Alastair Baylis | Geology Reports

USGS2026

Highly mobile seabirds reveal areas of conservation importance across the Atlantic Ocean

Countries have committed to expanding the marine protected area (MPA) network to 30% of the world's ocean by 2030, more than tripling current coverage, and focusing on areas important for biodiversity. For such expansion to translate into effective conservation of marine biodiversity, it must rely on the best available knowledge. Here, we analyze tracking data on > 13,000 individuals (44 species, eight families) to map the distribution of highly mobile seabirds in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas throughout the year. We identify regions important year-round or seasonally. The High Seas are as important as national waters for highly mobile seabirds but are even less protected. Current Atlantic MPAs hold < 14% of tracked species density, but their expansion to 30% of the ocean could protect up to two thirds. We share this new knowledge layer to support national and international efforts and policies to strategically expand the Atlantic MPA network.

Conservation Letters↗

USGS2022

Marine mammal hotspots across the circumpolar Arctic

Aim Identify hotspots and areas of high species richness for Arctic marine mammals. Location Circumpolar Arctic. Methods A total of 2115 biologging devices were deployed on marine mammals from 13 species in the Arctic from 2005 to 2019. Getis-Ord G i * hotspots were calculated based on the number of individuals in grid cells for each species and for phylogenetic groups (nine pinnipeds, three cetaceans, all species) and areas with high species richness were identified for summer (Jun-Nov), winter (Dec-May) and the entire year. Seasonal habitat differences among species’ hotspots were investigated using Principal Component Analysis. Results Hotspots and areas with high species richness occurred within the Arctic continental-shelf seas and within the marginal ice zone, particularly in the “Arctic gateways” of the north Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Summer hotspots were generally found further north than winter hotspots, but there were exceptions to this pattern, including bowhead whales in the Greenland-Barents Seas and species with coastal distributions in Svalbard, Norway and East Greenland. Areas with high species richness generally overlapped high-density hotspots. Large regional and seasonal differences in habitat features of hotspots were found among species but also within species from different regions. Gap analysis (discrepancy between hotspots and IUCN ranges) identified species and regions where more research is required. Main conclusions This study identified important areas (and habitat types) for Arctic marine mammals using available biotelemetry data. The results herein serve as a benchmark to measure future distributional shifts. Expanded monitoring and telemetry studies are needed on Arctic species to understand the impacts of climate change and concomitant ecosystem changes (synergistic effects of multiple stressors). While efforts should be made to fill knowledge gaps, including regional gaps and more complete sex and age coverage, hotspots identified herein can inform management efforts to mitigate the impacts of human activities and ecological changes, including creation of protected areas.

Diversity and Distributions↗