Delivering effective marine protection on the high seas remains a major challenge, particularly for highly mobile species whose movements span vast ocean areas and multiple jurisdictions. Here, we present results from the MegaMove project, an international UN Ocean Decade–endorsed initiative involving nearly 400 researchers from 49 countries, aimed at providing a robust, evidence‑based foundation for global marine conservation planning.
Using the largest global tracking dataset ever assembled for marine megafauna, encompassing flying seabirds, cetaceans, sharks and other fishes, penguins, polar bears, seals, sirenians, and turtles, we identify critical areas used for key life‑history behaviours, including residency and long‑distance migration. Our analyses reveal that these species rely heavily on a set of ecologically important areas, many of which occur on the high seas and remain poorly represented within existing marine protected areas.
We further show that priority areas for marine megafauna conservation exhibit extensive spatial overlap with major anthropogenic pressures, including commercial fishing, shipping, noise, plastic pollution, and climate‑driven warming. By integrating species‑specific vulnerability with threat exposure, we present a spatial risk framework to support more targeted, science‑based management decisions.
Together, these results demonstrate how global tracking data can directly inform the delivery of high‑seas protection by identifying where marine protected areas, complemented by strategic mitigation measures, can most effectively reduce human impacts and support international biodiversity targets.