Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Conservation Letters
Highly Mobile Seabirds Reveal Areas of Conservation Importance Across the Atlantic Ocean
Abstract
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.
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BibTeX
@article{rouyer2026highly,
title = {{Highly Mobile Seabirds Reveal Areas of Conservation Importance Across the Atlantic Ocean}},
author = {Marie‐morgane Rouyer and Ana S.L. Rodrigues and Tammy E Davies and Bethany L Clark and Elizabeth J Pearmain and Nina Bhola and Ana P B Carneiro and Jacob González‐solís and João L Guilherme and Aida Abdennadher and Isabel Afán and Jose A Alves and Tycho Anker‐nilssen and José Manuel Arcos and Kelly M Atkins and Marie Auger‐méthé and Mark Baran and Nadito Jesus Pina Barbosa and Alastair Baylis and Stuart Bearhop and Ashley Bennison and Alice Bernard and Philip Bertrand and Manuel Biscoito and Thomas W Bodey and Maria I Bogdanova and Loïc Bollache and Anne‐sophie Bonnet‐lebrun and Thierry Boulinier and Vegard Sandøy Bråthen and Joël Bried and Leandro Bugoni and Letizia Campioni and Paulo Catry and Jacopo G Cecere and Filipe Rafael Ceia and Olivier Chastel and Signe Christensen‐dalsgaard and Marco Cianchetti‐benedetti and Thomas A Clay and Ian Robert Cleasby and Sydney Morgan Collins and Nicolas Courbin and Jóhannis Danielsen and Francis Daunt and Herculano de Andrade Dinis and Federico de Pascalis and Nina Dehnhard and Giacomo Dell'Omo and Sébastien Descamps and Antony W Diamond and Ben J Dilley and Ewan William James Edwards and Carsten Egevang and Kyle H Elliott and Kjell Einar Erikstad and Alexey Ezhov and Ana Isabel Fagundes and Annette L Fayet and David A Fifield},
journal = {Conservation Letters},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1111/con4.70075},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05782171v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Highly Mobile Seabirds Reveal Areas of Conservation Importance Across the Atlantic Ocean
AU - Marie‐morgane Rouyer
AU - Ana S.L. Rodrigues
AU - Tammy E Davies
AU - Bethany L Clark
AU - Elizabeth J Pearmain
AU - Nina Bhola
AU - Ana P B Carneiro
AU - Jacob González‐solís
AU - João L Guilherme
AU - Aida Abdennadher
AU - Isabel Afán
AU - Jose A Alves
AU - Tycho Anker‐nilssen
AU - José Manuel Arcos
AU - Kelly M Atkins
AU - Marie Auger‐méthé
AU - Mark Baran
AU - Nadito Jesus Pina Barbosa
AU - Alastair Baylis
AU - Stuart Bearhop
AU - Ashley Bennison
AU - Alice Bernard
AU - Philip Bertrand
AU - Manuel Biscoito
AU - Thomas W Bodey
AU - Maria I Bogdanova
AU - Loïc Bollache
AU - Anne‐sophie Bonnet‐lebrun
AU - Thierry Boulinier
AU - Vegard Sandøy Bråthen
AU - Joël Bried
AU - Leandro Bugoni
AU - Letizia Campioni
AU - Paulo Catry
AU - Jacopo G Cecere
AU - Filipe Rafael Ceia
AU - Olivier Chastel
AU - Signe Christensen‐dalsgaard
AU - Marco Cianchetti‐benedetti
AU - Thomas A Clay
AU - Ian Robert Cleasby
AU - Sydney Morgan Collins
AU - Nicolas Courbin
AU - Jóhannis Danielsen
AU - Francis Daunt
AU - Herculano de Andrade Dinis
AU - Federico de Pascalis
AU - Nina Dehnhard
AU - Giacomo Dell'Omo
AU - Sébastien Descamps
AU - Antony W Diamond
AU - Ben J Dilley
AU - Ewan William James Edwards
AU - Carsten Egevang
AU - Kyle H Elliott
AU - Kjell Einar Erikstad
AU - Alexey Ezhov
AU - Ana Isabel Fagundes
AU - Annette L Fayet
AU - David A Fifield
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/16
JO - Conservation Letters
DO - 10.1111/con4.70075
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05782171v1
AB - 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.
SN - 1755-263X
SN - 1755-263X
ER -