Plans to protect 30% of the ocean are “insufficient” for conservation of large ocean animals, according to new research.
The study – published in the journal Science – used tracking data on 121 marine “megafauna” species such as sharks, whales, turtles, seals and seabirds.
It found that, even with 30% of the ocean protected, key areas used by these species would be exposed to major threats from human activity.
The study comes from the UN-endorsed MegaMove project, an international team of more than 400 scientists, including12 from the University of Exeter.
“We found that the areas used by these animals overlap significantly with threats like fishing, shipping, warming temperatures, and plastic pollution,” said lead author Associate Professor Ana Sequeira, from the Australian National University.
“The 30% protection goal is seen as helpful but insufficient to protect all important areas, meaning that additional mitigation strategies are needed to alleviate pressures beyond areas that will be protected.
“Implementing mitigation strategies like changing fishing gear, using different lights in nets, and traffic schemes for ships will be key to alleviating current human pressure on these species.”
The recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework sets a goal to protect 30% of Earth’s land and ocean by 2030, and the UN High Seas Treaty also aims for 30% protection.
Dr Nicola Weber, from the University of Exeter, said: “We are pleased to have been able to contribute tracking data to this paper, from devices that our research groups, along with external partners, have deployed on green and leatherback turtles, Antarctic seals, Ascension Island frigatebirds and masked boobies.
“Studying where these marine megafauna spend their time in the oceans helps us to understand where the most important areas are for behaviours such as feeding, breeding, resting, and migrating.
“When scientists share data in this way, the insights gained are much more powerful than working alone.
“This paper identifies critical areas that need to be protected to conserve as many of these species as possible at the same time, whilst also highlighting that this alone is not sufficient and that we need to make rapid changes for example to our fishing practices and marine traffic routes.”
Professor Brendan Godley, who leads the Exeter Marine research group, said: “It’s satisfying to see the tracking work of a relatively large number of ecologists from the University of Exeter underpin and support this global synthesis.”
The paper is entitled: “Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets.”
It is published the day after a group of researchers – including Exeter’s Professor Callum Roberts – published an article in the journal Nature, calling for a permanent ban on all extractive activity (such as fishing, seabed mining, and oil and gas exploitation) in the high seas.
Next week, global leaders will meet at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.