Groundbreaking study maps the movements of marine megafauna

A sweeping new study is helping pinpoint where whales, sharks, turtles, and other ocean giants need the most protection and where current efforts fall short.

Led by Ana Sequeira of Australian National University and supported by the United Nations, the research synthesized data from 12,000 satellite-tracked animals across more than 100 species. It reveals how marine megafauna move globally and where their migratory, feeding, and breeding behaviors intersect with human threats such as fishing, shipping, and pollution.

Virginia Tech contributed to the effort, called MegaMove, a massive collaboration of nearly 400 scientists across more than 50 countries. The project used biologging data  collected using satellite tags to inform a new blueprint for ocean conservation.

“This is one of the largest marine tracking data sets ever assembled,” said Francesco Ferretti, a marine ecologist at Virginia Tech who contributed to the study. “It’s not just about drawing lines on a map. We need to understand animal behavior and overlap that with human activity to find the best solutions.”

The research was published today in the journal Science.

From the open ocean to Virginia waters

Though global in scope, the findings hold direct relevance for Virginia and the East Coast.

“Virginia’s coastline is part of a major migratory corridor for marine species,” Ferretti said. “Sharks, for example, play a critical role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, which in turn support fisheries and recreation. What happens to apex predators can ripple across the food web and impact local economies.”

Past collapses of shellfish fisheries in North Carolina and impacts on seagrasses meadows, important for fisheries, carbon sequestration, and to prevent coastal erosion, have shown how predator loss can shift entire ecosystems.

Ferretti said understanding these dynamics is critical to protecting both wildlife and the communities that rely on them.

A global conservation puzzle

MegaMove aimed to inform the United Nations' 30x30 target: a global goal to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030. The team used optimization algorithms to propose which areas should be prioritized for protection based on how marine species use the space.

But the findings show that even if all 30 percent of protected areas were perfectly placed, it wouldn’t be enough.

“Sixty percent of the tracked animals’ critical habitats would be still outside these zones,” Ferretti said. “In addition to protected areas, we need targeted mitigation, changing fishing practices, rerouting shipping lanes, and reducing pollution.”

Building global science at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech’s participation to initiatives such as the MegaMove project reflects a broader push to contribute to international, data-driven science.

“This project shows where the field is heading,” Ferretti said. “We’re seeing a revolution in big data approaches in marine science. Students need to be trained not only in fieldwork but in data science to meet future challenges.”

He said global efforts like MegaMove can also help inspire the next generation of researchers and showcase how Virginia Tech connects local talent to worldwide impact.