Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Evaluating The Use Of Marine Protected Areas By Endangered Species: A Habitat Selection Approach, Kelsey E. Roberts, Brian J. Smith, Derek Burkholder, Kristen M. Hart

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

1. Optimizing the design of marine protected area (MPA) networks for the conservation of migratory marine species and their habitats involves a suite of important considerations, such as appropriate scale requirements and the distribution of anthropogenic impacts. Often, a fundamental component of the conservation planning process is delineating areas of high use or high biodiversity within a region of interest.

2. However, basing conservation strategies off merely the number of individuals in an ecosystem is outdated and potentially subject to arbitrary thresholds. To be effective at protecting marine megafauna, MPAs would ideally encompass habitats used by focal species. Through satellite-tracking …