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https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/chagos-study-highlights-value-of-vast-marine-protected-areas/>
"Large ocean animals can be protected throughout much of their lifecycle by
huge Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), new research shows.
Scientists tracked sea turtles, manta rays and seabirds – all of which travel
far and wide to forage, breed and migrate – in the Chagos Archipelago MPA in
the Indian Ocean.
In total, 95% of tracking locations were recorded inside the MPA’s 640,000
square kilometre area – suggesting it is large enough to protect these
wandering animals.
The study – by a team including Exeter and Heriot-Watt universities and ZSL –
also assessed the impact of a smaller 100,000 square kilometre MPA and found
seabirds would be less well protected in this scenario.
“Very large Marine Protected Areas (VLMPAs) are seen as essential for meeting
international goals, such as the target for 30% protection by 2030,” said Dr
Alice Trevail, from the Environment and Sustainability Institute at the
University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
“However, the conservation value of VLMPAs – defined as anything over 100,000
square kilometres – is debated.
“Our results provide clear evidence for the value of the Chagos Archipelago
VLMPA for protecting a diverse range of large and mobile marine species.”
The researchers used tracking data on hawksbill turtles, reef manta rays and
three seabird species: red-footed boobies, brown boobies and wedge-tailed
shearwaters."
Via Esther Schindler.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
