Translating Marine Animal Tracking Data into Conservation Policy and Management

There have been efforts around the globe to track individuals of many marine species and assess their movements and distribution, with the putative goal of supporting their conservation and management. Determining whether, and how, tracking data have been successfully applied to address real-world conservation issues is, however, difficult. Here, we compile a broad range of case studies from diverse marine taxa to show how tracking data have helped inform conservation policy and management, including reductions in fisheries bycatch and vessel strikes, and the design and administration of marine protected areas and important habitats. Using these examples, we highlight pathways through which the past and future investment in collecting animal tracking data might be better used to achieve tangible conservation benefits.

The importance of migratory connectivity for global ocean policy

The distributions of migratory species in the ocean span local, national and international jurisdictions. Across these ecologically interconnected regions, migratory marine species interact with anthropogenic stressors throughout their lives. Migratory connectivity, the geographical linking of individuals and populations throughout their migratory cycles, influences how spatial and temporal dynamics of stressors affect migratory animals and scale up to influence population abundance, distribution and species persistence. Population declines of many migratory marine species have led to calls for connectivity knowledge, especially insights from animal tracking studies, to be more systematically and synthetically incorporated into decision-making. Inclusion of migratory connectivity in the design of conservation and management measures is critical to ensure they are appropriate for the level of risk associated with various degrees of connectivity. Three mechanisms exist to incorporate migratory connectivity into international marine policy which guides conservation implementation: site-selection criteria, network design criteria and policy recommendations. Here, we review the concept of migratory connectivity and its use in international policy, and describe the Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean system, a migratory connectivity evidence-base for the ocean. We propose that without such collaboration focused on migratory connectivity, efforts to effectively conserve these critical species across jurisdictions will have limited effect.

Spatio-temporal gap analysis of OBIS-SEAMAP project data: assessment and way forward

The OBIS-SEAMAP project has acquired and served high-quality marine mammal, seabird, and sea turtle data to the public since its inception in 2002. As data accumulated, spatial and temporal biases resulted and a comprehensive gap analysis was needed in order to assess coverage to direct data acquisition for the OBIS-SEAMAP project and for taxa researchers should true gaps in knowledge exist. All datasets published on OBIS-SEAMAP up to February 2009 were summarized spatially and temporally. Seabirds comprised the greatest number of records, compared to the other two taxa, and most records were from shipboard surveys, compared to the other three platforms. Many of the point observations and polyline tracklines were located in northern and central Atlantic and the northeastern and central-eastern Pacific. The Southern Hemisphere generally had the lowest representation of data, with the least number of records in the southern Atlantic and western Pacific regions. Temporally, records of observations for all taxa were the lowest in fall although the number of animals sighted was lowest in the winter. Oceanographic coverage of observations varied by platform for each taxa, which showed that using two or more platforms represented habitat ranges better than using only one alone. Accessible and published datasets not already incorporated do exist within spatial and temporal gaps identified. Other related open-source data portals also contain data that fill gaps, emphasizing the importance of dedicated data exchange. Temporal and spatial gaps were mostly a result of data acquisition effort, development of regional partnerships and collaborations, and ease of field data collection. Future directions should include fostering partnerships with researchers in the Southern Hemisphere while targeting datasets containing species with limited representation. These results can facilitate prioritizing datasets needed to be represented and for planning research for true gaps in space and time.

Coupling of rigid to flexible imaging multifibers

By magnifying the high-quality image produced by a rigid miniature endoscope onto a large flexible multifiber, an instrument has been developed which provides both high resolution and flexibility. It is shown theoretically, and verified experimentally, that the MTF of a system of coupled multifibers is the product of the individual MTFs. Measurements show that the coupled instruments outperform state-of-the-art all-flexible systems. The technique should greatly facilitate observation, display, and photography in percutaneous endoscopy and in a variety of industrial applications.

A new endoillumination infusion cannula for pars plana vitrectomy

A new endoillumination infusion cannula has been developed that allows for wide field illumination of the retina during pars plana vitrectomy surgery. This frees the surgeon from having to use one of the intravitreal probes for endoillumination when using the bimanual technique in pars plana vitrectomy. This innovative endoillumination source also can be used with indirect ophthalmoscopy, at surgery, avoiding the glare generated by the indirect ophthalmoscope's light beam interacting with the corneal surface and the condensing lens surfaces.

An improved endoillumination probe for pars plana vitrectomy

A newly modified endoillumination probe using the Ocutome handle has been developed that has 2.5 times more total light output and over four times more light intensity than the conventional endoillumination probe. The new probe is particularly useful in situations where there is extremely dense vitreous hemorrhage and when one requires additional light for 16-mm cinematography.

Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth

Rapid growth in bio-logging-the use of animal-borne electronic tags to document the movements, behaviour, physiology and environments of wildlife-offers opportunities to mitigate biodiversity threats and expand digital natural history archives. Here we present a vision to achieve such benefits by accounting for the heterogeneity inherent to bio-logging data and the concerns of those who collect and use them. First, we can enable data integration through standard vocabularies, transfer protocols and aggregation protocols, and drive their wide adoption. Second, we need to develop integrated data collections on standardized data platforms that support data preservation through public archiving and strategies that ensure long-term access. We outline pathways to reach these goals, highlighting the need for resources to govern community data standards and guide data mobilization efforts. We propose the launch of a community-led coordinating body and provide recommendations for how stakeholders-including government data centres, museums and those who fund, permit and publish bio-logging work-can support these efforts.

Marine megavertebrate migrations connect the global ocean

Animal migrations are extensive, ubiquitous, and in decline. To effectively protect migratory species, it is often crucial to identify the interconnected sets of sites they rely upon. Gaps between primary ecological research and synthesised information that is useful to policymakers has limited effective conservation of long-distance migrants, particularly in the marine realm. By synthesising 1304 references to identify 1787 sites and develop model migratory networks for 109 species, we show the minimum extent of marine megafauna connectivity across the global oceans. Our analyses underscore the importance of transboundary cooperation for migratory species conservation at scales larger than current regional structures afford and provide a free online system that will enable policymakers to efficiently summarise how marine migrants use and connect their jurisdictions.