Regional Marine Research Articles

Measuring the Sustainable Development of Marine Economy Based on the Entropy Value Method: A Case Study in the Yangtze River Delta, China

The rapid growth of the marine economy has provided a strong impetus for the economic development of the Yangtze River Delta region, but it has also posed serious challenges to the ecological environment of the marine watersheds in which it is located. To investigate how to promote the sustainable development of the marine economy in the Yangtze River Delta region, this study used relevant statistical data from 2009 to 2019, combined with four factors—marine economy, marine resources, ecological environment, and scientific and technological innovation—to build an evaluation index system for the sustainable development of the marine economy and employed the entropy value method to conduct a deeper investigation. It was found that there are problems in the sustainable development of the Yangtze River Delta marine economy, such as imperfect marine industry structure, significant differences in resource allocation, insufficient support capacity of marine science and technology innovation, and insufficient ecological environmental protection. Therefore, the study suggests promoting regional collaboration in the Yangtze River Delta, improving technological innovation, and enhancing environmental protection to support the sustainable development of the regional marine economy.

Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle–Based Infrared Images in Determining Characteristics of Sea Surface Temperature Distribution

This study investigated the temperature field of a body of water by using rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual) comprising visible light and infrared cameras to determine sea temperature distribution. With a flight height of 150 m, image overlap of 80%, and image resolution of 4.75 cm/pixel, the proposed method was more effective than the conventional portable conductivity–temperature–depth device in rapidly measuring sea surface temperature and determining sea temperature distribution. The discharged heated water of the Hoping Power Plant traveled 100–330 m from the wastewater outfall and then gradually diffused in the range of 100–490 m before reaching a similar temperature to the background sea temperature. The diffusion of the thermal plume was mainly affected by regional marine meteorological conditions

Evolution of the Coupling Coordination between the Marine Economy and Digital Economy

Accelerating the high-quality integrated development of digital economy and marine economy is vital for the development of the marine economy in coastal countries and regions. However, few scholars examined such coordination. Here, based on panel data from 2012 to 2019 and the spatial scale of China’s coastal provinces and cities, the entropy method, coupling harmonious degree model (CCDM), Theil index, and Tobit model were adopted to measure and calculate the interval index differences in the marine economic quality and digital economy level. Exploring the coordination between the marine economy and digital economy, the interval difference index, and the coordination impact factors were also important. First, we found that the quality level of the marine economy and digital economy moved forward in waves and spiraled up, but that the quality of development was relatively low. Second, the coordination between the marine economy and digital economy gradually increased. Third, the coordination gap between the regional marine economy and digital economy was obvious. Fourth, the main factors that affected the coordination between the marine economy and digital economy were the level of digital infrastructure construction, the scale of the marine economy, the level of the marine industry, and industrial digitalization. The results have value for the sustainable development of the marine economy of coastal countries and regions.

Siting MPAs for multiple protecting purposes by co-consideration of ecological importance and anthropogenic impacts

The global marine ecosystem has been significantly altered by the combined effects of multiple anthropogenic impacts. Systematic planning of marine protected areas (MPAs) is of paramount importance in alleviating conflicts between humans and the sea. Existing approaches, however, merely integrate both ecological and anthropogenic factors for multiple conservation purposes. By combining the three main anthropogenic impact factors with two main ecological importance factors, this study used a GIS-based AHP-OWA method to identify different levels of priority protection for MPAs in Zhejiang, China. Our results proved that: 1) the multi-objective MPA siting issues can be addressed by the GIS-based AHP-OWA method through scenario simulation; 2) the best locations for MPAs are in the northeast, central, and southern marine areas of Zhejiang; 3) considering the trade-off degree, spatial conservation efficiency, and spatial heterogeneity, an optimized MPA siting scheme can be developed for decision-makers. The proposed MPA siting method and case study may provide an effective technical reference for solving regional marine spatial planning (MSP) issues in the future.

Tracer study of CDOM for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the offshore Leizhou Peninsula, China

Colorful dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an optically important active substance in marine habitats that feature significant biochemical conservatism. Additionally, CDOM is an important tracer and indicator of pollution status in marine water masses. In this study, we use sampling data collected in September 2020 and May 2021 from the marine areas around the Leizhou Peninsula. This information is combined with the Delft 3D numerical simulation analysis to carry out a study on the relationship between the ag (355) in the marine areas and to determine the regional marine pollution levels. The results show that (1) the nearshore areas of the Leizhou Peninsula in spring and autumn are mainly lightly polluted. Compared with the same period in history, the pollution level has significantly decreased, and the ag (355), DIN, and DIP concentrations show a trend of high near the shore and low far from shore. The peak concentrations are mainly in the Zhanjiang Bay, Qiongzhou Strait, Wailuo Port, Liusha Port and Guangxi Tieshan Port. (2) ag (355) can be used as an indicator to characterize the degree of water pollution in the nearshore waters of the Leizhou Peninsula. In spring, the ag (355) interval of [0.115, 0.200] m−1, [0.201, 0.245] m−1 and [0.246, 0.484] m−1 can be considered clean, lightly polluted, and moderately polluted water, respectively. In autumn, the ag (355) interval of [0.180, 0.275] m−1, [0.276, 0.478] m−1, [0.479, 0.642] m−1, [0.643, 0.921] m−1 can be considered clean, lightly polluted, moderately polluted and heavily polluted water, respectively. (3) The response models between the ag (355) and pollutant dispersion trends were constructed in the Zhanjiang Bay and Tieshan Port. The RMSEs of the ag (355) validation points in the models were lower than 0.12 mg/L, and the MAPEs were lower than 30 %, the pollution traceability of CDOM is verified.

Multidecadal and climatological surface current simulations for the southwestern Indian Ocean at 1∕50° resolution

Abstract. The Western INDian Ocean Simulation (WINDS) is a regional configuration of the Coastal and Regional Ocean Community Model (CROCO) for the southwestern Indian Ocean. WINDS has a horizontal resolution of 1/50∘ (∼2 km) and spans a latitudinal range of 23.5∘ S–0∘ N and a longitudinal range from the East African coast to 77.5∘ E. We ran two experiments using the WINDS configuration: WINDS-M, a full 28-year multidecadal run (1993–2020); and WINDS-C, a 10-year climatological control run with monthly climatological forcing. WINDS was primarily run for buoyant Lagrangian particle tracking applications, and horizontal surface velocities are output at a temporal resolution of 30 min. Other surface fields are output daily, and the full 3D temperature, salinity, and velocity fields are output every 5 d. We demonstrate that WINDS successfully manages to reproduce surface temperature, salinity, currents, and tides in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and it is therefore appropriate for use in regional marine dispersal studies for buoyant particles or other applications using high-resolution surface ocean properties.

Empirical study on green development of marine economy driven by marine scientific and technological innovation and its influencing factors

In this study, the green development of marine economy driven by marine scientific and technological innovation is empirically studied and the influencing factors are analyzed. The results show that the development of marine science and technology is significantly positively correlated with the green development of marine economy as a whole, and each input variable has a promoting effect on economic development, but with varied degree of effect. The analysis on the growth models of “Circum-Bohai Sea Economic Zone,” “Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone” and “Pearl River Delta Economic Zone” shows that at present, science and technology in each marine economic zone play an obvious role in promoting economic development, and each input variable plays a different role in promoting the green development of regional marine economy. With the help of threshold panel model, the influences of five factors, namely opening to the outside world, government investment, financial development, human capital and technology investment, on the green development of marine economy driven by marine scientific and technological innovation are investigated, and it is concluded that all kinds of external influencing factors will interfere with the role of marine scientific and technological innovation and achieve the effect of promoting or restricting it.

Spatio-temporal changes of winter and spring phytoplankton blooms in Arabian sea during the period 1997–2020

Arabian Sea (AS) experiences Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) blooms during winter and early spring (November–March) mainly due to the changes induced by seasonally reversing monsoon winds and associated processes. The seasonal blooms exhibit distinct regional patterns in their onset, duration, intensity and peak period. Recent changes in ocean dynamics and plankton composition have inflicted adverse effects in the distribution of Chl-a concentration in AS. Here, we analyse the long-term spatio-temporal changes in winter and early spring bloom events during the period 1997–2020, and evaluate the role of sea surface temperature (SST), mixed layer depth (MLD), sea surface salinity, winds, mesoscale eddies and surface currents on these bloom occurrences. We observe a significant reduction in these blooms, which started in the early 2000s and intensified in the last decade (2010–2020), with a notable drop in the adjacent gulfs (Gulf of Aden: 1.38 ± 0.7 × 10−5 mg m−3 yr−1, Gulf of Oman: 4.71 ± 1.35 × 10−6 mg m−3 yr−1) and West coast of India (−6.71 ± 2.85 × 10−6 mg m−3 yr−1). The MLD and ocean temperature are the major factors that govern bloom in Gulf of Oman and open waters. Conversely, the coastal upwelling and eddies drive blooms in Gulf of Aden. The winter cooling trigger the bloom in the northern Indian west coast, but the inter-basin exchange of surface waters through the West Indian Coastal Current inhibits its southward spread. This study, therefore, reveals unique processes that initiate and control the winter and early spring blooms in different regions of AS. The ongoing warming of AS could contribute to further decline in these seasonal blooms, which would be a great concern for regional marine productivity and associated regional food security.

The path of transboundary marine plastic waste management in China, Japan, and South Korea from the perspective of the blue economy

Marine plastic waste is one of the most difficult global ocean governance issues at present, and is also the focus of marine waste governance in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea region surrounded by China, Japan, and Republic of Korea (ROK). China, Japan, and Republic of Korea (ROK)are now aware of the importance of this issue to their surrounding waters and their country’s development. However,the poor implementation of marine governance gives rise to the unsatisfactory effect of marine plastic waste governance in the sea area. Based on the concept of blue economy and the data of plastic pollution in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, this paper discusses the feasibility of establishing binding legal norms and policies to promote the progress of marine plastic waste treatment in China, Japan and Republic of Korea. By using research methods of text analysis and status survey, this paper analyzes the differences and common demands of China, Japan and Republic of Korea for marine plastic pollution control. It is concluded that three countries have common demands in the management of the whole life cycle of marine plastic pollution, the establishment of flexible legal instruments, and the participation of stakeholders. Finally, through the case experience of the blue cycle model of marine plastic waste in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China, this paper proposes that this model can also be used in the management of marine plastic waste in China, Japan and Republic of Korea. Three countries can gradually promote the cooperation of marine plastic waste laws and regulations by starting with the treatment of\ fishery plastic waste, and innovate the blue cycle model, so as to finally promote the conclusion of the regional marine waste treatment agreement.

Optimization of a Regional Marine Environment Mobile Observation Network Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning

The observation path planning of an ocean mobile observation network is an important part of the ocean mobile observation system. With the aim of developing a traditional algorithm to solve the observation path of the mobile observation network, a complex objective function needs to be constructed, and an improved deep reinforcement learning algorithm is proposed. The improved deep reinforcement learning algorithm does not need to establish the objective function. The agent samples the marine environment information by exploring and receiving feedback from the environment. Focusing on the real-time dynamic variability of the marine environment, our experiment shows that adding bidirectional recurrency to the Deep Q-network allows the Q-network to better estimate the underlying system state. Compared with the results of existing algorithms, the improved deep reinforcement learning algorithm can effectively improve the sampling efficiency of the observation platform. To improve the prediction accuracy of the marine environment numerical prediction system, we conduct sampling path experiments on a single platform, double platform, and five platforms. The experimental results show that increasing the number of observation platforms can effectively improve the prediction accuracy of the numerical prediction system, but when the number of observation platforms exceeds 2, increasing the number of observation platforms will not improve the prediction accuracy, and there is a certain degree of decline. In addition, in the multi-platform experiment, the improved deep reinforcement learning algorithm is compared with the unimproved algorithm, and the results show that the proposed algorithm is better than the existing algorithm.

Regional disparities and dynamic evolution of competitiveness of marine fish aquaculture industry − A study of China

China has emerged as a major player in marine fish aquaculture, contributing significantly to economic, social, and environmental development. Analyzing the competitive evolution pattern of regional marine aquaculture is critical to promote the synergistic development of this industry. The “vertical and horizontal” scatter degree method was employed to examine the dynamic evolution trend and spatial non-equilibrium of the competitiveness level of marine fish aquaculture in nine Chinese provinces and cities. Using the σ-convergence model and absolute β-convergence model, the evolution of absolute differences was characterized. The study reveals the existence of stage and regional characteristics of marine fish aquaculture in the nine provinces and cities, with an observable gradient effect. The overall difference is observed to decrease, indicating a trend towards regional synergistic development in the marine fish aquaculture industry. This finding holds practical significance and theoretical value in promoting the growth of the industry.

Evolution of the coupling coordination between the marine economy and urban resilience of major coastal cities in China

Exploring the coordinated relationship between the marine economy and urban resilience can help improve urban resilience and the quality of the marine economy. Based on panel data from 2010 to 2019 in 20 major coastal cities in China, we adopted the entropy method, coupling harmonious degree model, and Theil index to measure and calculate the interval index differences in the marine economic quality and urban resilience level. Coordination between the marine economy and urban resilience was also calculated. First, we found that the quality level of the marine economy climbed in waves, forming a spatial distribution pattern that was highest in the Circum–Bohai Sea Region, followed by the Yangtze River Delta Region and the Pearl River Delta Region, and lowest in the Urban Agglomeration in the West Coast, and the gap between regions gradually narrowed. Second, the level of urban resilience gradually increased, and the regional differences varied greatly among cities, exhibiting a spatial distribution pattern that was high in the center and low in the surrounding area. Third, the coordination between the marine economy and urban resilience steadily increased, forming a spatial distribution pattern that was high in the Circum–Bohai Sea Region and Yangtze River Delta Region, and low in the Pearl River Delta Region and Urban Agglomeration in the West Coast. Fourth, the coordination gap between the regional and intra-regional marine economy and urban resilience was reduced, and the coordination between regional marine economy and urban resilience changed from two-level differentiation to diversification.

Holocene molluscan succession and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the upper Moulouya basin: New data from the Sidi Bouramdan site (Morocco)

This work focuses on litho-stratigraphic and malacological studies of the fluvial deposits of the Middle Moulouya, which are used to reconstruct the paleoenvironments and paleoclimates of Morocco during the Holocene. The objectives were to deduce environmental and climatic changes from the study of fluvial deposits known for their richness in paleontological remains and their spatial and temporal variations. The chronostratigraphic framework of the fluvial record is based on the radiocarbon dating of a dozen charcoal assemblages.Sidi Bouramdan is located in the Midelt region in the Ksabi basin (the Middle Moulouya) of Morocco. The Holocene plain morphodynamics are characterised by a cut-and-fill terrace system associated with a progressive deepening of the riverbed. At the level of Sidi Bouramdan, a geomorphological and lithological study identified five Holocene nested terraces of over 10-m sedimentary thickness, dated to between 10248 and 10649 cal BP and 782–921 cal BP. These show a strong chronostratigraphic discontinuity with formations of the middle Holocene period being locally absent, probably because they were destroyed by the evolution of the alluvial plain.Forty-four mollusc species were identified in the malacological study of this fluvial Holocene sequence, with changes in the malacological communities reflecting environmental variations in the fluvial system. The Upper Holocene terrace T0 was characterized by marshland-preferring species, thereby revealing a wet environment. In the other three lower Late Holocene terraces, aquatic species tended to disappear, and terrestrial species predominated, indicating the appearance and development of a dry environment in phase with paleoenvironmental data from various regional marine and continental sedimentary archives.

Impact of Indian Ocean Dipole Events on Phytoplankton Size Classes Distribution in the Arabian Sea

Changes in the environmental condition associated with climatic events could potentially influence the PSC dynamics of the regional marine ecosystem. The Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) is one of the critical ocean–atmosphere interactions that affects the climate of the Arabian Sea, and it could be a potential factor influencing the regional PSC distribution. However, the relationship between PSC and IOD remains unclear and less explored. In this study, using the in-situ database acquired from the Arabian Sea, we reparametrized the three−component abundance−based phytoplankton size class model and applied it to reconstructed satellite−derived chlorophyll−a concentration to extract the fractional contribution of phytoplankton size classes to chlorophyll−a concentration. Further, we investigated the influence of IOD on the changes in the biological–physical properties in the Arabian Sea. The results showed that the biological–physical processes in the Arabian Sea are interlinked and the changes in the IOD mode control the physical variables like sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height (SSH), and mixed layer depth (MLD), which influence the specific PSC abundance. Unprecedented changes in the PSC distribution and physical properties were observed during the extreme positive and negative IOD events, which clearly indicated the potential role of IOD in altering the PSC distribution in the Arabian Sea. This study highlights the impact of extreme climate events on PSC distribution and the need for a better understanding of the associated physical–biological–climate interactions.

An initial consideration of data availability issues in downscaling ocean accounting to inform sustainable aquaculture development: The example of Clew Bay, Ireland.

With the international prioritisation of sustainable development for management of marine resources and areas, those involved in marine industry are seeking how they progress their environmental, economic and social relationships, in a sustainable manner. Ocean accounting is an emerging tool that may enable stakeholders to integrate data and information from different disciplinary areas, bringing it together to facilitate sustainable development. The case of Clew Bay, Ireland is examined to see the extent to which ocean accounts may be translated to a regional marine area. The study identifies significant gaps between nationally available marine data sets and the regional requirements of ocean accounts. These reflect past marine governance, management and policy approaches and suggests that progressing ocean accounts in regional areas will require significant realignment and adaptation by agencies providing marine data to meet the needs of stakeholder groups such as aquaculturists. The case study indicates that pilot exercises based around ocean account information are required for government agencies and stakeholders to develop more integrated plans for a sustainable industry and regional community.

Radium isotope assessment of submarine groundwater discharge and associated nutrient inputs in Eastern Liaodong Bay, China

The accurate assessment of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and associated nutrient fluxes plays a significant role in water resources management and ecological environment protection in the coastal area. Currently, Liaodong Bay has become one of the most polluted marine areas in China. However, the nutrient fluxes carried by the SGD and its environmental effects have not yet been thoroughly reported in eastern Liaodong Bay, China. In this study, the distribution of 224Ra/223Ra activity ratio and its influencing factors under the geochemical conditions were explored. The activity of radium was affected by the water type and the geochemical factors. The radium isotopes in seawater were positively correlated with the ratios of Mg2+/Na+ and Ca2+/Na+ but negatively correlated with salinity and SO42−. The average apparent water age was evaluated to be 13.0 days. Furthermore, based on the radium mass balance model, the total average SGD flux was calculated to be 1.31 × 108 m3 day–1. The nutrient fluxes carried by the SGD were 7.16 × 107, 1.01 × 106, 1.61 × 107, 0.92 × 106, and 5.41 × 107 mol day−1 for DIN, DIP, NH4+, NO2−, and NO3−, respectively. The nutrient inputs through the SGD have an average DIN : DIP ratio of 70, which was able to seriously affect the ecological environment. The SGD-derived nutrient fluxes were higher than the local river input, which demonstrated that the SGD was a major source of nutrients affecting regional marine ecosystems.

Toward Regional Marine Ecological Forecasting Using Global Climate Model Predictions From Subseasonal to Decadal Timescales: Bottlenecks and Recommendations

This perspective paper discusses how the research community can promote enhancement of marine ecosystem forecasts using physical ocean conditions predicted by global climate models (GCMs). We review the major climate prediction projects and outline new research opportunities to achieve skillful marine biological forecasts. Physical ocean conditions are operationally predicted for subseasonal to seasonal timescales, and multi-year predictions have been enhanced recently. However, forecasting applications are currently limited by the availability of oceanic data; most subseasonal-to-seasonal prediction projects make only sea-surface temperature (SST) publicly available, though other variables useful for biological forecasts are also calculated in GCMs. To resolve the bottleneck of data availability, we recommend that climate prediction centers increase the range of ocean data available to the public, perhaps starting with an expanded suite of 2-dimensional variables, whose storage requirements are much smaller than 3-dimensional variables. Allowing forecast output to be downloaded for a selected region, rather than the whole globe, would also facilitate uptake. We highlight new research opportunities in both physical forecasting (e.g., new approaches to dynamical and statistical downscaling) and biological forecasting (e.g., conducting biological reforecasting experiments) and offer lessons learned to help guide their development. In order to accelerate this research area, we also suggest establishing case studies (i.e., particular climate and biological events as prediction targets) to improve coordination. Advancing our capacity for marine biological forecasting is crucial for the success of the UN Decade of Ocean Science, for which one of seven desired outcomes is “A Predicted Ocean”.

How do El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Events Impact Fish Catch in Sarawak Water?

The response of chlorophyll to climate variability plays an important role in regulating the regional marine ecological environment and carbon cycle. This study focuses on the impact of changes in chlorophyll on the catches of deep-water fish and offshore fish. The chlorophyll factors from satellite image MODIS were analysed during La Niña in 2008/2011 and El Niño in 2015/2016. Remote sensing reflectance’s 443 nanometres and 555 nanometres were utilized to examine the bias of the chlorophyll concentration, Thus the higher phytoplankton absorption coefficient at 443, and backscattering coefficient for dissolved and detrital material stated the more phytoplankton biomass and higher suspended sediment concentration. The results found that the fish catch during El Niño is higher at 295572 metric tons compared to during La Niña which is 255783 metric tons. The El Niño event was found to have experienced an increase in catch of 29789 metric tons. This is due to the influence of the change in the mean value of the concentration in the study area of 0.31 mg-3 during La Niña compared to during El Niño 0.4 m mg-3. A decrease in the average value concentration of -0.09 mg-3 resulted in a decrease in the number of catches. In addition, the maximum value of chlorophyll concentration was also found to be high during El Niño which is 22 m mg-3 compared to during La Niña which is 18 m mg-3. The high distribution of chlorophyll-a is in the coastal areas of Sarawak, which explains why the coastal fish catches are higher than in the deep sea. It is concluded that the distribution of chlorophyll concentration is different during the occurrence of ENSO. This may result in different fishing rates in the study area. Remote sensing technology successfully explains why fish catches during El Niño are higher than during La Niña based on different chlorophyll dispersions. The provision of information in this space is very important to fishermen to reduce operating costs.

Projected climate change impact on a coastal sea-As significant as all current pressures combined.

Climate change influences the ocean's physical and biogeochemical conditions, causing additional pressures on marine environments and ecosystems, now and in the future. Such changes occur in environments that already today suffer under pressures from, for example, eutrophication, pollution, shipping, and more. We demonstrate how to implement climate change into regional marine spatial planning by introducing data of future temperature, salinity, and sea ice cover from regional ocean climate model projections to an existing cumulative impact model. This makes it possible to assess climate change impact in relation to pre‐existing cumulative impact from current human activities. Results indicate that end‐of‐century projected climate change alone is a threat of the same magnitude as the combination of all current pressures to the marine environment. These findings give marine planners and policymakers forewarning on how future climate change may impact marine ecosystems, across space, emission scenarios, and in relation to other pressures.

Movement, Behavior, and Habitat Use of Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus) in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are found circumglobally in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters, and their known seasonal aggregations and migratory movements are influenced by factors such as ocean currents, thermobiological systems, and patterns of productivity. Several locations in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean are known habitats for R. typus; Although it has long been known that whale sharks aggregate along the Panama coast, little is known in relation to their movement patterns, behavior, and habitat use. In this study, we investigated the movements and behaviors of R. typus tagged in Panama in relation to oceanographic variables and examined the overlap of foraging habitat and migratory routes with marine protected areas (MPAs), industrial fishing areas, and marine traffic. Satellite tracks from 30 R. typus tagged in the coastal waters of Panama were examined, including nine tags suspicious of earlier detachment. A hidden Markov model was then used to identify different behavioral states (foraging and migrating) and their relationships with environmental variables (sea surface temperature, primary productivity, chlorophyll-a concentrations, and eddy location/speed) Tracks were also superimposed on maps of MPAs, industrial fishing areas, and regional marine vessel traffic to identify the degree of overlap. Rhincodon typus foraged mainly within the Panamanian exclusive economic zone but also moved north and south along the coast and out to the open ocean. Significant differences in environmental conditions were found between sites in which foraging and migrating behaviors were recorded. Higher productivity and chlorophyl concentration were associated with foraging behavior, while higher eddy speeds were observed when sharks migrated. Rhincodon typus used MPAs; however, there was a high degree of overlap between their habitat and areas of industrial fishing and marine vessel traffic. Our results highlight the use of the coastal waters of Panama, oceanic seamounts, and ridges, MPAs and industrial fishing areas by R. typus for foraging and migration. Additionally, our findings highlight the importance of satellite tracking studies for understanding the behavior and habitat use of highly mobile migratory species, such as R. typus.