The project, entitled “Megamove”, involves about 400 scientists from over 50 countries and shows where specific protection can be implemented for the conservation of marine megafauna.
A Participated in an investigation that accompanied more than 12 thousand individuals of 110 species of marine megafauna, for 30 years, identifying the most critical places in global oceans to reinforce marine conservation.
The team of international scientists, of which researchers from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FTUC) are led by the National University of Australia (ANU) and funded by the United Nations (UN).
The project, entitled “Megamove”, involves cerca 400 scientists from over 50 countries and shows where specific protection can be implemented for marine megafauna conservation.
United Nations Treaty for International Waters wants to increase protection to 30%
“Currently, protected sea areas cover only 8% of the world’s oceans, and the United Nations Treaty for International Waters aims to increase this protection to 30%,” FCTUC said in a statement sent to Lusa.
The investigation concluded that the objectives of the current treaty (signed by 115 countries, but still ratify), although fundamental, are insufficient to cover all critical zones used by threatened species of marine megafaunasuggesting that additional measures are needed to mitigate threats.
According to the authors, this study sought to identify the areas used by the marine megafauna for important behaviors such as food, rest and migrations – areas that can only be detected based on their tracked motion patterns.
Additional measures to mitigate threats outside the protected zones
It has been discovered “that the areas used by these animals are significantly overlapping threats such as fishing, maritime traffic, increased water temperature and plastics pollution,” said FCTUC’s Researcher of FTUC Functional Ecology (CFE).
The shit, for example, a sea bird that reproduces itself in the Azores, Madeira and Berlengas archipelagos, migrates annually to the southern coast of Brazil, South Africa or Mozambique, demonstrating a great ability to explore the marine environment, so being therefore being exposed to several threats in different ocean basins.
“The goal of protecting 30% of oceans is seen as useful but insufficient to safeguard all important areas, which means additional mitigation strategies to relieve pressures outside protected zones,” experts said.
A Change of fishing artsa use of different lights in the networks e Traffic schemes for ships These are some of the measures pointed out as fundamental to relieve current human pressure on these species.
Marine Megafauna includes sea birds, sharks or whales, which are usually tips with essential roles in marine food chains, but face increasing threats resulting from human environmental impact.
