Translating Marine Animal Tracking Data into Conservation Policy and Management

The rapid pace of environmental change in the Anthropocene necessitates the development of a new suite of tools for measuring ecosystem dynamics. Sentinel species can provide insight into ecosystem function, identify hidden risks to human health, and predict future change. As sentinels, marine apex (top) predators offer a unique perspective into ocean processes, given that they can move across ocean basins and amplify trophic information across multiple spatiotemporal scales. Because use of the terms “ecosystem sentinel” and “climate sentinel” has proliferated in the scientific literature, there is a need to identify the properties that make marine predators effective sentinels. We provide a clear definition of the term “sentinel”, review the attributes of species identified as sentinels, and describe how a suite of such sentinels could strengthen our understanding and management of marine ecosystems. We contend that the use of marine predators as ecosystem sentinels will enable rapid response and adaptation to ecosystem variability and change.

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“…; Hays et al . ). Where possible, future studies should focus on identifying the mechanistic links between sentinels and the broader ecosystem.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Marine top predators as climate and ecosystem sentinels

Hazen

Abrahms

Brodie

et al. 2019

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

223

146

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“…Most analyses based on range maps simplistically assume homogeneous distribution within the species range (Williams et al, ); however, most marine animals have distinctly heterogeneous distributions. Indeed, the identification of areas with highest densities of individuals is paramount for conservation planning (Hays et al, ; Johnston et al, ) and is particularly relevant for seabirds, which can have large ranges but often aggregate in particular areas (Oppel et al, ). The predominant methods for estimating presence–absence and densities of animals at sea have been through ship‐based surveys and electronic devices attached to individual animals (Eguchi, Gerrodette, Pitman, Seminoff, & Dutton, ; Tremblay et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for mapping the distribution of seabirds by integrating tracking, demography and phenology

Carneiro

Pearmain

Oppel

et al. 2020

Journal of Applied Ecology

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The identification of geographic areas where the densities of animals are highest across their annual cycles is a crucial step in conservation planning. In marine environments, however, it can be particularly difficult to map the distribution of species, and the methods used are usually biased towards adults, neglecting the distribution of other life‐history stages even though they can represent a substantial proportion of the total population. Here we develop a methodological framework for estimating population‐level density distributions of seabirds, integrating tracking data across the main life‐history stages (adult breeders and non‐breeders, juveniles and immatures). We incorporate demographic information (adult and juvenile/immature survival, breeding frequency and success, age at first breeding) and phenological data (average timing of breeding and migration) to weight distribution maps according to the proportion of the population represented by each life‐history stage. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by applying it to 22 species of albatrosses and petrels that are of conservation concern due to interactions with fisheries. Because juveniles, immatures and non‐breeding adults account for 47%–81% of all individuals of the populations analysed, ignoring the distributions of birds in these stages leads to biased estimates of overlap with threats, and may misdirect management and conservation efforts. Population‐level distribution maps using only adult distributions underestimated exposure to longline fishing effort by 18%–42%, compared with overlap scores based on data from all life‐history stages. Synthesis and applications. Our framework synthesizes and improves on previous approaches to estimate seabird densities at sea, is applicable for data‐poor situations, and provides a standard and repeatable method that can be easily updated as new tracking and demographic data become available. We provide scripts in the R language and a Shiny app to facilitate future applications of our approach. We recommend that where sufficient tracking data are available, this framework be used to assess overlap of seabirds with at‐sea threats such as overharvesting, fisheries bycatch, shipping, offshore industry and pollutants. Based on such an analysis, conservation interventions could be directed towards areas where they have the greatest impact on populations.

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“…). Combined with advanced analytical techniques, these technological innovations have transformed our knowledge of movement patterns, behavior, habitat use, and ecophysiology of animals with movement data driving a series of positive conservation outcomes across multiple taxa such as the creation of marine protected areas and other conservation zones (Hays, , 983). However, the deployment of tags can involve procedures that stress the target animals (Wilson and McMahon ), including capture and restraint, anesthesia, chemical immobilization, and surgery (Harcourt et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of sample size in marine megafauna tagging studies

Sequeira

Heupel

Lea

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Telemetry is a key, widely used tool to understand marine megafauna distribution, habitat use, behavior, and physiology; however, a critical question remains: “How many animals should be tracked to acquire meaningful data sets?” This question has wide‐ranging implications including considerations of statistical power, animal ethics, logistics, and cost. While power analyses can inform sample sizes needed for statistical significance, they require some initial data inputs that are often unavailable. To inform the planning of telemetry and biologging studies of marine megafauna where few or no data are available or where resources are limited, we reviewed the types of information that have been obtained in previously published studies using different sample sizes. We considered sample sizes from one to >100 individuals and synthesized empirical findings, detailing the information that can be gathered with increasing sample sizes. We complement this review with simulations, using real data, to show the impact of sample size when trying to address various research questions in movement ecology of marine megafauna. We also highlight the value of collaborative, synthetic studies to enhance sample sizes and broaden the range, scale, and scope of questions that can be answered.

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Translating Marine Animal Tracking Data into Conservation Policy and Management

Cited by 266 publications

References 76 publications

Marine top predators as climate and ecosystem sentinels

Marine top predators as climate and ecosystem sentinels

A framework for mapping the distribution of seabirds by integrating tracking, demography and phenology

The importance of sample size in marine megafauna tagging studies

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