Abstract
The dynamic nature of most environments forces many animals to move to meet their fundamental needs. This is especially true in aquatic environments where shifts in spatial ecology (which are a result of movements) are among the first adaptive responses of animals to changes in ecosystems. Changes in the movement and distribution of individuals will in turn alter population dynamics and ecosystem structure. Thus, understanding the drivers and impacts of variation in animal movements over time is critical to conservation and spatial planning. Here we identify key challenges that impede aquatic animal movement science from informing management and conservation, and propose strategies for overcoming them. Challenges include: 1) Insufficient communication between terrestrial and aquatic movement scientists that could be increased through cross-pollination of analytical tools and development of new tools and outputs; 2) Incomplete coverage in many studies of animal space use (e.g. entire life span not considered); 3) Insufficient data archiving and availability; 4) Barriers to incorporating movement data into decision-making processes; and 5) Limited understanding of the value of movement data for management and conservation. We argue that the field of movement ecology is at present an under-tapped resource for aquatic decision-makers, but is poised to play a critical role in future management approaches and policy development.
Highlights
Animal movement studies are conducted for many reasons including basic scientific discovery, as tools for education and outreach, to address management and conservation questions, as part of environmental assessments, to determine the success or failure of management or conservation interventions, and for long-term monitoring of environmental change
A framework for linking movement ecology with wildlife management and conservation was recently introduced by Allen and Singh (2016) and adapted by McGowan and Possingham (2016) to illustrate how information about movement attributes of species can enhance conservation planning
We submit that many conservation issues can benefit from a more pro-active and strategic approach to integrating movement ecology with conservation efforts given the dynamic nature of aquatic ecosystems in space and time
Summary
This paper complements recent reviews discussing key achievements (Hussey et al, 2015) and key questions (Costa et al, 2012) in the study of aquatic movement ecology, and comprehensive reviews of how movement data have been used successfully in conservation decision-making and practice (for fish, see Cooke et al, 2016 and Crossin et al, accepted; for seabirds see Burger and Shaffer, 2008 and Lascelles et al, 2016), or how their use could be improved (McGowan and Possingham, 2016; McGowan et al, 2016). More integration between movement ecology studies in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems will enhance methods, ecological knowledge, effort efficiency, and conservation or management
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