How to identify important sites for marine megafauna and pathways to site conservation
We are pleased to showcase the Marine Megafauna Conservation Toolkit, an open-access online toolkit which facilitates the identification of important sites for marine megafauna, including step-by-step guidance for the application of tracking data for site identification, in addition to outlining pathways to advocate for marine megafauna conservation.
The toolkit was built because identifying important sites for marine megafauna and knowing how to leverage important site information to achieve a conservation outcome is complex, but identifying important sites is a key step for prioritising efforts and delivering conservation action.
What the toolkit offers
We want to see marine megafauna populations in good conservation status. A primary goal of the toolkit is to facilitate the application of methods to identify important sites (including from tracking data) that meet Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) criteria.
KBAs are sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity, identified against a standardised set of criteria, enabling comparison of sites around the world. Underpinned by 13 of the world’s leading conservation organizations, KBAs are increasingly recognised as a key data layer in decision-making.
By contributing to the KBA site network, the information you provide can be used by decision-makers in the future to help scale initiatives enabling marine megafauna conservation.
While examples in the toolkit are biased to seabirds, the methods used in the toolkit have applicability to other marine megafauna, and even terrestrial taxa which are studied with animal tracking devices.
KBA policy schematic (*TNFD = Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures, GRI = Global Reporting Initiative, SBTN = Science Based Targets Network, ESRS E4 = EU Sustainability Reporting Standards, CSRD = Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) by Sarah Markes
The toolkit components
Through three main components, the toolkit helps users:
- identify critical sites for species, including supporting users to turn complex animal tracking data into outputs useful for decision-makers (“where to act”)
- identify effective conservation interventions through case studies curated by the global Conservation Evidence Team (“what works”)
- understand which mechanisms can support decision-makers to act, by guiding users through the policy and advocacy opportunities for site-based conservation (“why to listen”)
Whether focused on an individual site or networks of sites from national, regional, to global levels, the toolkit serves to bridge a knowledge gap and help scale solutions for the conservation of marine megafauna.
Who is the toolkit for?
Conservation practitioners, project managers, technical experts, policy & advocacy leads, the toolkit was built for you! Although most chapters are biased to technical experts, the toolkit was built for everyone wanting to support marine megafauna conservation, and can support understanding of key terms, project design, application of complex methods, and pathways for site-based advocacy.
Interactive online chapters enable users to click and choose sections relevant to them.
The Marine Megafauna Conservation Toolkit Chapter Selection
Conservation outcomes from the toolkit
The Toolkit is the result of years of analytical developments, collaborative science, and conservation action. Guidance outlined in the toolkit has contributed to conservation outcomes around the world, for example:
- Identifying important sites to delineate the first high seas MPA from tracking data.
- Using important site information to evaluate the effectiveness of an MPA.
- Assessing opportunities to improve conservation measures for critically endangered species.
More broadly, contributions to the KBA site network enable, for example:
- Governments to report against targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Major donors will fund new Protected Areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) meeting KBA criteria (supporting governments achieve global targets)
Collaboration
The toolkit builds on the work of many, and we want to continue the collaborative journey with all those working to conserve marine megafauna. Please, explore the toolkit, tell us what works, suggest improvements, contribute. We can only achieve global targets such as protecting 30% of the sea and its biodiversity by 2030 if we do it together.
Learn more. Join us. Connect
Learn more here. Join us. Contact jonathan.handley@birdlife.org or the BirdLife International Marine Programme to get involved.
Acknowledgements
The online toolkit was produced by the BirdLife International Marine Programme , with support from: British Trust for Ornithology, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Cambridge University Conservation Evidence, Key Biodiversity Area Secretariat, Conservation International. The toolkit builds upon key publications: Marine IBA Toolkit (BirdLife International (2010)), Lascelles et al. (2016), and Beal et al. (2021). Key organisations who supported the development of the online toolkit include: Association BIOM (Croatia), BirdLife Malta (Malta), Hellenic Ornithological Society (Greece), BirdLife South Africa (South Africa), Bombay Natural History Society (India). Previous supporting organisations include: Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), SEO/BirdLife (Spain), Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO, France).
The development of the online toolkit was made possible by Cambridge Conservation Initiative Collaborative Fund, with key support from: Arcadia – a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, A.G. Leventis Foundation. Additional support to project partners was provided by projects: Life Artina, Life Pan Puffinus.
Animations by Hannah Whitman (Science Animation Studio) and Sarah Markes
