Marine Mammal Movement Ecology in a Conservation and Management Context

Abstract

Marine {mammalsMarine} mammals move through dynamic and heterogeneous environments to fulfill maintenance functions. These movements can be studied with various techniques that yield different types of information, and this is increasingly revealing the diversity of movement behaviors among marine mammals. These behaviors vary extensively in their characteristics, from the restricted ranging of some {dolphinDolphin} species to long-distance seasonal {migrationsMigration} by species such as humpback and gray {whalesGray} whale, some of the longest migrations of any animal. As such, movements link places and processes across space and time and are therefore key to understanding the ecology of marine mammals. Given these connections, movement also exposes marine mammals to various natural and anthropogenic {threatsAnthropogenic} threats and a layer of {conservationConservation}, management,Management and policy actions across national and international jurisdictions. We review marine mammal movement {ecologyMovement} ecology in this context, using diverse examples to illustrate the implications of marine mammals’ movements for their {conservationConservation} and management as well as identifying opportunities therefore. Movement behaviors across different spatiotemporal scales present a difficult challenge for the {conservationConservation} of marine {mammalsMarine} mammals, since marine mammals are exposed to pressures and {threatsThreats} varying from localized effects to global effects such as climate {changeClimate} change, which are set within—but often beyond—the jurisdiction of many states. For example, species such as blue and humpback {whalesHumpback} whale migrate through the waters of several nations, and the critical {habitatsCritical} habitat of pelagic species such as elephant {sealsSeal} lie in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. However, both place-based {conservationConservation} approaches (such as Marine Protected {AreasMarine} Protected Area ({MPA})) and pressure-based {conservationConservation} approaches (such as those promoted by multilateral {agreementsAgreements} including the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild {AnimalsConvention} on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals ({CMS})) can integrate information on the movement {ecologyMovement} ecology of marine mammals, in increasingly dynamic ways. It is clear that “{movescapesMovescapes}” (the functional value of land- and seascapes to animals over space and time) are essential {conservationConservation} features, as recognized by Important Marine Mammal {AreasImportant} Marine Mammal Area ({IMMA}), for example. Further, as the patterns and consequences of {connectivityConnectivity} among discrete sites are elucidated, the preservation of connectivity is emerging as a key challenge and opportunity for the {conservationConservation} and {managementManagement} of marine {mammalsMarine} mammals. However, to achieve effective {conservationConservation} outcomes to so many pressing {threatsThreats}, marine mammal {movescapeMovescapes} data needs to be open, accessible, and actionable to inform design and implementation of {conservationConservation} measures connecting critical {habitatsCritical} habitat and migration {corridorsMigration} corridors to mitigate threats. To achieve success, an improved understanding of the needs of managers, policymakers, and governments on a national and international level is required from the start and needs to be championed by the data producers with relevant {stakeholdersStakeholders} along the way.