Frontiers in Marine Science (Jul 2022)
Mismatches in scale between highly mobile marine megafauna and marine protected areas
- Melinda G. Conners,
- Melinda G. Conners,
- Nicholas B. Sisson,
- Pierre D. Agamboue,
- Philip W. Atkinson,
- Alastair M. M. Baylis,
- Alastair M. M. Baylis,
- Scott R. Benson,
- Scott R. Benson,
- Barbara A. Block,
- Steven J. Bograd,
- Pablo Bordino,
- W. D. Bowen,
- W. D. Bowen,
- Paul Brickle,
- Paul Brickle,
- Ignacio M. Bruno,
- Victoria González Carman,
- Victoria González Carman,
- Cory D. Champagne,
- Daniel E. Crocker,
- Daniel P. Costa,
- Tiffany M. Dawson,
- Tiffany M. Dawson,
- Tomohiro Deguchi,
- Heidi Dewar,
- Philip D. Doherty,
- Tomo Eguchi,
- Angela Formia,
- Angela Formia,
- Brendan J. Godley,
- Rachel T. Graham,
- Christian Gredzens,
- Kristen M. Hart,
- Lucy A. Hawkes,
- Suzanne Henderson,
- Robert William Henry,
- Luis A. Hückstädt,
- Luis A. Hückstädt,
- Ladd M. Irvine,
- Sarah S. Kienle,
- Carey E. Kuhn,
- Damian Lidgard,
- Stephanie A. Loredo,
- Bruce R. Mate,
- Kristian Metcalfe,
- Jacob Nzegoue,
- Carmen K. Kouerey Oliwina,
- Rachael A. Orben,
- Kiyoaki Ozaki,
- Richard Parnell,
- Elizabeth P. Pike,
- Patrick W. Robinson,
- Howard C. Rosenbaum,
- Fumio Sato,
- Scott A. Shaffer,
- Donna J. Shaver,
- Samantha E. Simmons,
- Samantha E. Simmons,
- Brian J. Smith,
- Guy-Philippe Sounguet,
- Guy-Philippe Sounguet,
- Robert M. Suryan,
- David R. Thompson,
- Megan Tierney,
- Megan Tierney,
- Dominic Tilley,
- Hillary S. Young,
- Victoria Warwick-Evans,
- Michael J. Weise,
- Randall S. Wells,
- Bradley P. Wilkinson,
- Matthew J. Witt,
- Sara M. Maxwell,
- Sara M. Maxwell
Affiliations
- Melinda G. Conners
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, United States
- Melinda G. Conners
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Nicholas B. Sisson
- Department of Biology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
- Pierre D. Agamboue
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Gabon-Program, Libreville, Gabon
- Philip W. Atkinson
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, United Kingdom
- Alastair M. M. Baylis
- South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, Stanley FIQQ1ZZ, Falkland Islands
- Alastair M. M. Baylis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Scott R. Benson
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Moss Landing, CA, United States
- Scott R. Benson
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, United States
- Barbara A. Block
- 0Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
- Steven J. Bograd
- 1National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, Monterey, CA, United States
- Pablo Bordino
- 2Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
- W. D. Bowen
- 3Population Ecology Division, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
- W. D. Bowen
- 4Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Paul Brickle
- South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, Stanley FIQQ1ZZ, Falkland Islands
- Paul Brickle
- 5School of Biological Science (Zoology), University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Ignacio M. Bruno
- 6Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP), Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Victoria González Carman
- 6Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP), Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Victoria González Carman
- 7Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (UNMdP-CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Cory D. Champagne
- 8Department of Biology, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, United States
- Daniel E. Crocker
- 9Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Sonoma, CA, United States
- Daniel P. Costa
- 0Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
- Tiffany M. Dawson
- Department of Biology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
- Tiffany M. Dawson
- 1Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
- Tomohiro Deguchi
- 2Division of Avian Conservation, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Abiko, Chiba, Japan
- Heidi Dewar
- 3National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Fisheries Resources Division, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Philip D. Doherty
- 4Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Tomo Eguchi
- 3National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Fisheries Resources Division, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Angela Formia
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Gabon-Program, Libreville, Gabon
- Angela Formia
- 5African Aquatic Conservation Fund, Chilmark, MA, United States
- Brendan J. Godley
- 4Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Rachel T. Graham
- 6MarAlliance, Ciudad del Saber, Panama City, Panama
- Christian Gredzens
- 7Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX, United States
- Kristen M. Hart
- 8Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Davie, FL, United States
- Lucy A. Hawkes
- 9University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Suzanne Henderson
- 0Scottish Natural Heritage, Inverness, Scotland
- Robert William Henry
- 1Groundswell Coastal Ecology, Davenport CA, United States
- Luis A. Hückstädt
- 0Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
- Luis A. Hückstädt
- 4Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Ladd M. Irvine
- 2Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States
- Sarah S. Kienle
- 3Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
- Carey E. Kuhn
- 4National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Marine Mammal Laboratory, Seattle, WA, United States
- Damian Lidgard
- 5Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Stephanie A. Loredo
- 6Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR, United States
- Bruce R. Mate
- 2Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States
- Kristian Metcalfe
- 4Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Jacob Nzegoue
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Gabon-Program, Libreville, Gabon
- Carmen K. Kouerey Oliwina
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Gabon-Program, Libreville, Gabon
- Rachael A. Orben
- 6Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR, United States
- Kiyoaki Ozaki
- 2Division of Avian Conservation, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Abiko, Chiba, Japan
- Richard Parnell
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Gabon-Program, Libreville, Gabon
- Elizabeth P. Pike
- 7Marine Conservation Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Patrick W. Robinson
- 0Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
- Howard C. Rosenbaum
- 8Wildlife Conservation Society, Ocean Giants Program, Bronx, NY, United States
- Fumio Sato
- 2Division of Avian Conservation, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Abiko, Chiba, Japan
- Scott A. Shaffer
- 9Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, United States
- Donna J. Shaver
- 7Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX, United States
- Samantha E. Simmons
- 0Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
- Samantha E. Simmons
- 0Marine Mammal Commission, Marine Mammal Commission, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Brian J. Smith
- 1Cherokee Nations Technology, Contracted to the U.S. Geological Survey, Davie, FL, United States
- Guy-Philippe Sounguet
- 2Aventures Sans Frontières, Libreville, Gabon
- Guy-Philippe Sounguet
- 3Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Libreville, Gabon
- Robert M. Suryan
- 4Auke Bay Laboratories, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Juneau, AK, United States
- David R. Thompson
- 5National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd., Hataitai, Wellington, New Zealand
- Megan Tierney
- South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, Stanley FIQQ1ZZ, Falkland Islands
- Megan Tierney
- 6Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, United Kingdom
- Dominic Tilley
- 4Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Hillary S. Young
- 7Department of Ecology and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Victoria Warwick-Evans
- 8British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Michael J. Weise
- 9Office of Naval Research, Arlington, VA, United States
- Randall S. Wells
- 2Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
- Bradley P. Wilkinson
- 0Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
- Matthew J. Witt
- 9University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Sara M. Maxwell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, United States
- Sara M. Maxwell
- Department of Biology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.897104
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 9
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly large MPAs, are increasing in number and size around the globe in part to facilitate the conservation of marine megafauna under the assumption that large-scale MPAs better align with vagile life histories; however, this alignment is not well established. Using a global tracking dataset from 36 species across five taxa, chosen to reflect the span of home range size in highly mobile marine megafauna, we show most MPAs are too small to encompass complete home ranges of most species. Based on size alone, 40% of existing MPAs could encompass the home ranges of the smallest ranged species, while only < 1% of existing MPAs could encompass those of the largest ranged species. Further, where home ranges and MPAs overlapped in real geographic space, MPAs encompassed < 5% of core areas used by all species. Despite most home ranges of mobile marine megafauna being much larger than existing MPAs, we demonstrate how benefits from MPAs are still likely to accrue by targeting seasonal aggregations and critical life history stages and through other management techniques.
Keywords
- dynamic ocean management
- home range
- life history
- marine predators
- marine protected areas
- migratory connectivity
