Scott A. Shaffer, Steffen Oppel, April Hedd, Henri Weimerskirch, Benjamin Metzger, John P. Y. Arnould, Richard J. Cuthbert, Martin Beal, José Pedro Granadeiro, Christopher J. R. Robertson, José Manuel Reyes-González, Lorna Deppe, Paul M. Sagar, Valentina Colodro, William A. Montevecchi, Carolina Hazin, Matthieu Le Corre, Mark Carey, Flavio Quintana, Richard A. Phillips, Jill A. Awkerman, Michelle Antolos, José Manuel Arcos, Susan M. Waugh, Christopher A. Surman, Daniel Oro, Elizabeth J. Pearmain, Jaimie Cleeland, Leia Navarro-Herrero, Tim Reid, Karine Delord, Zuzana Zajková, Virginia Morera-Pujol, Manuela G. Forero, Vikash Tatayah, D. G. Nicholls, Takashi Yamamoto, Graeme A. Taylor, Peter Hodum, Audrey Jaeger, Ryan D. Carle, Herculano Andrade Dinis, Robert M. Suryan, David R. Thompson, Ridha Ouni, R. Paul Scofield, Kiyoaki Ozaki, Amanda N. D. Freeman, Elizabeth A. Bell, Ross M. Wanless, José Manuel Igual, Graham Robertson, Kim L. Stevens, Javier Arata, Todd J. Landers, Jonathan J. Felis, Josh Adams, Deon Nel, David J. Anderson, Ben J. Dilley, Paulo Catry, Fumio Sato, Teresa Militão, Michael A. Bell, Mohamed Salah Romdhane, Akinori Takahashi, Raül Ramos, Peter G. Ryan, Nirmal Shah, Kath Walker, Stefan Schoombie, Marta Cruz-Flores, Akira Fukuda, Thomas A. Clay, Fernanda De Felipe, Graeme Elliott, Jacob González-Solís, Laura Zango, Leigh G. Torres, Maria P. Dias, Azwianewi B. Makhado, Melinda G. Conners, European Commission, National Science Foundation (US), Universidad de Barcelona, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Generalitat de Catalunya, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre [Portugal] (MARE), Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida = University Institute of Psychological, Social and Life Sciences (ISPA), BirdLife International, British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Western Ecological Research Center, Wake Forest University, Oregon State University (OSU), SEO/BirdLife, Deakin University [Burwood], U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wildlife Management International Limited, La Trobe University, Oikonos Ecosysteme Knowledge [Chile], University of Liverpool, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge [Chile], University of California [Santa Cruz] (UC Santa Cruz), University of California (UC), Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat - Biodiversity Research Institute [Barcelona, Spain] (IRBio UB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), World Land Trust, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), The Hutton’s Shearwater Charitable Trust, Associação Projecto Vitó, New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC), DoC, CSIC, EBD, E-41080 Seville, Spain, Partenaires INRAE, Nature North, University of Shizuoka, Universidade de Lisboa = University of Lisbon (ULISBOA), Environment and Climate Change Canada, University of Puget Sound, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avancats (IMEDEA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC)-Universidad de las Islas Baleares (UIB), Ecologie marine tropicale dans les Océans Pacifique et Indien (ENTROPIE [Réunion]), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Auckland [Auckland], Auckland Museum, Auckland Council, Department of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries [South Africa] (Oceans and Coasts), BirdLife [Malta], Memorial University of Newfoundland = Université Memorial de Terre-Neuve [St. John's, Canada] (MUN), WWF-Netherlands, Chisholm Institute, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Faculté des Sciences Mathématiques, Physiques et Naturelles de Tunis (FST), Université de Tunis El Manar (UTM), Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos [Chubut] (IBIOMAR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [Buenos Aires] (CONICET), University of Tasmania [Hobart, Australia] (UTAS), Wild Press, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research [Christchurch] (NIWA), Canterbury Museum, San Jose State University [San Jose] (SJSU), Nature Seychelles, Halfmoon Biosciences, National Institute of Polar Research [Tokyo] (NiPR), Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research [Wellington] (NIWA), National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU), Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences (MIMS), Meiji University [Tokyo], Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida (ISPA), University of California [Santa Cruz] (UCSC), University of California, Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Universidade de Lisboa (ULISBOA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Memorial University of Newfoundland [St. John's], San Jose State University [San José] (SJSU), and Meiji university
Migratory marine species cross political borders and enter the high seas, where the lack of an effective global management framework for biodiversity leaves them vulnerable to threats. Here, we combine 10,108 tracks from 5775 individual birds at 87 sites with data on breeding population sizes to estimate the relative year-round importance of national jurisdictions and high seas areas for 39 species of albatrosses and large petrels. Populations from every country made extensive use of the high seas, indicating the stake each country has in the management of biodiversity in international waters. We quantified the links among national populations of these threatened seabirds and the regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) which regulate fishing in the high seas. This work makes explicit the relative responsibilities that each country and RFMO has for the management of shared biodiversity, providing invaluable information for the conservation and management of migratory species in the marine realm., This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 766417. Research made possible with the support, permissions, and funding granted by the following organizations, institutions, and grant agreements: Marine Conservation Program of DPIPWE Tasmania; American Bird Conservancy; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; communities of Isla Mocha and Islas Juan Fernández; Corporación Nacional Forestal and Servicio Agrícola y Ganadería (Chile); Environment Canada; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the National Geographic Society; ProDelphinus; and the Wallis Foundation; NSF grants DEB 9304579, DEB 9629539, DEB9806606, DEB0235818, and DEB 0842199 to D.J.A.; the National Geographic Society; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystems Mission Area, Wake Forest University; Max-Planck Society and State of Baden-Wuerttemberg Innovation funding; Colorado State University International Programs; Swiss Friends of Galapagos; the International Center for Tropical Ecology at University of Missouri-St. Louis; the Instituto Antartico Chileno (INACH) and the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD); LIFE “Marine IBAs IN Spain” (LIFE04NAT/ES/000049, 2004-2009) and LIFE+ INDEMARES (2009-2014); Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc.; Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment; and Winifred Violet Scott Trust; FCT-Portugal through projects (UIDB/04292/2020 and UIDP/04292/2020 and UIDP/50017/2020 and UIDB/50017/2020, granted to MARE and CESAM, respectively); the Falklands Islands Government; Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) core funding to British Antarctic Survey Ecosystems Programme and Official Development Assistance Atlantic Islands project (NE/ R000 107/1); the New Zealand Department of Conservation; Ministry for Primary Industries; Ngāti Rehua Ngāti Wai ki Aotea; Falklands Island Conservation; University of Barcelona (APIF/2015, to M.C.-F.); the French Polar Institute (program IPEV n°109 to H.W.); Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises; and the Zones Atelier Antarctique (LTSER France, CNRS-INEE); European funds through the European Commission Training and Mobility of Researchers Programme (ERBFMBICT983030); Spanish funds through the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (REN2002-01164/GLO), Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (CGL2006-01315/BOS), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (CGL2009-11278/BOS), and Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CGL2013-42585-P); Catalan funds through the Generalitat de Catalunya (2001SGR00091); and additional funding from SEO/BirdLife (programa Migra & proyecto LIFE+ Indemares), Fundación Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BIOCON04/099) and Fundación Biodiversidad (18PCA4328, 2012-2013); NSERC Discovery Grant and Government of Canada’s Program for International Polar Year to W.A.M.; and an ACAP AC Grant in 2013-14, predoctoral contract BES-2017-079874 of the Spanish Ministerio de Industria, Economía y Competitividad (to L.N.-H.); Spanish Foundation for Biodiversity and Spanish Ministry of Science grant ref. CGL2013-42203-R; the Pew Environment Group via the Pew Fellowship Award in Marine Conservation (to M.L.C.); National Research Foundation; South Africa and Oceans and Coasts; Department of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries; Malta Seabird Project (LIFE10NAT/MT/090) co-funded by the LIFE program of the European Commission and the Maltese Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Bird and the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds; predoctoral contract BES-2014-068025 of the Spanish Ministerio de Industria, Economía y Competitividad (to V.M.-P.); Scientific Expert PIM initiative (Petites Iles de Méditerranée); the PIM initiative (Petites Iles de Méditerranée); the Tunisian Coastal Protection and Planning Agency (APAL); Ministry of the Environment, Japan; Funding by Fundación Ecocentro, Argentina; Wildlife Conservation Society, USA; and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Argentina; Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), postdoctoral contracts by Beatriu de Pinós (2010-BP_A-00173), Juan de la Cierva (JCI-2009-05426), PLEAMAR (2017/2349), and Ramón y Cajal (RYC-2017-22055) programme (to R.R.); Seventh Framework Programme (Research Executive Agency of the European Commission, 618841, FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG); Fondation Total pour la Biodiversité (project: Trophic ecology and impacts of bycatch on the avifauna communities of Zembra archipelago); Agence de Protection et d’Aménagement du Littoral (APAL-Tunisia); Killam Postdoctoral fellowship from Dalhousie University; South African National Antarctic Programme; ACAP; Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument; NOAA; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Kakenhi grant 19651100 and 15H02857; National Parks and Conservation Service (Mauritius) (to M.L.C.); IPEV Prog 109; and NASA. The use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. government. The scientific results and conclusions, as well as any views or opinions expressed herein, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NOAA or the Department of Commerce. This communication reflects only the authors’ view, and the Research Executive Agency of the European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Z.Z. acknowledges funding from a predoctoral grant (APIF/2012) from the University of Barcelona. J.Ad. acknowledges funding from the U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystems Mission Area, U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Pacific OCS Region.