al., 2019;Davidson et al., 2020;O'Toole et al., 2021;Flack et al., 2022). This shortfall can also combine with other shortfalls, such as the Hutchinsonian shortfall, or the lack of understanding of how birds interact with their environment through preferences and tolerances (Hortal et al., 2015). ...
... Animal tracking through continuous electronic devices is often the most effective way to identify where and when migratory animals encounter threats and assess the potential impacts of those threats (Marra et al., 2011;Marra et al., 2015;McGowan et al., 2017;Hays et al., 2019;Bernard et al., 2021;Lisovski and Liedvogel, 2021;Flack et al., 2022). Additionally, tracking datasets improve our knowledge of how species and individuals interact with each other and their environment as well as identify changes in distributions and movements, all of which are relevant for management and conservation (Marra et al., 2011;Campbell et al., 2016;Hays et al., 2019;Davidson et al., 2020;O'Toole et al., 2021). ...
Animal tracking has become an effective way to identify where and when migratory species encounter threats throughout their annual cycle. Yet, untracked or poorly tracked species and undiscoverable or inaccessible data for the species that have been tracked mean that gaps in the knowledge of where and when species occur are still an issue for conservation. These gaps in knowledge of species movements have been termed the "movement shortfall". Here, we quantify the movement shortfall for North American migratory birds by comprehensively reviewing full annual cycle tracking data and identifying gaps and biases in how, where, and what species are tracked with electronic tracking devices. We found 30 species for which tracking is not feasible given body size constraints, no data for 291 trackable species, and restricted or reduced data accessibility for an additional 59 species. Thus, despite the ability to track most species, the movement shortfall remains a constraint to informing conservation strategies for 56 % of North American migratory bird species. The number increases to 65 % when considering species with restricted or reduced data accessibility, further limiting access to this information. Moreover, 23 % of the tracking data stems from low precision tracking technologies reducing the implementation and effectiveness to conservation actions. A lack of species and population data hinders conservation and biases management decisions, ultimately making inefficient use of conservation resources. We encourage researchers to consider these gaps in their decisions about future tracking efforts, conservation management, and data archiving practices.
... From a practical standpoint, a comprehensive understanding of the spatial ecology of marine organisms is essential to assess and inform marine conservation policies and management plans (Crossin et al., 2017;Hays et al., 2019). Combining information on the movement ecology of highly migratory species with the spatial distribution of fishing efforts has revealed a high and concerning overlap between fish abundance and fishing pressure (Queiroz et al., 2019). ...
... A growing number of marine protected areas (MPAs) are now being designed and evaluated based on the extent of species home ranges and habitat selection (MacKeracher et al., 2018;Gilmour et al., 2022). Spatial ecology studies have revealed essential habitats for marine animals such as foraging grounds (Warwick-Evans et al., 2018) or spawning and nursing areas (Hays et al., 2019). Finally, innovative research using movement monitoring succeeded in estimating key demographic parameters such as mortality rates for neonates and juveniles (Heupel and Simpfendorfer, 2002) as well as survival rates from fisheries discard (Morfin et al., 2019;Alonso-Fernández et al., 2022). ...
... This represents a particularly suitable technique to meet the actions of the "Sustainable Development Goal 14" of the United Nations (Alós et al., 2022). In a context of evergrowing anthropogenic disturbances such as habitat degradation, migration barriers and climate change, furthering our understanding of the drivers of animal behaviour is of the utmost importance to increase the effectiveness of conservation efforts (Hays et al., 2019;Lowerre-Barbieri et al., 2019). ...
Fish movements are fundamental to their ecology and survival. Understanding the causes and consequences of the spatial behaviour of fish is of high relevance as it provides critical knowledge for conservation purposes. Skate (Rajidae) populations face an unprecedented global decline due to overfishing. In this study, we used acoustic telemetry to track the movements of nine individuals of the near threatened thornback skate (Raja clavata) around the Cíes Islands, a small marine protected area in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Our results demonstrate the significant impacts of biotic and abiotic drivers on the spatial behaviour of R. clavata. Overall residency inside the study array was low (0.073), differed between sexes (higher for females) and over the course of the year (peaking in summer). The analysis of the direction of the excursions performed by R. clavata individuals revealed high consistency in the exit and entry areas and a strong connectivity with inshore waters connecting with the Ría de Vigo, as compared with offshore waters connecting with the open ocean. Finally, the activity space of R. clavata also varied over the time of the year with a peak in summer. This study provides an important baseline information for understanding the spatial behaviour of R. clavata that can serve as a starting point for planning future conservation actions or studies.
... Due to recent advances in biologging technologies and statistical analyses, animal movement data are increasingly used to provide ecological insights and inform conservation and management strategies [1][2][3]. As resource availability is a fundamental driver of animal behaviour [4], movement modelling can be used to understand relationships between animal behaviour and the heterogeneous landscapes they exploit. ...
... Leave-one-out cross validation We assessed the performance of our best-selected model using a leave-one-out (2) logit γ t,k = (β 0 − b 0,k ) + β 1 m t,1,k + · · · + β n m t,n,k + ε t , cross validation, where we excluded one individual seal to create a new dataset and re-ran the model, and examined the coefficient estimates relative to the full model (all seals), as in [50]. ...
... There are many nuances to interpreting results from animal movement and associated behavioural estimates, but these models are appropriate for testing ecological hypotheses on the areas and covariates associated with where animals spend relatively more time exhibiting various behaviours. While we have explored reasons why more foraging-like behaviour may not indicate better foraging habitat (e.g., low modelled prey density and/ or foraging success), areas where animals are spending relatively more time are still important areas for habitat protection and conservation [2]. Additionally, incorporation of multiple data types as a validation exercise can provide essential insight on presumed behaviours. ...
Background
Animal movement data are regularly used to infer foraging behaviour and relationships to environmental characteristics, often to help identify critical habitat. To characterize foraging, movement models make a set of assumptions rooted in theory, for example, time spent foraging in an area increases with higher prey density.
Methods
We assessed the validity of these assumptions by associating horizontal movement and diving of satellite-telemetered ringed seals (Pusa hispida)—an opportunistic predator—in Hudson Bay, Canada, to modelled prey data and environmental proxies.
Results
Modelled prey biomass data performed better than their environmental proxies (e.g., sea surface temperature) for explaining seal movement; however movement was not related to foraging effort. Counter to theory, seals appeared to forage more in areas with relatively lower prey diversity and biomass, potentially due to reduced foraging efficiency in those areas.
Conclusions
Our study highlights the need to validate movement analyses with prey data to effectively estimate the relationship between prey availability and foraging behaviour.
... Large marine vertebrates, including sea turtles, often have migratory pathways that cross ocean basins as well as annual and seasonal movement patterns associated with breeding (Hart et al., 2014;Baudouin et al., 2015;Hamilton et al., 2021). Use of satellite telemetry has allowed identification of critical breeding and foraging habitats and migratory pathways for these species (Ferreira et al., 2021;Santos et al., 2021) which in some cases has contributed to establishment and assessment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs; Hays et al., 2019;Metcalfe et al., 2022). ...
... MPAs are the primary tool used by marine conservationists (Peter, 2001;Hays et al., 2019) but they are typically static both temporally and spatially (Pressey et al., 2007). As more than 12% of the world's vertebrates undertake long-distance movements (Runge et al., 2014), fixed-boundary MPAs can only encompass a portion of key habitats used by imperiled species. ...
... Globally many MPAs are created, or proposed, to benefit large marine vertebrates, including sea turtles (Hays et al., 2019;Thompson et al., 2021). For example, the Fishery Reserve in Mexico was created to protect nearly 9000 km 2 of loggerhead foraging habitat in the Gulf of Ulloa, and has established commercial fishing restrictions to reduce sea turtle bycatch (Hays et al., 2019). ...
Globally, Marine Protected Areas are an important tool in the conservation of large marine vertebrates. Recent studies have highlighted the use of protected areas by imperiled green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the southern Gulf of Mexico. To identify and characterize inter-nesting, migratory, and foraging areas for green turtles that nest in the northern Gulf of Mexico, we deployed 14 satellite tags on 13 individual green turtles after nesting in Northwest Florida. We used switching state-space modeling to highlight turtle use in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and in habitat outside of protected areas such as near Cape Sable, Florida and off the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Turtles were tracked for 21-217 days and migrated for a mean of 22 days. Five individuals used stopover sites during migration; these sites were in areas of dense seagrass habitat, often within boundaries of existing Aquatic Preserves. Turtles established mean home ranges of 118.0 km² (50% kernel density estimate) with foraging centroids that were 0.33-7.3 km apart. The area off Cape Sable, Florida, which lies outside of currently protected area boundaries, appears to be a hotspot for green turtles that nest throughout the Gulf of Mexico. While protected areas in the Gulf of Mexico are used by this subset of nesting green turtles, several key sites remain unprotected. These findings are relevant when considering expansion of currently protected areas and in defining critical habitat for this species.
... Tracking technologies have provided unparalleled insights into use of the three-dimensional ocean environment by marine animals and contributed invaluable information to ecological, biological, and policy disciplines, particularly for apex predators like sharks (Hussey et al., 2015;Hays et al., 2019). Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) have been studied using various telemetry or bio-logging technologies for several decades, providing better understanding of species migrations, population connectivity, habitat preferences, horizontal and vertical movement extents, and spatial overlap with fisheries (Hammerschlag et al., 2011b). ...
... Satellite telemetry has long been used to inform shark conservation initiatives (see Hays et al., 2019). Over the past decade research has expanded in this field, providing novel information of at-risk species habitat use, for instance scalloped hammerhead movements in Atlantic equatorial oceanic waters (Bezerra et al., 2019), or range expansion of great hammerheads in the North Atlantic (Hammerschlag et al., 2011a). ...
... Satellite tags are advantageous for measuring the efficacy of large, remote protected areas as data can be recorded independently of geopolitical zones, and in areas beyond national jurisdiction (White et al., 2017;MacKeracher et al., 2019;Sequeira et al., 2018). Emphasis in recent years has been placed on amalgamating sources of tracking data in order to optimize tagging outcomes and produce results on a global scale (see Sequeira et al., 2018;Harcourt et al., 2019, andHays et al., 2019). Multi-year, continuous studies are beneficial for overcoming the often-limited duration of tagging studies (usually less than one year), by creating pooled resources that can be used to generate long-term studies of seasonality and species movements, migrations, residency and/or aggregations ('hotspots') on a global scale , whilst reducing tagging bias based on the tagging location (Maxwell et al., 2019;Francis et al., 2019;Queiroz et al., 2016), irregular post-release behaviour (Shipley et al., 2017a), and sex and age of tagged sharks (Andrzejaczek et al., 2018;Howey et al., 2016;Howey-Jordan et al., 2013;Wells et al., 2018). ...
Satellite telemetry as a tool in marine ecological research continues to adapt and grow and has become increasingly popular in recent years to study shark species on a global scale. A review of satellite tag application to shark research was published in 2010, provided insight to the advancements in satellite shark tagging, as well as highlighting areas for improvement. In the years since, satellite technology has continued to advance, creating smaller, longer lasting, and more innovative tags, capable of expanding the field. Here we review satellite shark tagging studies to identify early successes and areas for rethinking moving forward. Triple the amount of shark satellite tagging studies have been conducted during the decade from 2010 to 2020 than ever before, tracking double the number of species previously tagged. Satellite telemetry has offered increased capacity to unravel ecological questions including predator and prey interactions, migration patterns, habitat use, in addition to monitoring species for global assessments. However, <17% of the total reviewed studies directly produced results with management or conservation outcomes. Telemetry studies with defined goals and objectives produced the most relevant findings for shark conservation, most often in tandem with secondary metrics such as fishing overlap or management regimes. To leverage the power of telemetry for the benefit of shark species, it remains imperative to continue improvements to tag function and maximize the outputs of tagging efforts including increasing data sharing capacity and standardization across the field, as well as spatial and species coverage. Ultimately, this review offers a status report of shark satellite tagging and the ways in which the field can continue to progress.
... By pinpointing where, why and how marine megafauna overlap, interact and respond to anthropogenic activities, biologging can highlight areas for protection and contribute to a more sustainable exploitation of marine resources (Hays et al., 2019;Greḿillet et al., 2022). In this Research Topic, we focus on the ways in which biologging has extended our ability to measure the exposure of marine megafauna to anthropogenic threats ( Figure 1) such as fisheries, shipping, and offshore platforms and seismic surveys. ...
... There is an increasing global push towards setting aside large swathes of the ocean as marine protected areas (MPA), however, their efficacy in protecting marine megafauna habitats remains unclear, particularly for species with vast home ranges. Biologging data play an increasingly important role in MPA design, implementation and management (Hays et al., 2019) and multispecies studies have shed light into the degree to which wide-ranging species are protected by MPAs throughout key life-history stages (Handley et al., 2020;Hindell et al., 2020;Baylis et al., 2021). ...
... This is demonstrated in this Research Topic whereby the majority (n = 18, 53%) of studies were largely focused on describing spatial and behavioural patterns of marine megafauna populations, with few (n = 6, 18%) directly assessing the efficacy of management measures (Figure 1). Future studies should therefore be designed to address specific conservation goals and promote early engagement among scientists and stakeholders in the decisionmaking processes, in order to maximise the use of ecological information into effective conservation measures (Hays et al., 2019). ...
This Research Topic covers a broad taxonomic representation, spanning seabirds, cetaceans, sea turtles, pinnipeds, elasmobranchs, teleosts, a sirenian, the polar bear, and a large crustacean, the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus). Articles submitted address how biologging is being used to understand the movement behaviour and distribution of marine megafauna, and how this information can play a key role to prioritise conservation goals. The resulting 34 articles illustrate how biologging is informing conservation of marine megafauna, and in light of these studies, we discuss challenges, methodological implications and future directions for biologging in conservation.
... The co-occurrence of marine turtles with other species of ecological (also Endangered) and economic interest (for fisheries and tourism) has been documented, highlighting their relevance as umbrella species for management, conservation, and restoration strategies (Gradzens et al., 2014;Hammerschlag et al., 2015;Hays et al., 2019). Knowing about such interactions helps management planning and restoration actions targeting marine turtles that could benefit other relevant species, making resource investment more effective and efficient. ...
... Marine turtles occupy various marine ecosystems throughout their life history, such as lagoons, mangroves, coastal dunes, and oceanic habitats. They play a role in attracting management actions that benefit other species through cohabitation and ecological interactions, facilitating an umbrella cascade effect, and making them strategic target species for an integrated biodiversity management and restoration approach (Bjorndal et al., 2011;Webb, 2012;Oliver et al., 2015;Bayraktarov et al., 2016;DWH NRDA Trustees, 2016;Molinos et al., 2016;Guzmań Hernańdez et al., 2019;Hays et al., 2019;Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group, 2019;Frasier et al., 2020;Ashford et al., 2022). ...
Marine turtles inhabit various coastal and marine ecosystems and play significant ecological roles throughout their life cycles. Because of the significant overlap with other species at risk in their geographic ranges, the successful conservation of marine turtles also protects numerous co-occurring species, a phenomenon known as the “umbrella species effect.” Since several marine turtle populations have shown positive trends, suggesting incipient recovery, it is expected that their umbrella characteristics will coevolve as their populations grow and expand. Recognizing the considerable potential of marine turtles as umbrella species, we advocate for promoting this concept and explicitly integrating it into management and recovery programs. This approach would facilitate concurrent benefits not only for marine turtles but also for other species and their associated habitats. To achieve this goal, we analyzed the conservation status of marine turtles in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean within the framework of the legal regulations. Additionally, we reviewed the current challenges in marine turtle recovery in the framework of ecological restoration, while also aiming to target and encourage their utilization as umbrella species.
... Satellite tracking allows behavioural studies of large, free roaming marine animals, where migration trips are long, out of observational reach and dynamic in three dimensions [1,2] . In addition to providing movement tracks, this technology has the potential to address questions as to what drives the observed movements, and thereby contribute important information to biological, political and conservation issues [3][4][5] . While satellite tag technology has evolved from initial location only tracks, to recording and transmitting dive profiles and environmental information, the expense of satellite tags acts as a major limiting factor on the number of individuals sampled. ...
... Bycatch data is however acknowledged to contain flaws through misreporting, low observer coverage and spatio-temporal biases [6,7] . Combining bycatch data with satellite tagging data can provide 'big data' type approaches, potentially providing a step change for the management of highly migratory marine species [3][4][5][8][9][10] . While a persistent restricting factor of expense may not alleviate small sample sizes in satellite tagging studies, validation of data processing methodologies that enable better utilisation of such data sets, would strengthen their application within 'big data' studies and help their contribution to conservational management [11] . ...
The relationship between habitat and behaviour provides important information for species management. For large, free roaming, marine animals satellite tags provide high resolution information on movement, but such datasets are restricted due to cost. Extracting additional biologically important information from these data would increase utilisation and value. Several modelling approaches have been developed to identify behavioural states in tracking data. The objective of this study was to evaluate a behavioural state prediction model for blue shark (Prionace glauca) ARGOS surface location-only data. The novel nature of the six SPLASH satellite tags used enabled behavioural events to be identified in blue shark dive data and accurately mapped spatio-temporally along respective surface location-only tracks. Behavioural states modelled along the six surface location-only tracks were then tested against observed behavioural events to evaluate the model's accuracy. Results showed that the Behavioural Change Point Analysis (BCPA) model augmented with K means clustering analysis performed well for predicting foraging behaviour (correct 86% of the time). Prediction accuracy was lower for searching (52%) and travelling (63%) behaviour, likely related to the numerical dominance of foraging events in dive data. The model's validation for predicting foraging behaviour justified its application to nine additional surface location-only (SPOT tag) tracks, substantially increasing the utilisation of expensive and rare data. Results enabled the critical behavioural state of foraging, to be mapped throughout the entire home range of blue sharks, allowing drivers of critical habitat to be investigated. This validation strengthens the use of such modelling to interpret historic and future datasets, for blue sharks but also other species, contributing to conservational management.
... Area-based management decisions and other related processes used to describe important marine areas have frequently been guided by the best available spatial data (e. g., Hays et al., 2019;Flynn et al., 2021;Holness et al., 2022). More specifically, geospatial data or maps derived from empirical observations or expert input, depicting geographic boundaries and areas, can inform marine spatial plans or analyses after collecting information directly from scientists, existing online data portals, or participatory mapping exercises (e.g., Lombard et al., 2019). ...
... Regardless of the disadvantages for species with little to no connectivity data, the specific gaps that prevent comprehensive species assessments or the development of necessary management policies need to be identified and communicated. Finally, a proactive approach to support knowledge exchange and better communication among all stakeholders (e.g., research scientists, data brokers, resource managers) would help to overcome the knowledge gaps that inhibit the conservation of migratory marine species Hays et al., 2019). We also found that most of the peer-reviewed articles presenting relevant connectivity data were readily accessible to the public with or without a journal subscription. ...
... Animal tracking is an essential and increasingly accessible tool to assess movement and behaviour, especially for wide-ranging or cryptic species (11)(12)(13) and the resulting data can be used to understand habitat selection, movement, and space use (14,15). Further, as multi-species tracking studies become more common, these data provide an unprecedented opportunity for simultaneous assessment of top-down and bottom-up influences on species. ...
... Prediction maps can serve as an invaluable resource for managers to protect species, especially in helping identify areas of conservation priority (e.g., protected areas, (12,38). Here we show that if models do not adequately represent species' ecology, and the complex . ...
Prey availability is a fundamental driver of animal distribution, movement, and foraging ecology. The perceived risk of predation also influences these aspects of animal ecology. Our paper explores how animals balance these tradeoffs, which are seldom analyzed together. Such understanding becomes increasingly important as species that face anthropogenic-caused ecosystem change. In the Arctic, there has been substantial research on consequences of sea ice loss, however our understanding of top-down and bottom-up processes is limited. Ringed seals ( Pusa hispida ) and polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ), form a strong predator-prey relationship but limited information is available explaining how fear of polar bears affects ringed seal ecology. Using a large tracking dataset from 26 ringed seals with >70,000 dives and >10,000 locations, we explored the influence of top-down (polar bear space use based on >18,000 locations) and bottom-up (modeled fish distribution) processes on the movement, habitat selection, and foraging behavior of this mesopredator. Our results suggest that polar bears spatially restrict seal movements and reduce the amount of time they spend in area-restricted search and at depth, which likely decreases the seals’ foraging success. However, we found tradeoffs between predation risk and foraging, where ringed seals were more likely to be present and dive for a long duration in high-risk areas when prey diversity was high. Prey habitat use models that excluded predators overestimated core space use. These findings illustrate the dynamic tradeoffs that mesopredators are forced to make when balancing the risk of predation and need to forage.
Significance Statement
Our paper explores how animals balance finding food and avoiding predators. This balancing act is often poorly understood, particularly in Arctic ecosystems, but is necessary for understanding and conserving species. Our results show that interactions between polar bear presence and prey diversity explain the foraging behavior, habitat selection, and activity budgets of ringed seals. Seals constrained their movements to areas with low predation risk, but entered high-risk areas if prey diversity was high. Additionally, our inference on the relationship between ringed seals and their prey would be overlooked if the potential risk of polar bear predation was not included. Our study advances our understanding of the complex dynamics in predator-prey ecology, which is essential to incorporate when identifying critical habitat.
... The accurate estimation of the spatial distributions of animal populations is important for understanding patterns of resource use and demographic change, as well as for informing biodiversity conservation and management (Hays et al., 2019). The at-sea distributions of many species of marine megafauna have in recent decades been revealed using data from animal-borne tracking devices (Bernard et al., 2021;Hussey et al., 2015). ...
... In the marine realm, tracking data have been used widely to inform conservation and management Hays et al., 2019;Hindell et al., 2020). Population-level spatial distributions derived from tracking data have contributed to assessments of the impacts of threats at sea, such as incidental mortality (bycatch) in fisheries, overfishing, and resource extraction (Clay et al., 2019;Garthe et al., 2017;Grémillet et al., 2016;Queiroz et al., 2019). ...
Animal tracking has afforded insights into patterns of space use in numerous species and thereby informed area-based conservation planning. A crucial consideration when estimating spatial distributions from tracking data is whether the sample of tracked animals is representative of the wider population. However, it may also be important to track animals in multiple years to capture changes in distribution in response to varying environmental conditions. Using GPS-tracking data from 23 seabird species, we assessed the importance of multi-year sampling for identifying important sites for conservation during the chick-rearing period, when seabirds are most spatially constrained. We found a high degree of spatial overlap among distributions from different years in most species. Multi-year sampling often captured a significantly higher portion of reference distributions (based on all data for a population) than sampling in a single year. However, we estimated that data from a single year would on average miss only 5 % less of the full distribution of a population compared to equal-sized samples collected across three years (min: −0.3 %, max: 17.7 %, n = 23). Our results suggest a key consideration for identifying important sites from tracking data is whether enough individuals were tracked to provide a representative estimate of the population distribution during the sampling period, rather than that tracking necessarily take place in multiple years. By providing an unprecedented multi-species perspective on annual spatial consistency, this work has relevance for the application of tracking data to informing the conservation of seabirds.
... The extensional tectonics, linked to the opening of the Tyrrhenian back-arc basin, played a role in the coastal areas of North-eastern Sicily [290][291][292][293][294][295] during the Miocene-Pliocene and originated from E-W, NW-SE and NE-SW trending normal faulting [296,297]. ...
... MPAs are on the forefront of spatial management, however, it is critical to formally incorporate information on animal movements to more effectively implement, evaluate, and improve the use of this conservation tool [289][290][291][292]. ...
In recent years it has been stressed that the problems created by population growth and
climate change are so big and of such complexity that we do not have the capacity
to address them. We do not react to a cascade of situations that are driving us to
absolute collapse for two reasons: (1) The mental short-termism that is inherent in
any animal, including the human being, (2) the synergy of factors that act together,
not being able to isolate each other to give partial solutions.
In this puzzle, the oceans, after decades of being ignored, seem to take on rele�vance. The UN launched a plan to draw attention to the role of that 70% mass of
water that covers the surface of our planet, finally coming to the conclusion that
part of the solution lies in understanding, managing and restoring the oceans. Biodi�versity, complexity, and functionality take on relevance in one of the Sustainable
Development Goals that aims to improve our oceans. Life Below Water (SDG 14)
is one of the goals to be achieved in this desperate decade, in which we are going to
have to race to try to save civilization in its many facets. A Decade of the Oceans
has been instituted that aims to channel the greatest possible number of initiatives
to substantially improve the health of marine habitats, as well as try to mitigate the
impact on human communities.
Fisheries, pollution, and urban expansion are some direct issues that are stressing
the oceans, but we may have direct (local and regional) solutions to solve them in
many cases. However, among all the challenges we face, the most global and complex
one to mitigate is climate change. In the oceans, climate change is especially evident,
since 93% of the heat absorbed by the earth is concentrated in the water masses
that are warming rapidly. Acidification, which is the sister of warming in water
masses due to the increase in CO2 that penetrates and reacts to create slightly less
alkaline water, is the other large-scale problem that has a global impact and cannot
be controlled locally. Marine organisms suffer these consequences, having to adapt,
migrate or disappear. We have created a transition phase to a new unknown state in
which some species, habitats and even biomes will prevail while others languish or
simply disappear. Understanding, managing and repairing our actions in the oceans
has become a very urgent task to solve the problem and understand how long this
transition between systems will last. This book focuses, in seven chapters, on the perspectives and solutions that
different research groups offer to try to address problems related to SDG 14: Life
Below Water. The different objectives developed in SDG 14 are treated indepen�dently, with an attempt to give a global vision of the issues. The mechanism used to
select the book’s content was through an Artificial Intelligence program, choosing
articles related to the topics by means of keywords. The program selected those arti�cles, and those that were not related to the topic or did not focus on SDG 14 were
discarded. Obviously, the selection was partial and the entire subject is not covered,
but the final product gives a very solid idea of how to orient ourselves to delve deeper
into the topic of SDG 14 using published chapters and articles. The AI program itself
selected the text of these contributions to show the progress in different topics related
to SDG 14. This mode of operation will allow specialists (and non-specialists) to
collect useful information for their specific research purposes in a short period of
time. At a time when information is essential in order to move quickly by providing
concrete answers to complex problems, this type of approach will become essential
for researchers, especially for a subject as vast as SDG 14.
... The extensional tectonics, linked to the opening of the Tyrrhenian back-arc basin, played a role in the coastal areas of North-eastern Sicily [290][291][292][293][294][295] during the Miocene-Pliocene and originated from E-W, NW-SE and NE-SW trending normal faulting [296,297]. ...
... MPAs are on the forefront of spatial management, however, it is critical to formally incorporate information on animal movements to more effectively implement, evaluate, and improve the use of this conservation tool [289][290][291][292]. ...
It is not surprising that we are interested in plastics as one of the most prominent polluting agents of the twenty-first century. We have gone from producing less than 10 million tons in the 1960s to more than 300 million in the 2010s. That plastic has had time to distribute itself, fragment and enter food chains of the oceans. Studies related to the three phenomena are now one of the main objectives of various research projects and groups around the planet. The first is understanding how fragmentation is increasing the volume of macro and microplastics, how they are dispersed at the oceanic and local level, and what their chemical characteristics are. In line with these observations and quantifications, we have to understand what influence they have on organisms and how we can reduce their concentration. For example, the displacements of macroplastics are modeled relative to their dispersion according to global and local currents, giving importance to the phenomena of fouling and fragmentation, as well as understanding how the creation of microplastics is heterogeneous according to latitude, water temperatures or seasonal conditions. One of the biggest problems is, without a doubt, the chemical, morphological and size classification of plastics, especially micro and nanoplastics. This topic is crucial, as is the standardization of the measures that we consider to classify them in one way or another. This topic has been largely discussed during the last decade, and in this chapter there are cues to understand that the consensus is very close. Other issues are still pending in the complex agenda of the understanding of these pollutants. For example, the adherence of certain types of elements such as heavy metals is a relevant issue on which much information is lacking. But it is not the only knowledge gap that we have. Dynamics in the water column and in the sediment is also a main issue, since this sediment is a sink for microplastics and nanoplastics that is continually disturbed by organisms from the meiofauna. Some of these microplastics become airborne, and their range from likely emission sources is still poorly understood. The understanding of these fluxes from the land-river to the sediments passing through the water column is one of the main challenges to solve the problems derived from the presence of such macro, micro and nano items. Marine organisms are the ones that, apparently, are the most affected by this increase in solid contamination, especially microplastics. Today they are found at any latitude, from the poles to the equator, even in places as surprising as sea ice or abyssal depths. In fact, microplastics are found in very remote places, interfering with the diet of various planktonic and benthic organisms. There are many questions to be resolved, among others, how temperature affects the retention of microplastics in organisms, or which are the most vulnerable species. And we have to understand one important issue: many of those marine organisms affected by micro and nano plastics are part of our diet. Therefore, understanding the rate of transmission in food chains in general and in our consumption in particular is a major issue. That is why we looked for solutions, such as the use of bioremediators (active suspension feeders such as sponges, sea squirts, etc.) in areas where the abundance of microplastics is especially high. Bacteria are also beginning to be used as active decomposers of microplastics, a solution that could help eliminate a large amount of this material about which we still have too many knowledge gaps regarding the health of ecosystems and our own health. The synergy of efforts to understand all these different variables is crucial. During the next decade we do have to solve this plastic problem, with coordination, standardization and the application of different tools to execute the solutions of different associated problems.
... Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences logging technology can help inform conservation policy and management, including reductions in fisheries bycatch, and the design and administration of marine protected areas and important habitats (Hays et al., 2019). ...
... Understanding an animal's behavior can provide important information about its ecological needs and its role within the ecosystem (Crain and Bertness, 2006;Hastings et al., 2007). For example, determining the utilization distribution (UD) of a species, which relates to the proportion of time an individual spends in specific areas can help identify critical habitats and resources, as well as guide conservation efforts (Wilcove et al., 1998;Berger-Tal et al., 2011;Hays et al., 2019;Ferreira et al., 2021). For purposes of this study, we refer to hidden behavioral states as latent behavioral states that are not directly observable but can be inferred through the analysis of the animal's movements and other data (e.g., environmental data) (Morelle et al., 2017). ...
Introduction
An understanding of animal behavior is critical to determine their ecological role and to inform conservation efforts. However, observing hidden behaviors can be challenging, especially for animals that spend most of their time underwater. Animal-borne devices are valuable tools to estimate hidden behavioral states.
Methods
We investigated the fine-scale behavior of internesting hawksbill turtles using the mixed-membership method for movement (M4) which integrated dive variables with spatial components and estimated latent behavioral states.
Results
Five latent behavioral states were identified: 1) pre-nesting, 2) transit, 3) quiescence, and 4) area restricted search within and 5) near the residence of turtles. The last three states associated with a residency period, showed lower activity levels. Notably, when compared to other behaviors the pre-nesting exhibited shallower and remarkably long dives of up to 292 minutes. We noted high fidelity to residence core areas and nesting beaches, within and between nesting seasons, with residence areas decreasing within a season.
Discussion
The latent behaviors identified provide the most detailed breakdown of turtle movement behaviors during the internesting period to date, providing valuable insights into their ecology and behavior. This information can inform marine turtle conservation and management efforts since utilization distributions of individual behavioral states can be used to determine spatially-explicit susceptibility of turtles to various threats based on their behavior. The analyses of utilization distribution revealed a minimal overlap with existing marine protected areas (0.4%), and we show how a new proposal would expand protection to 30%. In short, this study provides valuable guidance for conservation and management of internesting marine turtles at a fine spatiotemporal resolution and can be used to enhance national action plans for endangered species, including the expansion of existing Marine Protected Areas. By flexibly incorporating biologically informative parameters, this approach can be used to study behavior outside of the hawksbill breeding season or even beyond this species.
... The relevance of this coast for numerous seabird species, including the European storm-petrel, has been highlighted in different forums and international projects (Aranda et al., 2021), suggesting the need to create a 'migratory corridor' which connects the already declared SPAs in the area. bycatch (Augé et al., 2018;De la Cruz, Bastos, et al., 2021;Edgar et al., 2014;Hays et al., 2019). Hence, the expansion and connection of the MPAs network should improve spatial planning in the development of offshore wind energy, which are known to affect seabird species (Garthe et al., 2023;Kelsey et al., 2018). ...
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely used tools for conservation and management. Their correct delimitation is challenging, especially when the target species are small, elusive and inconspicuous, as little data are generally available to adequately assess their distribution at sea. Therefore, currently designated MPAs may not effectively cover key areas for small seabirds, particularly during migration and wintering seasons.
We used ensemble species distribution models (ESDMs) on a 15‐year time‐series data set of at‐sea census along the Atlantic Iberian arc to predict the potential distribution of the smallest European seabird, the European storm‐petrel ( Hydrobates pelagicus ), and compare it with official marine special protection areas (SPAs).
Occurrence of European storm‐petrel was related to shifts in sea surface temperature, and to small distances from the coast over the continental shelf.
Most relevant area for the species in the Atlantic Iberian arc was west‐central Portugal to north‐western coast of the Iberian Peninsula, with an additional key area in the Gulf of Cádiz. Both zones host significant SPAs, but they inadequately cover key areas for European storm‐petrels. Our findings support extending marine SPAs in the Atlantic Iberian arc to ensure their effective protection.
The distribution of the species expands over the years, varying in both size and location. These changes might be attributed to dynamic oceanographic variables, such as sea surface temperature and biomass of micronekton, which seem to play a significant role in their foraging behaviour.
Synthesis and applications . Our study highlights the importance of analysing long time series and ESDMs to design adequate protected areas, which ensure the conservation of small and highly mobile species such as storm petrels. Our results should be considered by decision‐makers to prioritise and update marine protected areas, while incorporating the dynamic nature of the ocean within an ecosystem‐based approach.
... The success of this 15-year recovery plan for T. thynnus and the research that supported it demonstrates the effectiveness of management approaches inspired by movement ecology research for conserving and managing migratory species. Tailored management approaches that incorporate the complex movement patterns of fish populations, such as spatially explicit management or the establishment of inter-jurisdictional management zones (Runge et al. 2014;Hays et al. 2019;Lowerre-Barbieri et al. 2021), can be highly effective in targeting conservation and management efforts to specific areas where they are most needed (Lascelles et al. 2014;Allen and Singh 2016). ...
Individual fish movement patterns and behaviors influence population-level traits, and are important for understanding their ecology and evolution. Understanding these behaviors is key for managing and conserving migratory animal populations, including Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), that support an economically important recreational fishery. Using acoustic telemetry, we tracked individual movement patterns of M. atlanticus inhabiting the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the southeast coast of the US over successive years. Net-squared displacement models revealed considerable individual-level variation in movement patterns with high individual-level repeatability in the timing of migrations and migratory pathways. Although distinct migratory subgroups existed, M. atlanticus generally migrate northward in the spring and summer to putative foraging grounds and remain in these areas for, on average, four months and then migrate southward in the fall. Subadult M. atlanticus exhibited similar migratory patterns as adults, while large juveniles exhibited either resident or nomadic behaviors. For migratory individuals, fish size did not influence movement patterns. Given that distinct migratory subgroups seasonally mixed in southern Florida for spawning activity, our study indicates that M. atlanticus along the eastern Gulf of Mexico and southeastern coast of the US should be considered a single interconnected stock. With that in mind, using M. atlanticus angler and guide knowledge, we assessed the vulnerability of M. atlanticus to potential threats across their range and along migratory pathways. Collectively, the far-ranging nature of M. atlanticus and their diversity in movement patterns highlights the need for more uniform and cohesive management and conservation efforts.
... As ecophysiologists, we aim to understand how animals make a living and why certain species or populations are more vulnerable to changing conditions. Such holistic knowledge is needed to tackle present-day conservation challenges (Cooke et al., 2021;Hays et al., 2019). ...
Comparative physiology has developed a rich understanding of the physiological adaptations of organisms, from microbes to megafauna. Despite extreme differences in size and a diversity of habitats, general patterns are observed in their physiological adaptations. Yet, many organisms deviate from the general patterns, providing an opportunity to understand the importance of ecology in determining the evolution of unusual adaptations. Aquatic air-breathing vertebrates provide unique study systems in which the interplay between ecology, physiology and behavior is most evident. They must perform breath-hold dives to obtain food underwater, which imposes a physiological constraint on their foraging time as they must resurface to breathe. This separation of two critical resources has led researchers to investigate these organisms’ physiological adaptations and trade-offs. Addressing such questions on large marine animals is best done in the field, given the difficulty of replicating the environment of these animals in the lab. This Review examines the long history of research on diving physiology and behavior. We show how innovative technology and the careful selection of research animals have provided a holistic understanding of diving mammals’ physiology, behavior and ecology. We explore the role of the aerobic diving limit, body size, oxygen stores, prey distribution and metabolism. We then identify gaps in our knowledge and suggest areas for future research, pointing out how this research will help conserve these unique animals.
... In recent decades, technological advances in tools such as electronic tags for animal tracking (Hussey et al., 2017;Hays et al., 2019), chemical tracer analyses (Pethybridge et al., 2018), and 'meta data' analysis (Edgar et al., 2016;McCauley et al., 2015) greatly expanded our ability to understand of sh biology, feeding behavior, population dynamics, movement patterns, and behavior. By combining these technologies with traditional eld research, we can better understand the ecological and environmental factors that in uence sh populations, ultimately leading to more effective management practices and conservation efforts. ...
Evaluating management strategies for fish catch development requires knowledge of movement patterns and their spatial distribution. The Caspian kutum ( Rutilus kutum , Kamenskii, 1901) is an important commercial species throughout the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea. Stable isotope ratios are powerful indexes that simplify the understanding of the migration of aquatic animals. This research determined the stable isotope ratio of carbon (δ ¹³ C) and nitrogen (δ ¹⁵ N) for Rutilus kutum movement at 10 sites along the southern coastline of the Caspian Sea from January to December 2017. Spatial and temporal variations in stable isotope values of the coastal communities in the Caspian Sea remain poorly understood. These findings suggest that individual variation, but with a strong overall decline in δ ¹³ C and increasing in δ ¹⁵ N and δ ¹³ C/δ ¹⁵ N ratio with age, too. These isoscpes showed that the δ ¹⁵ N ratio increased and δ ¹³ C decreased from the east (Gomishan) to the west (Astara).
... Based on the spatiotemporal patterns in fish movement and fisheries closures, protection of seabass varied throughout the year, but was consistently higher for the inner harbour group. Although aquatic tagging data has been used in numerous ways to contribute to conservation policy (Brooks et al., 2018;Hays et al., 2019;Lowerre-Barbieri et al., 2019;Brownscombe et al., 2022), we know of no other studies that quantified a fish' protection based on the spatiotemporal fisheries management in place. The approach demonstrated a direct application of how detailed knowledge on habitat use can inform and improve fisheries management for a better conservation policy of species and habitats. ...
We investigated the movements of European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, to understand habitat use and connectivity to evaluate how individual seabass are protected by the spatiotemporal fisheries restrictions in place. We tagged seabass with acoustic transmitters in a study area in the Port of Zeebrugge (Belgium) in the southern North Sea. The 370,200 detections of 57 seabass in the study area revealed high residency in the period from late March-May to September-November, as well as high site fidelity (70.7%). Whereas the majority of seabass left the area in winter, 13 seabass stayed in the harbour experiencing temperatures as low as 2.8 • Two groups of seabass were identified having different core movement areas in the inner and outer harbours, although movement between the two areas was possible. The distinct differences in habitat use between these groups resulted in a significantly different level of exposure to fisheries under the same policy framework. By quantifying the level of protection of seabass, based on the spatiotemporal fisheries management in place, our study underlines the importance of taking into account movement behaviour when evaluating conservation measures.
... Within selected areas, movement can reflect habitat preferences (Mercker et al., 2021), species' interactions, such as foraging (Sims et al., 2008), and responses to disturbance (Doherty et al., 2021). Across species' distributions, movement shapes migration (Fudickar et al., 2021), redistribution (Pecl et al., 2017) and patterns of space use, with profound conservation implications (Hays et al., 2019). ...
Passive acoustic telemetry is widely used to study the movements of aquatic animals. However, a holistic, mechanistic modelling framework that permits the reconstruction of fine‐scale movements and emergent patterns of space use from detections at receivers remains lacking.
Here, we introduce an integrative modelling framework that recapitulates the movement and detection processes that generate detections to reconstruct fine‐scale movements and patterns of space use. This framework is supported by a new family of algorithms designed for detection and depth observations and can be flexibly extended to incorporate other data types. Using simulation, we illustrate applications of our framework and evaluate algorithm utility and sensitivity in different settings. As a case study, we analyse movement data collected from the Critically Endangered flapper skate ( Dipturus intermedius ) in Scotland.
We show that our methods can be used to reconstruct fine‐scale movement paths, patterns of space use and support habitat preference analyses. For reconstructing patterns of space use, simulations show that the methods are consistently more instructive than the most widely used alternative approach (the mean‐position algorithm), particularly in clustered receiver arrays. For flapper skate, the reconstruction of movements reveals responses to disturbance, fine‐scale spatial partitioning and patterns of space use with significant implications for marine management.
We conclude that this framework represents a widely applicable methodological advance with applications to studies of pelagic, demersal and benthic species across multiple spatiotemporal scales.
... A goal of conservation biology is to identify and assess the magnitude of actual or potential impacts on populations to inform management decisions and to guide recovery actions. Yet for many marine species, threat assessments are often confined to a single impact such as fisheries bycatch (Riskas et al., 2016), artificial lighting (Kamrowski et al., 2012) or climate change (Fuentes et al, 2010), or examine multiple threats but only for a single protected area (see Hays et al., 2019). However, populations of marine wildlife rarely face single threats, nor are populations of marine wildlife likely to be confined to a single protected area. ...
The current rate of decline in the globally significant western Pacific hawksbill turtle nesting population on Milman Island on the northern Great Barrier Reef (neQLD) suggests that it could be functionally extinct within a decade. Yet a poor understanding of the relative importance and spatial distribution of threats to this population has been a major impediment to recovery actions. For the first time, we assess all threats to the neQLD stock using a combination of a post-hatchling dispersal model, new satellite tracking of post-nesting migrations and a comprehensive review of existing data. We overlay migration routes and foraging areas from the satellite tracking data with spatially referenced threat layers to analyse threat exposure. We found all tracked hawksbills remained in Australian waters, with migration to foraging areas in Queensland including western Cape York to western Torres Strait (n = 8), and eastern Cape York to eastern Torres Strait (n = 5). These results underscore the critical importance of foraging habitats in Queensland (particularly western Queensland) to the Millman Island nesting population. In contrast, the Lagrangian post-hatchling dispersal model predicted a concentration of turtles in the Torres Strait to Gulf of Papua region, with most final positions in Australian waters (63%), followed by Papua New Guinea (31%), Solomon Islands (3%), Indonesia (2%), Vanuatu (0.49%), New Caledonia (1%). Even though 37% of post-hatchling turtles were predicted to recruit to foraging areas outside of the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), none of the 25 turtles tracked left the Australian EEZ (13 in this study and 12 previously). This suggests that survival to breeding is low for turtles outside of the Australian EEZ, but other explanations are discussed. No single pervasive threat was identified in the threat risk assessment however, fisheries (bycatch/ghost gear) interactions, direct harvesting and climate change were considered to have the potential to impede recovery or result in further decline in the population. Fisheries and harvesting should be the priorities for immediate management actions. The lack of spatial protection in foraging habitats in western Queensland was identified as a major policy gap requiring immediate attention if this population’s trajectory is to be reversed and remain one of western Pacific’s strongholds.
... In tandem, several statistical methods and modelling approaches have been developed which mathematically analyse step length (the distance between consecutive positions), angle, tortuosity, and other traits of a trajectory to infer what segments of an animal's track are spent in specific behaviours based on knowledge of their locomotion and ecology [7]. This can be particularly useful for conservation and management [8], enabling the identification and protection of areas important for animal ecology, such as those associated with foraging [9,10], and/or resting [11,12]. However, whilst the study of animal movement is progressing rapidly, transforming tracking data into meaningful behavioural states still remains a challenge for many species. ...
Background
State-space models, such as Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), are increasingly used to classify animal tracks into behavioural states. Typically, step length and turning angles of successive locations are used to infer where and when an animal is resting, foraging, or travelling. However, the accuracy of behavioural classifications is seldom validated, which may badly contaminate posterior analyses. In general, models appear to efficiently infer behaviour in species with discrete foraging and travelling areas, but classification is challenging for species foraging opportunistically across homogenous environments, such as tropical seas. Here, we use a subset of GPS loggers deployed simultaneously with wet-dry data from geolocators, activity measurements from accelerometers, and dive events from Time Depth Recorders (TDR), to improve the classification of HMMs of a large GPS tracking dataset (478 deployments) of red-billed tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus), a poorly studied pantropical seabird.
Methods
We classified a subset of fixes as either resting, foraging or travelling based on the three auxiliary sensors and evaluated the increase in overall accuracy, sensitivity (true positive rate), specificity (true negative rate) and precision (positive predictive value) of the models in relation to the increasing inclusion of fixes with known behaviours.
Results
We demonstrate that even with a small informed sub-dataset (representing only 9% of the full dataset), we can significantly improve the overall behavioural classification of these models, increasing model accuracy from 0.77 ± 0.01 to 0.85 ± 0.01 (mean ± sd). Despite overall improvements, the sensitivity and precision of foraging behaviour remained low (reaching 0.37 ± 0.06, and 0.06 ± 0.01, respectively).
Conclusions
This study demonstrates that the use of a small subset of auxiliary data with known behaviours can both validate and notably improve behavioural classifications of state space models of opportunistic foragers. However, the improvement is state-dependant and caution should be taken when interpreting inferences of foraging behaviour from GPS data in species foraging on the go across homogenous environments.
... These studies on sea turtle movement and behavior demonstrate the benefits of satellite telemetry to quantify habitat use of protected areas within marine regions. Results that summarize telemetry data can thus inform conservation policy and management strategies (Hays et al., 2019). ...
... Note that the latter approach does not consider the cumulative risk associated with overlapping protected species concerns. Spatial data from megafauna have been used to inform decisions regarding regulations and marine protected area boundaries (Dawson et al. 2017;Hays et al. 2019). In Redfern et al. (2013), the distributions of three large whales were evaluated in the context of ship strike risk. ...
Objective
Ocean planning provides opportunities for managers to evaluate tradeoffs among environmental, social, economic, cultural, and management considerations in the development of place‐based activities. Early integration of mobile protected species considerations into ocean planning reduces the likelihood of future resource conflict. Transparency and problem solving with potential conflicts in mind during the early planning stages can help to minimize contention and increase efficiency in permitting and may also minimize litigation challenges during project design and implementation. Starting with a large area, such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) initial 12.1‐million‐ha call area in federal waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, provided substantial geographic scope for identifying suitable areas for eventual offshore wind lease sales that also aim to minimize conflict across multiple resources and uses.
Methods
To support ocean planning for this large‐scale activity, a generalized scoring system for protected species status and trends that facilitates relative comparison between species was developed. Spatial data for species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act or the Marine Mammal Protection Act were assembled. Species layers were scored based on species status and trend. The cumulative vulnerability for 23 species groups whose distributions overlap suitable areas proposed for eventual lease sales, termed wind energy areas (WEAs) by BOEM, was calculated.
Result
Integrating this combined protected species data layer into the broader Gulf of Mexico WEA ocean planning process helped to reduce potential protected species conflicts by 70%.
Conclusion
This generalized approach is directly applicable to other WEAs under consideration within the United States and is transferable to a variety of ocean spatial planning applications.
... Seabirds are among the most threatened groups of birds due to their extreme life histories, colonial breeding habits and extensive at-sea distributions, all of which expose them to numerous hazards, including invasive alien species, incidental mortality (bycatch) in fisheries, climate change and disease (Dias et al. 2019;Phillips et al. 2022). Tracking of seabirds has been key to identifying areas of intensive use at sea that require protection (Le Corre et al. 2012;Lascelles et al. 2016;Hays et al. 2019;Beal et al. 2021). However, these efforts have largely focussed on detecting where seabirds forage, which can be at considerable distances from colonies, even during the breeding season (Frankish et al. 2020a;Fayet et al. 2021;Soanes et al. 2021). ...
Seabirds often spend time on the water in the vicinity of their breeding colonies at the start or end of foraging trips, which may be for bathing, social interaction, information transfer, or to reduce predation risk for small petrels that prefer to return to land in darkness. Although such behaviour (hereafter rafting) is common, there are few data on variation in its incidence or timing across species, or analyses of relationships with intrinsic or extrinsic factors such as breeding stage (reflecting central-place foraging constraints) or weather. Here, we use GPS and immersion data collected over multiple years at Bird Island, South Georgia, to investigate rafting behaviour of four albatross and one burrow-nesting petrel species. Nearly all tracked birds (89%) landed within 10 km of the colony at the start of foraging trips for ~ 30 min, whereas only 17% did so at the end, suggesting they likely use rafting mainly for plumage maintenance after extended breeding shifts on land. Rafting duration, distance and bearing from the colony varied markedly according to species, wind speeds and period of the day (daylight vs. darkness), which may reflect differences in foraging direction, time constraints, degree of plumage soiling, diel activity patterns, or the requirement for high wind speeds for efficient flight. Given that all the study populations are decreasing, and most individuals make extensive use of nearshore waters during the breeding season, effective marine spatial planning is required that eliminates or mitigates human risks around their colonies.
... Innovation in applied technology has assisted scientific research development, particularly in measuring the (direct) ecological impacts on whales and explaining environmental issues (Alves et al., 2019;Hays et al., 2019). However, these tools potentially have broader implications for efficiently promoting sustainable and regenerative tourism management (Nunes, Radeta, & Nisi, 2020;Perles-Ribes & Ivars-Baidal, 2018). ...
There is scientific consensus that human activity through whale-watching is causing an increasing amount of damage to the natural environment, which poses critical challenges to the goal of sustainability. Based on a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the scientific literature, this study calls for urgent rethinking in regards to whale-watching sustainability. A new, integrative framework for research actions built upon the concept of regenerative tourism is provided so as to lead to a more balanced evaluation of environmentally and socially responsible whale-watching tourism. The assessment of the literature review leads to three main research areas that have driven the research field in whale-watching tourism: the ecological responses of cetaceans due to human disturbance, the determinants of whale-watching tourism demand, and the impact of tourism on sustainability from macro-cultural and political perspectives. The new integrative framework, which additionally considers innovation and external drivers as prominent research areas, proposes future guidelines for studying the interplay between some of the more specific research topics: social change, economic drivers, gender perspective, co-creation, social responsibility, technology, climate change and long-term cumulative effects, among other issues of concern.
... Identifying species movements and habitat use lies at the heart of many research efforts to support threatened species conservation management, such as targeted solutions to mitigate threats in high-use areas and designation of conservation areas (e.g. Seminoff et al. 2014;Hazen et al. 2018;Hays et al. 2019). For example, satellite tracking of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in Mexico was used to inform the design of marine reserves (Peckham et al. 2007) and to show the effectiveness of existing reserves in Greece (Schofield et al. 2013). ...
Australia’s largest sea turtle is the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). Leatherbacks do not nest, or only rarely, in Australia, and hence receive relatively little research attention. Here we review the knowledge of leatherback turtle occurrence in south-east (SE) Australia, drawing on sightings information as well as satellite tracking data from turtles equipped at their nesting beaches in Indonesia, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea that then travelled to Australia. These data reveal that SE Australia likely provides a globally important foraging area for this species. Sea turtle temperatures assigned to sightings of live leatherbacks, showed 95% were seen at SSTs ≥ 14 °C. Similar to other parts of the world, such as the North Atlantic, the 12–15 °C isotherms likely constrain the seasonal pole-wards migration of leatherbacks searching for their gelatinous prey. Climate warming is likely moving the foraging range of leatherbacks poleward. This study also highlights the vulnerability of this SE Australian population to anthropogenic threats. Of 605 sightings of leatherbacks, 11.6% were of dead individuals, generally washed ashore, in most cases likely after entanglement in fishing gear.
... Importantly, large gaps exist between presenting animal-tracking data with proposals for conservation measures in scientific papers and using the data to address real-world conservation issues. A recent review revealed many examples of biologging and biotelemetry data on marine animals affecting the decision making of governmental and international bodies regarding conservation policies and management (134). As recommended in that review, marine biologists who use biologging and biotelemetry are encouraged to share data via public depositories (e.g., MoveBank) and communicate directly with stakeholders involved in policy development and implementation. ...
Addressing important questions in animal ecology, physiology, and environmental science often requires in situ information from wild animals. This difficulty is being overcome by biologging and biotelemetry, or the use of miniaturized animal-borne sensors. Although early studies recorded only simple parameters of animal movement, advanced devices and analytical methods can now provide rich information on individual and group behavior, internal states, and the surrounding environment of free-ranging animals, especially those in marine systems. We summarize the history of technologies used to track marine animals. We then identify seven major research categories of marine biologging and biotelemetry and explain significant achievements, as well as future opportunities. Big data approaches via international collaborations will be key to tackling global environmental issues (e.g., climate change impacts), and curiosity about the secret lives of marine animals will also remain a major driver of biologging and biotelemetry studies.
... Monitoring wild animals is essential to informing conservation, such as through helping the design of protected areas and human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures (Sutherland 1998;Hays et al. 2019). Studying predator movement patterns is particularly important because both apex predators and mesopredators are associated with complex management challenges, playing important roles in ecosystem functioning via trophic interactions (Schmitz 2008) and conflicts with humans . ...
Context: The ecology of cryptic animals is difficult to study without invasive tagging approaches or labour-intensive field surveys. Acoustic localisation provides an effective way to locate vocalising animals using acoustic recorders. Combining this with land cover classification gives new insight into wild animal behaviour using non-invasive tools.
Aims: This study aims to demonstrate how acoustic localisation – combined with high-resolution land cover classification – permits the study of the ecology of vocalising animals in the wild. We illustrate this technique by investigating the effect of land cover and distances to anthropogenic features on coyote and wolf vocal behaviour.
Methods: We collected recordings over 13 days in Wisconsin, USA, and triangulated vocalising animals’ locations using acoustic localisation. We then mapped these locations onto land cover using a high-resolution land cover map we produced for the area.
Key results: Neither coyotes nor wolves vocalised more in one habitat type over another. Coyotes vocalised significantly closer to all human features than expected by chance, whereas wolves vocalised significantly further away. When vocalising closer to human features, coyotes selected forests but wolves showed no habitat preference.
Conclusions: This novel combination of two sophisticated, autonomous sensing-driven tools permits us to examine animal land use and behavioural ecology using passive sensors, with the aim of drawing ecologically important conclusions.
Implications: We envisage that this method can be used at larger scales to aid monitoring of vocally active animals across landscapes. Firstly, it permits us to characterise habitat use while vocalising, which is an essential behaviour for many species. Furthermore, if combined with additional knowledge of how a species’ habitat selection while vocalising relates to its general habitat use, this method could permit the derivation of future conclusions on prevailing landscape use. In summary, this study demonstrates the potential of integrating acoustic localisation with land cover classification in ecological research.
... Information on the ecological niche of a species contributes to a holistic understanding of ecosystem function to the benefit of conservation management and capabilities for predicting future trends in response to environmental variability (Augé et al., 2018;Hays et al., 2016Hays et al., , 2019McGowan et al., 2016). In the marine environment, top predators play a crucial role in ecosystem structure and functioning, largely through their influence on prey populations (Roman et al., 2014;Young et al., 2015). ...
Information on resource use and trophic dynamics of marine predators is important for understanding their role in ecosystem functioning and predicting population-level responses to environmental change. Where separate populations experience different local environmental conditions, geographic variability in their foraging ecology is often expected. Within populations, individuals also vary in morphology, physiology, and experience, resulting in specialization in resource use. In this context, isotopic compositions of incrementally grown tissues such as keratinous hairs offer a valuable opportunity to study long-term variation in resource and habitat use. We investigated the trophic ecology of female Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) using carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of serially sampled whiskers collected at four breeding sites along the coast of South Africa. Drawing on over 900 isotopic measurements, we assessed geographic variability in isotopic niche width between colonies and the degree of individual specialization. We found slight, but clear geographic differences in isotopic ratios and isotopic niche widths, seemingly related to ecological setting, with niche widths being proportional to the area of available shelf and shelf-slope habitat surrounding the colony. We further identified periodic oscillations in isotopic ratios, which likely reflect temporal patterns in foraging distribution and prey type, linked to shifts in the availability of prey resources and their interaction with constraints on individual females throughout their breeding cycle. Finally, individual specialization indices revealed that each of the study populations contain specialist individuals that utilize only a small subset of the total population niche width. The degree of individual specialization was, however, not consistent across colonies and may reflect an interactive influence between density-dependent effects and habitat heterogeneity. Overall, this study provides important information on the trophic ecology of Cape fur seals breeding in South Africa and highlights the need to consider geographic and individual variability when assessing the foraging ecology of marine predators.
... Más recientemente surgieron las marcas electrónicas con capacidad de almacenamiento de información obtenida de sensores y el posterior envío de datos vía satélite (conocidos de forma general como transmisores), abriendo nuevas posibilidades para el estudio de los movimientos y migraciones, comportamientos de buceo y uso del hábitat (Sims et al., 2003;Hays et al., 2016Hays et al., , 2019Sousa et al., 2016;Vaudo et al., 2017;Byrne et al., 2019) en un gran número de especies pelágicas marinas, tanto peces como tortugas, aves y mamíferos (Folkow et al., 2004;Yasuda and Arai, 2005;Teo et al., 2007;Erickson et al., 2011;Sousa et al., 2016;Hays et al., 2021). Este sistema permite el seguimiento geográfico de los organismos marinos, gracias al posicionamiento global con el sistema Argos o Fastloc GPS (Hays et al., 2001;Costa et al., 2010;Witt et al., 2010), y la acumulación de datos ecológicos de predadores oceánicos marinos durante largos períodos de tiempo, sin limitaciones geográficas y de una manera independiente de la pesca (Boustany et al., 2002;Sims et al., 2006aSims et al., , 2009aQueiroz et al., 2016;Andrzejaczek et al., 2022). ...
In the present work, key aspects of the biology and ecology of the shortfin mako were studied. Feeding habits, analysed in two ocean basins, indicated that pelagic fish and cephalopods were the main prey items. In the South Pacific Ocean, a marked sexual segregation was found, with females being more common in the SE region; this was also the area with a higher abundance of juveniles and of late-stage pregnant females. In the North Atlantic Ocean, large-scale horizontal movements (including trans-Atlantic migrations) were identified and diel vertical behaviour patterns described. Importantly, individuals that performed wider movements away from the tagging location were less at risk from surface longline fishing. Using tagging and recapture data that spanned a ten-year period, survival, dispersal, and fishing mortality rates for both mako and blue sharks were estimated. The presence of plastics and hooks was also observed for both species, in two studied ocean basins. Finally, bycatch rates for other internationally protected shark species that are commonly caught using surface longlines was estimated based on direct observations, which were several times higher than the official reported data. The results presented here are especially relevant for improving the management measures focused on pelagic sharks.
... The role of citizen science can thus extend from the standard contribution given by beach surveys (resulting in the collection of useful data on the amount and distribution of marine litter) to a more active role of building and deploying tracking devices that can provide useful data on the movement of litter at sea. The data thus collected represent great environmental and social value, creating a direct and effective link between scientific information for government policies and regulations on waste management and cleanup [129][130][131]. Open-source data collection in support of conservation is a key goal of the Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) [132]. ...
Citation: Merlino, S.; Locritani, M.; Guarnieri, A.; Delrosso, D.; Bianucci, M.; Paterni, M. Marine Litter Tracking System: A Case Study with Open-Source Technology and a Citizen Science-Based Approach. Sensors 2023, 23, 935. https:// Abstract: It is well established that most of the plastic pollution found in the oceans is transported via rivers. Unfortunately, the main processes contributing to plastic and debris displacement through riparian systems is still poorly understood. The Marine Litter Drifter project from the Arno River aims at using modern consumer software and hardware technologies to track the movements of real anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) from rivers. The innovative "Marine Litter Trackers" (MLT) were utilized as they are reliable, robust, self-powered and they present almost no maintenance costs. Furthermore, they can be built not only by those trained in the field but also by those with no specific expertise, including high school students, simply by following the instructions. Five dispersion experiments were successfully conducted from April 2021 to December 2021, using different types of trackers in different seasons and weather conditions. The maximum distance tracked was 2845 km for a period of 94 days. The activity at sea was integrated by use of Lagrangian numerical models that also assisted in planning the deployments and the recovery of drifters. The observed tracking data in turn were used for calibration and validation, recursively improving their quality. The dynamics of marine litter (ML) dispersion in the Tyrrhenian Sea is also discussed, along with the potential for open-source approaches including the "citizen science" perspective for both improving big data collection and educating/awareness-raising on AMD issues.
... Marine protected areas that prohibit all commercial fishing, shark sanctuaries that ban commercial fishing of sharks within entire exclusive economic zones, and dynamic fishery closures all have demonstrated promise in theory and practice to effectively reduce fishing mortality of sharks (Boerder et al., 2019;Carlisle et al., 2019;Gilman et al., 2019;Curnick et al., 2020;MacNeil et al., 2020;Pons et al., 2022). Efforts to effectively design spatial management measures often leverage information on the movements and distribution of species based on animal tracking and/or direct observation of threatened species (reviewed in Hays et al., 2019). Locations of high overlap between species occurrence and fishing effort may be deemed "high risk" and identified as areas in need of conservation attention (e.g., Queiroz et al., 2019). ...
Sharks are susceptible to industrial longline fishing due to their slow life histories and association with targeted tuna stocks. Identifying fished areas with high shark interaction risk is vital to protect threatened species. We harmonize shark catch records from global tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (tRFMOs) from 2012–2020 and use machine learning to identify where sharks are most threatened by longline fishing. We find shark catch risk hotspots in all ocean basins, with notable high-risk areas off Southwest Africa and in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. These patterns are mostly driven by more common species such as blue sharks, though risk areas for less common, Endangered and Critically Endangered species are also identified. Clear spatial patterns of shark fishing risk identified here can be leveraged to develop spatial management strategies for threatened populations. Our results also highlight the need for coordination in data collection and dissemination by tRFMOs for effective shark management.
... Tracking of animal movement is a rapidly growing field in ecology that has the potential to contribute to both science and practical conservation both in the terrestrial (Kays et al., 2015) and the marine realms (Hays et al., 2019). Cutting-edge technology has enabled individual animals to be tracked, providing new perspectives on animal movement and behavior and opening up new strands of scientific inquiry (McGowan et al., 2017;Smith et al., 2019). ...
Addressing ongoing biodiversity loss requires collaboration between conservation scientists and practitioners. However, such collaboration has proved challenging. Despite the potential importance of tracking animal movements for conservation, reviews of the tracking literature have identified a gap between the academic discipline of movement ecology and its application to biodiversity conservation. Through structured conversations with movement ecologists and conservation practitioners, we aimed to understand whether the identified gap is also perceived in practice, and if so, what factors hamper collaboration and how these factors can be remediated. We found that both groups are motivated and willing to collaborate. However, because their motivations differ, there is potential for misunderstandings and miscommunications. In addition, external factors such as funder requirements, academic metrics, and journal scopes may limit the applicability of scientific results in a conservation setting. Potential solutions we identified included improved communication and better presentation of results, acknowledging each other's motivations and desired outputs, and adjustment of funder priorities. Addressing gaps between science and implementation can enhance collaboration and support conservation action to address the global biodiversity crisis more effectively.
... Understanding the spatial distribution of a species is key to defining areas of conflict with human activities (Tuda et al. 2014) and establishing effec-tive conservation measures (Allen & Singh 2016, Fraser et al. 2018, Hays et al. 2019. For instance, the development of bio-logging technologies has enabled researchers to assess the spatial distribution and movement patterns of free-ranging marine spe-cies (Ropert-Coudert & Wilson 2005), an essential step for the implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs; Trathan et al. 2014, Hindell et al. 2020. ...
Understanding the spatial distribution of wildlife is fundamental to establish effective conservation measures. Tracking has been key to assess movement patterns and connectivity of sea turtles, yet some regions of great significance are largely understudied. We tracked 44 green turtles from the largest rookery in the Eastern Atlantic, on Poilão Island, Guinea-Bissau, during the 2018 through 2020, to assess their inter-nesting movements, connectivity with nearby islands and fidelity to inter-nesting sites. Additionally, we investigated individual and environmental factors that may guide inter-nesting distribution and assessed the adequacy of a marine protected area to support this population during the breeding period. Green turtles had an overall home range of 124.45 km2, mostly occupying a restricted area around Poilão Island, with 52% of this home range falling within the no-take zone of the João Vieira-Poilão Marine National Park. Turtles exhibited strong fidelity to inter-nesting sites, likely as a strategy to save energy. Only two turtles performed significant excursions out of the Park, and connectivity between Poilão and nearby islands within the Park was limited. Larger turtles and turtles tagged later in the nesting season tended to have smaller core areas and home ranges, thus, experience may potentially benefit energy saving. This study highlights the importance of a marine protected area for the conservation of one of the largest green turtle breeding populations globally, and hints on ways to further increase its effectiveness.
... large-scale migratory journeys [6,7] and detailed patterns of habitat use [8,9], as well as elucidated mechanisms of navigation [10][11][12], predator-prey dynamics [13], and social interactions [14]. Insights from animal tracking studies are regularly incorporated in policy and conservation management [5,15]. For example, identifying important areas for the protection of migration routes [16,17], detecting wildlife crime [18,19], and quantifying the human-wildlife conflict [20]. ...
Tracking animal movement is important for understanding how animals interact with their (changing) environment, and crucial for predicting and explaining how animals are affected by anthropogenic activities. The Wadden Sea is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a region of global importance for millions of shorebirds. Due to climate change and anthropogenic activity, understanding and predicting movement and space-use in areas like the Wadden Sea is increasingly important. Monitoring and predicting animal movement, however, requires high-resolution tracking of many individuals. While high-resolution tracking has been made possible through GPS, trade-offs between tag weight and battery life limit its use to larger species. Here, we introduce WATLAS (the Wadden Sea deployment of the ATLAS tracking system) capable of monitoring the movements of hundreds of (small) birds simultaneously in the Dutch Wadden Sea. WATLAS employs an array of receiver stations that can detect and localize small, low-cost tags at fine spatial (metres) and temporal resolution (seconds). From 2017 to 2021, we tracked red knots, sanderlings, bar-tailed godwits, and common terns. We use parts of these data to give four use-cases revealing its performance and demonstrating how WATLAS can be used to study numerous aspects of animal behaviour, such as, space-use (both intra- and inter-specific), among-individual variation, and social networks across levels of organization: from individuals, to species, to populations, and even communities. After describing the WATLAS system, we first illustrate space-use of red knots across the study area and how the tidal environment affects their movement. Secondly, we show large among-individual differences in distances travelled per day, and thirdly illustrate how high-throughput WATLAS data allows calculating a proximity-based social network. Finally, we demonstrate that using WATLAS to monitor multiple species can reveal differential space use. For example, despite sanderlings and red knots roosting together, they foraged in different areas of the mudflats. The high-resolution tracking data collected by WATLAS offers many possibilities for research into the drivers of bird movement in the Wadden Sea. WATLAS could provide a tool for impact assessment, and thus aid nature conservation and management of the globally important Wadden Sea ecosystem.
... F I G U R E 1 0 Mean FL of T. albacares, per trimester (a-d) and represented in a graduated symbol shape (circle), projected on the SST spatialisation per trimester to ensure the sustainability of fishing activities (Coro et al., 2021;Hays et al., 2019). ...
Pelagic fish species, such as tunas, represent important resources for the fishing fleets of several countries. Identifying spatiotemporal distributions of abundance, structure of sizes, weights and influences of environmental variables is extremely important to promote sustainable catches and efficient management plans for fisheries stocks. This present study aimed to analyse the spatiotemporal distribution of Thunnus albacares, their relationships with oceanographic variables, as well as size and weight structure, and the proportions of life stages/phases in catches, mainly within the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone. Data were obtained on longline fleet catches; the sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll‐a (Chla) were measured in an area ranging from 42.2° to 24.8° W and 5.9° S to 8.8° N; the lunar cycle was also studied. Generalised Additive Models and spatial statistics techniques were used to model the effect of the variables on catch per unit effort (CPUE) and on length structure. The results indicate that the distribution, abundance and length structure of T. albacares are strongly associated with environmental (SST and Chla), temporal (year, months, seasons and moon phases) and spatial (latitude, longitude and hemisphere) variables. The comparison of catch sizes with the first length at maturity (L50) indicated that approximately half of the catches are on young specimens, showing great variation over the years, reaching 74.8% in 2012. These results show that providences should be taken focusing on mitigating young specimens' capture and the sustainable exploitation of tuna in the Atlantic. The patterns of CPUE and length strongly support the feeding and spawning migration hypotheses.
... Many key processes underlying wildlife population dynamics are spatially structured. These include habitat and resource selection (Aebischer et al., 1993), intra-and interspecific interactions (Laundré et al., 2010), migratory connectivity (Amstrup et al., 2004), pathogen transmission (White et al., 2018) and exposure to risk (Hays et al., 2019). Ultimately, linking demographic outcomes to spatially explicit processes requires detailed knowledge of individual variation in movement patterns and distribution (Morales et al., 2010). ...
Wildlife movement ecology often focuses on breeders, whose territorial attachments facilitate trapping and following individuals over time. This leads to incomplete understanding of movements of individuals not actively breeding due to age, breeding failure, subordinance, and other factors. These individuals are often present in breeding populations and contribute to processes such as competition and pathogen spread. Therefore, excluding them from movement ecology studies could bias or mask important spatial dynamics.
Loafing areas offer an alternative to breeding sites for capturing and tracking individuals. Such sites may allow for sampling individuals regardless of breeding status, while also avoiding disturbance of sensitive breeding areas. However, little is known about the breeding status of individuals attending loafing sites, or how their movements compare to those of breeders captured at nests.
We captured a seabird, the brown skua, attending either nests or loafing areas (‘clubs’) at a multi‐species seabird breeding site on Amsterdam Island (southern Indian Ocean). We outfitted skuas with GPS‐UHF transmitters and inferred breeding statuses of individuals captured at clubs using movement patterns of breeders captured at nests. We then compared space use and activity patterns between breeders and nonbreeders.
Both breeding and nonbreeding skuas attended clubs. Nonbreeders ranged more widely, were more active, and overlapped more with other seabirds and marine mammals than did breeders. Moreover, some nonbreeders occupied fixed territories and displayed more restricted movements than those without territories. Nonbreeders became less active over the breeding season, while activity of breeders remained stable. Nonbreeding skuas were exposed to the agent of avian cholera at similar rates to breeders but were more likely to forage in breeding areas of the endangered endemic Amsterdam albatross, increasing opportunities for interspecific pathogen transmission.
Our results show that inference based only on breeders fails to capture important aspects of population‐wide movement patterns. Capturing nonbreeders as well as breeders would help to improve population‐level representation of movement patterns, elucidate and predict effects of external changes and conservation interventions (e.g. rat eradication) on movement patterns and pathogen spread, and develop strategies to manage outbreaks of diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza.
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Objective
Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush are native coldwater apex predators that play an important role in maintaining ecosystem functionality and diversity in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Following population collapses, rehabilitation efforts were widely initiated in the Great Lakes to reestablish self‐sustaining Lake Trout populations. Lake Erie may pose a challenge to these rehabilitation efforts due to limited availability of appropriate oxythermal habitat. Our goal was to investigate seasonal habitat use of adult Lake Trout in Lake Erie to inform management and rehabilitation efforts.
Methods
We used acoustic telemetry in Lake Erie, which was equiped with a lake‐wide acoustic receiver grid, to quantify Lake Trout seasonal region occupancy, dispersal distances, bottom depth occupancy, space use extent, and space use overlap.
Result
We found that 32% of fish tagged in the eastern basin and all fish from the western basin dispersed more than 100 km from their tagging location, which represents a greater proportion of the population moving long distances than what has been previously documented in the Great Lakes. During stratification, Lake Trout were detected almost exclusively in the offshore eastern basin in areas where water depth exceeded 25 m. During nonstratified seasons, fish used other regions of the lake, occupying areas of highly variable depths. During fall, most fish tagged in the eastern basin occupied habitat along the southern shore of the eastern basin. Fish tagged in the western basin returned to this region in the fall of subsequent years despite occupying the offshore eastern basin during stratification and having depth occupancy, home range size, and overlap similar to that of eastern basin‐tagged fish. Fish size was positively correlated with receiver depth during winter and spring, and with home range overlap during spring and summer.
Conclusion
The results of this study can begin to inform management decisions regarding stocking locations, harvest regulations, and habitat restoration to facilitate the continued rehabilitation of this important native species.
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been implemented to mitigate the effects of climate change and overfishing on various marine ecosystems. Nonetheless, these areas need monitoring to ensure their actual utility. Tools like acoustic tags are used to study the animals’ behavioural patterns and obtain valuable information to improve MPAs. Recently, new architectures have been proposed to overcome the inherent limitations of off-the-shelf tags, for example, by implementing bidirectional communication capabilities with the newly developed open protocol from European Tracking Network. In this paper, the testbed topology and methodology used to develop these bidirectional acoustic tags are discussed alongside the laboratory results achieved.
This paper aims to describe the interwoven process of updating datasets in a marine plan and the benefits of simultaneously integrating stakeholder consultation feedback and developing repeatable data management processes.
It is generally accepted that UAVs - unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise known as drones, are used only for military purposes. This is a misconception: since the 60s of the last century, Russian and American specialists have been building unmanned UAVs not only for the armies of their countries, but also for peaceful purposes. The purpose of the article is to study the possibilities and progress in the development of drones for civil and needs. In preparing and writing the article, such research methods as general scientific methods of historical and logical, abstract and concrete, analysis and synthesis, comparisons and analogies were used. The main result of the study is the conclusion that unmanned aerial vehicles can be successfully used for civilian purposes, and not just for military purposes. Drones are now actively used for agricultural and environmental purposes. They are called “eco-drones”. They are no different from ordinary ones; the prefix is designed to emphasize their purely peaceful, scientific purpose.
The Amazon River dolphin Inia geoffrensis occurs throughout the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers and is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Using satellite tracking data from eight dolphins (one female and seven males) in the Peruvian Amazon, we demonstrate that these dolphins inhabit a variety of habitat types and have core areas and home range areas of variable magnitudes. To gain a better understanding of how threats affect these dolphins, we examined the distance of dolphin records to locations of current and potential future anthropogenic threats. On average, dolphin home ranges overlapped with fisheries by 89%. Dolphins were found at an average distance of 252 km from the nearest proposed dam and 125 km from the nearest proposed dredging site. Given that many of these threats are still in the planning stage, we advise the government to consider the negative effects these activities have already had on other riverine species before proceeding. Additionally, efforts should be made to expand river dolphin tracking programmes to span multiple seasons, to track more females at our study sites and to increase the numbers tracked overall in other areas to improve our knowledge of the species' movement patterns.
The at-sea ecology of marine migratory species has been unevenly studied across life-cycle stages, which limits our understanding of how distant marine ecosystems may be connected. The macaroni penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus is the largest avian consumer of marine resources in the world, however no at-sea distribution data are available on this species’ juvenile birds. In this study we successfully tracked nine juvenile macaroni penguins during their post-fledging dispersal from Kerguelen Is., a key population in the southern Indian Ocean. Fledglings crossed the Antarctic Polar Front to the south and unexpectedly reached the Marginal Ice Zone after two months at sea, travelling up to 2,500 km to the southeast of their colony until transmissions ceased. The fact that abundant predators such as juvenile macaroni penguins target Antarctic sea ice habitats to forage is fundamentally new for the species and has important consequences for the management of Antarctic prey resources. Our study brings new elements that clarify the species’ ecology during a critical stage of its life cycle, and expand its known connectivity to adjacent ecosystems; these findings will help refining conservation strategies for the southern Indian Ocean populations.
Aim
Large marine predators, such as cetaceans and sharks, play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity patterns and ecosystem function, yet few estimates of their spatial distribution exist. We aimed to determine the species richness of large marine predators and investigate their fine‐scale spatiotemporal distribution patterns to inform conservation management.
Location
The Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana/Te Moananui‐ā‐Toi, Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Methods
We conducted a replicate systematic aerial survey over 12 months. Flexible machine learning models were used to explore relationships between large marine predator occurrence (Bryde's whales, common and bottlenose dolphins, bronze whaler, pelagic and immature hammerhead sharks) and environmental and biotic variables, and predict their monthly distribution and associated spatially explicit uncertainty.
Results
We revealed that temporally dynamic variables, such as prey distribution and sea surface temperature, were important for predicting the occurrence of the study species and species groups. While there was variation in temporal and spatial distribution, predicted richness peaked in summer and was the highest in coastal habitats during that time, providing insight into changes in distributions over time and between species.
Main Conclusions
Temporal changes in distribution are not routinely accounted for in species distribution studies. Our approach highlights the value of multispecies surveys and the importance of considering temporally variable abiotic and biotic drivers for understanding biodiversity patterns when informing ecosystem‐scale conservation planning and dynamic ocean management.
Pelagic sharks play key roles in marine ecosystems, but are increasingly threatened by human extraction, habitat degradation and mismanagement. We investigated the use of protected and unprotected coastal habitats by bull (Carcharhinus leucas) and oceanic blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) sharks in southern Mozambique. Five INNOVASEA VR2W-69 kHz acoustic receivers were positioned in the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP) as well as one to the south of the park’s boundaries. Seven receivers were also deployed 250 km south in the Inhambane estuary and on reef sites off Praia de Tofo. Twelve bull, and six oceanic blacktip sharks, were fitted with INNOVASEA V16 acoustic tags, which generated 933 detections of bull and 12,381 detections of oceanic blacktip sharks over a period of 1391 days. A generalised additive model was used to estimate the effects of seven spatiotemporal and environmental parameters on the frequency of each species’ detections. In general, calculated residency indices were highest around the locations monitored in the BANP and one unprotected location off Tofo. Both species were more abundant across the monitored sites, during the summer when water temperatures were ~ 27 °C, when the moon was < 50% illuminated, and when the tide was rising. Detections coincided with each species’ reproductive season indicating that both species may be reproductively active in the BANP region. Oceanic blacktip sharks were largely resident and so fisheries management may significantly benefit their population(s) around certain reef habitats in the BANP. The low residency and seasonal detections of bull sharks indicates that they may be transient and so effective conservation may require coordination between regional fisheries managers.
Shark sanctuaries are an ambitious attempt to protect huge areas of ocean space to curtail overfishing of sharks. If shark sanctuaries are to succeed, effective surveillance and enforcement is urgently needed. We use a case study with a high level of illegal shark fishing within a shark sanctuary to help motivate three actionable opportunities to create truly effective shark sanctuaries by leveraging satellite technology: (1) require vessel tracking systems; (2) partner with international research organizations; and (3) ban vessels previously associated with illegal fishing from shark sanctuaries. Sustaining the level of fishing mortality observed in our case study would lead even a healthy shark population to collapse to <10% of its unfished state in fewer than five years. We outline implementations pathways and provide a roadmap to pair new and emerging satellite technologies with existing international agreements to offer new hope for shark conservation successes globally.
From butterflies to elephants, the rapidly developing science of movement ecology is providing increasingly detailed spatio-temporal data on a wide array of mobile animals. Thus, this discipline also holds great promise for improving the conservation of wildlife. To measure progress toward this promise, we investigated the degree to which movement ecology research is connected to conservation goals as well as the proportion of studies that were incorporated into federal and international status assessments for mobile species at risk. We examined 13,349 “movement ecology” papers published between 1990 and 2014 and found that explicit connections to conservation and management were made in 35% (n = 4, 672) of these papers, with the number of connections increasing over time. We then measured the uptake of movement ecology research into species status assessment and recovery plans (n = 72 documents) produced by three different governance agencies for 12 endangered mobile species. We found that on average 60% of available movement ecology research was used in the status assessment process, demonstrating that when movement ecology research is available, it is generally being utilized in conservation planning. However, for 25% of these species, there was little movement research available to be used, highlighting that knowledge gaps remain for some at-risk species despite the general growth of movement ecology research. We outline opportunities for movement ecology to promote more effective conservation of taxa that move.
During their migrations, marine predators experience varying levels of protection and face many threats as they travel through multiple countries’ jurisdictions and across ocean basins. Some populations are declining rapidly. Contributing to such declines is a failure of some international agreements to ensure effective cooperation by the stakeholders responsible for managing species throughout their ranges, including in the high seas, a global commons. Here we use biologging data from marine preda-tors to provide quantitative measures with great potential to inform local, national and international management efforts in the Pacific Ocean. We synthesized a large tracking data set to show how the movements and migratory phenology of 1,648 individuals representing 14 species—from leatherback turtles to white sharks—relate to the geopolitical boundaries of the Pacific Ocean throughout species’ annual cycles. Cumulatively, these species visited 86% of Pacific Ocean countries and some spent three-quarters of their annual cycles in the high seas. With our results, we offer answers to questions posed when designing international strategies for managing migratory species.
The location of the Antarctic Polar Front (PF) is mapped in the Southern Indian Ocean by decomposing the shape of temperature and salinity profiles into vertical modes using a functional Principal Component Analysis. We define the PF as the northernmost minimum of temperature at the subsurface, and represent it as a linear combination of the first three modes. This method is applied on an ocean reanalysis data set and on in-situ observations, revealing a seasonal variability of the PF latitudinal position that is most pronounced between the Conrad Rise and the Kerguelen Plateau. This shift coincides with variations in the transport across the Northern Kerguelen Plateau. We suggest that seasonal changes of the upper stratification may drive the observed variability of the PF, with potentially large implications for the pathways and residence time of water masses over the plateau and the phytoplankton bloom extending southeast of the Kerguelen Islands.
In the Southern Ocean, the at-sea distributions of most predators of Antarctic krill are poorly known, primarily because tracking studies have only been undertaken on a restricted set of species, and then only at a limited number of sites. For chinstrap penguins, one of the most abundant krill predators breeding across the Antarctic Peninsula, we show that habitat models developed utilizing the distance from the colony and the bearing to the shelf-edge, adjusting for the at-sea density of Pygoscelis penguins from other colonies, can be used to predict, with a high level of confidence, the at-sea distribution of chinstrap penguins from untracked colonies during the breeding season. Comparison of predicted penguin distributions with outputs from a high-resolution oceanographic model shows that chinstrap penguins prefer nearshore habitats, over shallow bathymetry, with slow-flowing waters, but that they sometimes also travel to areas beyond the edge of the continental shelf where the faster-flowing waters of the Coastal Current or the fronts of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current occur. In the slow-moving shelf waters, large penguin colonies may lead to krill depletion during incubation and chick-rearing periods when penguins are acting as central place foragers. The habitats used by chinstrap penguins are also locations preferentially used by the commercial krill fishery, one of the last under-developed marine capture fisheries any- where on the planet. As it develops, this fishery has the potential to compete with chinstrap penguins and other natural krill predators. Scaling our habitat models by chinstrap penguin population data demonstrates where overlap with the fishery is likely to be most important. Our results suggest that a better understanding of krill retention and krill depletion in areas used by natural predators and by the krill fishery are needed, and that risk management strategies for the fishery should include assessment of how krill movement can satisfy the demands of both natural predators and the fishery across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Such information will help regional management authorities better understand how plausible ecosystem-based management frameworks could be developed to ensure sustainable co-existence of the fishery and competing natural predators.
Aim: To predict the at-sea distribution of chinstrap penguins across the South Orkney Islands and to quantify the overlap with the Southern Ocean krill fishery.
Location: South Orkney Islands, Antarctica.
Methods: Penguins from four colonies across the South Orkney Islands were tracked using global positioning systems (GPSs) and time depth recorders (TDRs). Relationships between a variety of environmental and geometric variables and the at-sea distribu- tion of penguins were investigated using general additive models for the three main phases of the breeding season. Subsequently, the final models were extrapolated across the South Orkney archipelago to predict the at-sea distribution of penguins from colonies where no tracking data are available. Finally, the overlap between areas used by chinstrap penguins and the krill fishery was quantified.
Results: The foraging distribution of chinstrap penguins can be predicted using two simple and static variables: the distance from the colony and the direction of travel towards the shelf-edge, while avoiding high densities of Pygoscelis penguins from other colonies. Additionally, we find that the chinstrap penguins breeding on the South Orkney Islands use areas which overlap with frequently used krill fishing areas and that this overlap is most prominent during the brood and crèche phases of the breeding season.
Main conclusions: This is the first step in understanding the potential impacts of the krill fishery, for all colonies including those where no empirical tracking data are avail- able. However, with the available data, it is not currently possible to infer an impact of the krill fisheries on penguins. With this in mind, we recommend the implementation of monitoring schemes to investigate the effects of prey depletion on predator popu- lations and to ensure that management continues to follow a precautionary approach and is addressed at spatial and temporal scales relevant to ecosystem operation.
Seafood is an essential source of protein for more than 3 billion people worldwide, yet bycatch of threatened species in capture fisheries remains a major impediment to fisheries sustainability. Management measures designed to reduce bycatch often result in significant economic losses and even fisheries closures. Static spatial management approaches can also be rendered ineffective by environmental variability and climate change, as productive habitats shift and introduce new interactions between human activities and protected species. We introduce a new multispecies and dynamic approach that uses daily satellite data to track ocean features and aligns scales of management, species movement, and fisheries. To accomplish this, we create species distribution models for one target species and three bycatch-sensitive species using both satellite telemetry and fisheries observer data. We then integrate species-specific probabilities of occurrence into a single predictive surface, weighing the contribution of each species by management concern. We find that dynamic closures could be 2 to 10 times smaller than existing static closures while still providing adequate protection of endangered nontarget species. Our results highlight the opportunity to implement near real-time management strategies that would both support economically viable fisheries and meet mandated conservation objectives in the face of changing ocean conditions. With recent advances in eco-informatics, dynamic management provides a new climate-ready approach to support sustainable fisheries.
Significance
Understanding the key drivers of animal movement is crucial to assist in mitigating adverse impacts of anthropogenic activities on marine megafauna. We found that movement patterns of marine megafauna are mostly independent of their evolutionary histories, differing significantly from patterns for terrestrial animals. We detected a remarkable convergence in the distribution of speed and turning angles across organisms ranging from whales to turtles (epitome for the slowest animals on land but not at sea). Marine megafauna show a prevalence of movement patterns dominated by search behavior in coastal habitats compared with more directed, ballistic movement patterns when the animals move across the open ocean. The habitats through which they move will therefore need to be considered for effective conservation.
Understanding the horizontal and vertical habitat of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), a threatened species, is critical for determining regions for protection and relevant gear modifications that may effectively reduce bycatch, the largest threat to this species. Satellite transmitters were used to determine the movement and dive behavior of 21 female olive ridley turtles tagged in Pongara National Park, Gabon during the 2012, 2013, and 2015 nesting seasons. A switching state-space model was used to filter the tracking data and categorize the internesting and post-nesting movements. Gridded utilization distribution (UD) home range analysis of tracking data revealed that the entire core habitat occurred in the Komo Estuary during the internesting period. Within the Komo Estuary, 58% of this core UD occurred in shipping lanes. Dive data from the 2015 tagging season revealed that during the internesting period, turtles spent the majority of their time resting on the estuary seabed. Approximately 20% of all dive time was spent on the bottom and all maximum dive depths corresponded to the depth of the seabed, indicating that bottom set gear during the internesting period may pose the greatest potential for fisheries interactions. National parks currently protect many of the nesting sites and the Gabon Bleu initiative has formally designated 10 new marine parks and a network of community and industrial fishing zones; this data was a layer used in determining the park and zone boundaries. Shared use of the estuary by fisheries, shipping, and olive ridley turtles creates a need for management measures to reduce interactions. Thus, the results from this study can further provide detailed information that can be used to support the development of evidence-based management plans.
Gabon hosts nesting grounds for several sea turtle species, including the world’s largest rookery for the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Africa’s largest rookery for the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and smaller aggregations of the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas). To assess the level of incidental captures of turtles by the Gabonese trawl fishery, an onboard observer program was conducted in the period 2012–2013. A total of 143 turtles were captured by 15 trawlers during 271 fishing days. The olive ridley turtle was the main species captured (80% of bycaught turtles), with mostly adult-sized individuals. The remaining 20% included green turtles, hawksbill turtles, leatherback turtles and undetermined species. Bycatch per unit of effort (BPUE) of olive ridley turtles varied greatly depending on the period of the year (range of means: 0.261–2.270). Dead and comatose turtles were 6.2 and 24.6% respectively (n = 65). By applyin
The dynamic nature of most environments forces many animals to move to meet their fundamental needs. This is especially true in aquatic environments where shifts in spatial ecology (which are a result of movements) are among the first adaptive responses of animals to changes in ecosystems. Changes in the movement and distribution of individuals will in turn alter population dynamics and ecosystem structure. Thus, understanding the drivers and impacts of variation in animal movements over time is critical to conservation and spatial planning. Here, we identify key challenges that impede aquatic animal movement science from informing management and conservation, and propose strategies for overcoming them. Challenges include: (1) Insufficient communication between terrestrial and aquatic movement scientists that could be increased through cross-pollination of analytical tools and development of new tools and outputs; (2) Incomplete coverage in many studies of animal space use (e.g., entire life span not considered); (3) Insufficient data archiving and availability; (4) Barriers to incorporating movement data into decision-making processes; and (5) Limited understanding of the value of movement data for management and conservation. We argue that the field of movement ecology is at present an under-tapped resource for aquatic decision-makers, but is poised to play a critical role in future management approaches and policy development.
It is increasingly common for scientists to engage in sharing science-related knowledge with diverse knowledge users—an activity called science communication. Given that many scientists now seek information on how to communicate effectively, we have generated a list of 16 important considerations for those interested in science communication: (1) Define what science communication means to you and your research; (2) Know—and listen to—your target audience; (3) Consider a diverse but coordinated communication portfolio; (4) Draft skilled players and build a network; (5) Create and seize opportunities; (6) Be creative when you communicate; (7) Focus on the science in science communication ; (8) Be an honest broker; (9) Understand the science of science communication; (10) Think like an entrepreneur; (11) Don't let your colleagues stop you; (12) Integrate science communication into your research program; (13) Recognize how science communication enhances your science; (14) Request science communication funds from grants; (15) Strive for bidirectional communication ; and (16) Evaluate, reflect, and be prepared to adapt. It is our ambition that the ideas shared here will encourage readers to engage in science communication and increase the effectiveness of those already active in science communication, stimulating them to share their experiences with others.
The potential for telemetry data to answer complex questions about aquatic animals and their interactions with the environment is limited by the capacity to store, manage, and access data across the research community. Large telemetry networks and databases exist, but are limited by the actions of researchers to share their telemetry data. Promoting data sharing and understanding researchers’ views on open practices is a significant step toward enhancing the role of big data in ecology and resources management. We surveyed 307 fish telemetry researchers to understand their perspectives and experiences on data sharing. A logistic regression revealed that data sharing was positively related to researchers with collaborative tendencies, who belong to a telemetry network, who are prolific publishers, and who express altruistic motives for their research. Researchers were less likely to have shared telemetry data if they engage in radio and/or acoustic telemetry, work for regional government, and value the time it takes to complete a research project. We identify and provide examples of both benefits and concerns that respondents have about sharing telemetry data.
Since the 1980s, West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) have been reported more frequently along the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) coast in areas that were recently considered to be outside the species' normal areas of occupancy. The ecological importance of the northern GOM region to manatees is currently unclear, but knowledge of the spatial ecology, population linkages, and habitat associations of individuals occupying the fringes of their known range is vital to bring context and improve understanding of demographic trends and potential threats to the species, rangewide. We tracked regional-scale movements of 13 manatees documented in Mobile Bay, AL using satellite telemetry and mark-recapture methods. We determined movement and occupancy patterns including origins, seasonal dispersal and site fidelity, and functional movement modes of those individuals during the tracking period. Focal manatees moved along the GOM coast between Tampa Bay, FL and Lake Pontchartrain, LA, and consistently returned to discrete locations in both the northern GOM and within the species' core range in peninsular FL. Functional movement model fits confirmed that most relatively long-range seasonal movements were migratory in nature, suggesting that consistently occupied migratory endpoints contain relatively important seasonal habitat for manatees and diminishing the possibility that tracked manatees were nomads or transient within the study area. These results provide evidence of shifting seasonal manatee distribution in the US, and highlight repeatedly used locations that may increase in importance to the species if manatee abundance in the northern GOM increases.
The rescue, rehabilitation, and release of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) into the wild has occurred since 1974; however, a comprehensive evaluation of the outcomes of the releases has never been conducted. Herein, we examined data for 136 Florida manatees that were rehabilitated and released with telemetry tags between 1988 and 2013 to determine release outcome of each individual as either success (acclimation) or failure after at least 1 y. Ten predictor variables were statistically evaluated for potential relationships to release outcome. To assess the contribution of each predictor variable to release outcome, each variable was tested for significance in univariate analyses. Manatees born in captivity experienced poor success after release (14%), whereas the overall success of wild-born individuals was higher (72%). When compared with other variables in our dataset, number of days in captivity was the strongest predictor for determining success. Manatees rescued as calves and held in captivity for more than 5 y had a high likelihood of failure, while subadults and adults had a high likelihood of success, regardless of the amount of time spent in captivity. Ensuring the success of individual manatees after release is critical for evaluating the contribution of the manatee rehabilitation program to the growth of the wild population.
Link to article: http://nesptropical.edu.au/index.php/round-1-projects/project-3-2/
The Cultural and Biological Significance of the proposed expansion for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Animal‐borne telemetry has revolutionized our ability to study animal movement, species physiology, demography and social structures, changing environments and the threats that animals are experiencing. While there will always be a need for basic ecological research and discovery, the current conservation crisis demands we look more pragmatically at the data required to make informed management decisions.
Here, we define a framework that distinguishes how research using animal telemetry devices can influence conservation. We then discuss two critical questions which aim to directly connect telemetry‐derived data to applied conservation decision‐making: (i) Would my choice of action change if I had more data? (ii) Is the expected gain worth the money and time required to collect more data?
Policy implications . To answer questions about integrating telemetry‐derived data with applied conservation, we suggest the use of value of information analysis to quantitatively assess the return‐on‐investment of animal telemetry‐derived data for conservation decision‐making.
