What is MiCO?
Advancements in animal tracking technology are enabling far greater data collection on migration patterns than ever before.
These data continue to broaden our understanding of the connectivity generated by migratory marine species—the critical habitats they depend on throughout their life cycles, and the pathways between them.
However, while the amount of data continues to grow exponentially, efforts to synthesize and provide access to information on migratory connectivity for management and policy has lagged behind. By transforming these data into actionable knowledge, it can more effectively be incorporated into international management and policy frameworks to aid in the conservation and sustainable use of migratory species.
Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO) is a consortium developing an extensive open-access system with the end goal of connecting global processes with actionable knowledge on migratory connectivity to inform worldwide conservation and sustainable use efforts.
This growing consortium of more than 50 organizations is led by the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab (MGEL) of Duke University.
Through the creation of this easily accessible, actionable geospatial knowledge hub, migratory connectivity can be appropriately factored into area-based planning processes, and contribute to more meaningful environmental assessments.