Methods to estimate marine functional connectivity: A primer

@article{sturrock2026methods,
  title = {{Methods to estimate marine functional connectivity: A primer}},
  author = {Anna M. Sturrock and Susanne E. Tanner and Sophie Arnaud‐Haond and Jacopo Aguzzi and Francisco R. Barboza and Maria Beger and Andreu Blanco and Deirdre Brophy and Marta Carretón and A-R Childs and Federica Costantini and Oscar E. Gaggiotti and Bronwyn May Gillanders and José Manuel González‐Irusta and Katell Guizien and Tamar Guy‐Haim and Stefanie Haase and Ewan Hunter and Jonne Kotta and Geneviève Lacroix and Rafet Çağrı Öztürk and Ángel Pérez‐Ruzafa and Patrick Reis‐Santos and Cynthia Riginos and Gil Rilov and Baruch Rinkevich and Guiomar Rotllant and David H. Secor and Szymon Smoliński and Clive N. Trueman and Benjamin D. Walther and Audrey M. Darnaude},
  journal = {Ecological Applications},
  year = {2026},
  month = jun,
  doi = {10.1002/eap.70273},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70273},
  note = {CC BY},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Methods to estimate marine functional connectivity: A primer
AU  - Anna M. Sturrock
AU  - Susanne E. Tanner
AU  - Sophie Arnaud‐Haond
AU  - Jacopo Aguzzi
AU  - Francisco R. Barboza
AU  - Maria Beger
AU  - Andreu Blanco
AU  - Deirdre Brophy
AU  - Marta Carretón
AU  - A-R Childs
AU  - Federica Costantini
AU  - Oscar E. Gaggiotti
AU  - Bronwyn May Gillanders
AU  - José Manuel González‐Irusta
AU  - Katell Guizien
AU  - Tamar Guy‐Haim
AU  - Stefanie Haase
AU  - Ewan Hunter
AU  - Jonne Kotta
AU  - Geneviève Lacroix
AU  - Rafet Çağrı Öztürk
AU  - Ángel Pérez‐Ruzafa
AU  - Patrick Reis‐Santos
AU  - Cynthia Riginos
AU  - Gil Rilov
AU  - Baruch Rinkevich
AU  - Guiomar Rotllant
AU  - David H. Secor
AU  - Szymon Smoliński
AU  - Clive N. Trueman
AU  - Benjamin D. Walther
AU  - Audrey M. Darnaude
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/01
JO  - Ecological Applications
DO  - 10.1002/eap.70273
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70273
AB  - Organism movement is a key process in the transfer of individuals, genes, functional traits, matter, and energy among habitat patches, at sea and across the land-sea interface. The resulting fluxes, collectively termed marine functional connectivity (MFC), underpin planetary health and an array of ecosystem services. The ecological and economic impacts of rapid environmental change, including climate change, overexploitation, habitat loss and fragmentation, and the global transport of nonindigenous species make accurate estimation and prediction of MFC patterns paramount. However, estimating MFC is challenging given the relative inaccessibility of the oceans and the small size of many of the organisms and life stages with the highest dispersal potential. Here, we provide a methodological roadmap to help researchers and stakeholders understand, use, and integrate different tools to estimate organism movement and connectivity, focusing on (1) tagging and telemetry, (2) analysis of chemical markers in body tissues and structures, (3) genetics, and (4) numerical modeling. We describe method strengths and weaknesses, and the spatiotemporal resolution and scale of resulting connectivity estimates. Ancillary and emerging methods to estimate MFC are also reviewed. We then present case studies that have successfully applied or integrated different methods, particularly to support (1) marine protected area design, (2) global change predictions, focusing on climate change and bioinvasions, and (3) fisheries management. Finally, we highlight methodological innovations and concepts that promise to transform MFC research in the future.
SN  - 1051-0761
SN  - 1939-5582
ER  -