Global Marine Flyways Identified for Long‐Distance Migrating Seabirds From Tracking Data

ABSTRACT Aim To identify the broad‐scale oceanic migration routes (‘marine flyways’) used by multiple pelagic, long‐distance migratory seabirds based on a global compilation of tracking data. Location Global. Time Period 1989–2023. Major Taxa Studied Seabirds (Families: Phaethontidae, Hydrobatidae, Diomedeidae, Procellariidae, Laridae and Stercorariidae). Methods We collated a comprehensive global tracking dataset that included the migratory routes of 48 pelagic and long‐distance migrating seabird species across the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans. We grouped individuals that followed similar routes, independent of species or timings of migration, using a dynamic time warping clustering approach. We visualised the routes of each cluster using a line density analysis and used knowledge of seabird spatial ecology to combine the clusters to identify the broad‐scale flyways followed by most pelagic migratory seabirds tracked to‐date at an ocean‐basin scale. Results Six marine flyways were identified across the world's oceans: the Atlantic Ocean Flyway, North Indian Ocean Flyway, East Indian Ocean Flyway, West Pacific Ocean Flyway, Pacific Ocean Flyway and Southern Ocean Flyway. Generally, the flyways were used bidirectionally, and individuals either followed sections of a flyway, a complete flyway, or their movements linked two or more flyways. Transhemispheric figure‐of‐eight routes in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and a circumnavigation flyway in the Southern Ocean correspond with major wind ‐ driven ocean currents. Main Conclusions The marine flyways identified demonstrate that pelagic seabirds have similar and repeatable migration routes across ocean‐basin scales. Our study highlights the need to account for connectivity in seabird conservation and provides a framework for international cooperation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Published
2025-02-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.70004
Citations
10
Primary Topic
Marine animal studies overview
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
17.16

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article

Global Marine Flyways Identified for Long‐Distance Migrating Seabirds From Tracking Data

Jacob González‐Solís, Petra Quillfeldt, Juan F. Masello, Henri Weimerskirch et al.
10 citations
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Marine animal studies overview
17.16
article

Global Marine Flyways Identified for Long‐Distance Migrating Seabirds From Tracking Data

Jacob González‐Solís, Petra Quillfeldt, Juan F. Masello, Henri Weimerskirch, Raül Ramos, Vikash Tatayah, Anne‐Sophie Bonnet‐Lebrun, Nik C. Cole, Matt J. Rayner, David G. Nicholls, Graeme A. Taylor, Graham C. Parker, Annette L. Fayet, Kirsty A. Franklin, Tammy E. Davies, Christophe Barbraud, Nicholas Carlile, Freydís Vigfúsdóttir, Johannes H. Fischer, Autumn‐Lynn Harrison, Kevin Ruhomaun, Leia Navarro‐Herrero, Fernando Medrano, Jennifer A. Gill, April Hedd, Scott A. Shaffer, Mark L. Mallory, Sveinn Are Hanssen, Matthias Kopp, Paul M. Sagar, Robert A. Ronconi, Niels Martin Schmidt, Peter G. Ryan, Teresa Militão, Jaime A. Ramos, Lucy A. Hawkes, Teresa Catry, Michelle Antolos, Yves Cherel, Verónica C. Neves, Verónica Alonso‐Ferreira, Akinori Takahashi, Audrey Jaeger, Kalinka Rexer‐Huber, David R. Thompson, Ken Norris, Sara M. Maxwell, Christopher W. Jones, Craig D. Millar, Diego Vicente‐Sastre, Olivier Gilg, Martin Beal, Joanne M. Morten, Jan Esefeld, Sarah Saldanha, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Marie‐Morgane Rouyer, Ana P. B. Carneiro, Carsten Egevang, Javier A. Arata, Tim Guilford, Ruben Fijn, José P. Granadeiro, Paulo Catry, Iain J. Stenhouse, Stephen C. Broni, Maria P. Dias, Samhita Bose, William A. Montevecchi, Igor Debski, R.S.A. van Bemmelen, Johannes Krietsch, Johannes Lang, Graeme Elliot, Børge Moe, Terence W. O’Dwyer, Matt Charteris, Todd J. Landers, Malcolm A. C. Nicoll, Melinda G. Conners, J Watts, Karine Delord, Thomas A. Clay, Jonathan Handley, Bethany L. Clark, Hendrik Schultz, Takashi Yamamoto, Elizabeth Bell, Victoria R. Jones, Carl G. Jones, Matthieu Le Corre, Kath J. Walker, M. de L. Brooke, Mike Bell, Richard A. Phillips, Hans‐Ulrich Peter, Theo Thompson, Colin Facer
article en
10 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aim To identify the broad‐scale oceanic migration routes (‘marine flyways’) used by multiple pelagic, long‐distance migratory seabirds based on a global compilation of tracking data. Location Global. Time Period 1989–2023. Major Taxa Studied Seabirds (Families: Phaethontidae, Hydrobatidae, Diomedeidae, Procellariidae, Laridae and Stercorariidae). Methods We collated a comprehensive global tracking dataset that included the migratory routes of 48 pelagic and long‐distance migrating seabird species across the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans. We grouped individuals that followed similar routes, independent of species or timings of migration, using a dynamic time warping clustering approach. We visualised the routes of each cluster using a line density analysis and used knowledge of seabird spatial ecology to combine the clusters to identify the broad‐scale flyways followed by most pelagic migratory seabirds tracked to‐date at an ocean‐basin scale. Results Six marine flyways were identified across the world's oceans: the Atlantic Ocean Flyway, North Indian Ocean Flyway, East Indian Ocean Flyway, West Pacific Ocean Flyway, Pacific Ocean Flyway and Southern Ocean Flyway. Generally, the flyways were used bidirectionally, and individuals either followed sections of a flyway, a complete flyway, or their movements linked two or more flyways. Transhemispheric figure‐of‐eight routes in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and a circumnavigation flyway in the Southern Ocean correspond with major wind ‐ driven ocean currents. Main Conclusions The marine flyways identified demonstrate that pelagic seabirds have similar and repeatable migration routes across ocean‐basin scales. Our study highlights the need to account for connectivity in seabird conservation and provides a framework for international cooperation.

Global Ecology and BiogeographyVol. 34(2)
University of East Anglia (GB), Universidade dos Açores (PT), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Environmental Defense Fund (US), Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA), British Antarctic Survey (GB), Zoological Society of London (GB), Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (JE), Natural History Museum (GB), Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA), University of Lisbon (PT), Natural Environment Research Council (GB), University of Auckland (NZ), Ifremer (FR), University of Cape Town (ZA), École Pratique des Hautes Études (FR), University of Iceland (IS), University of California, Santa Cruz (US), Université de Montpellier (FR), Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (DE), Bielefeld University (DE), Aarhus University (DK), Curtin University (AU), University of Exeter (GB), University of Cambridge (GB), Norwich Research Park (GB), Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (US), Auckland Council (NZ), Chisholm Institute (AU), National Institute of Polar Research (JP), University of Oxford (GB), Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (DE), Parker Conservation (NZ), Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (FR), Biodiversity Research Institute (US), Bureau Waardenburg (Netherlands) (NL), National Zoological Park (US), Arkema (Canada) (CA), Grønlands Naturinstitut (GL), University of Washington Bothell (US), Wildlife Management International (NZ), Services Australia (AU), Department of Conservation (NZ), BirdLife international (GB), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NO), Government of Mauritius (MU), Écologie Marine Tropicale des Océans Pacifique et Indien (RE), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Arctique (FR), Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Conservation Biology Institute, Auckland War Memorial Museum, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NZ), San Jose State University (US), Azabu University (JP), Stony Brook University (US), Universitat de Barcelona (ES), Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE), University of Coimbra (PT), University of Otago (NZ), University of Venda (ZA), University of Amsterdam (NL), Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MU), Acadia University (CA)
Sight Research UK, Natural Environment Research Council
Life below water
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Marine animal studies overview
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