MiCO Publications & Events

Publications

In July 2023, Biological Conservation published “Synthesizing connectivity information from migratory marine species for area-based management” by Kot CY, et al. We conducted a literature review on data collected for 173 marine mammal, marine fish, sea turtle, and seabird species and determined that tracking animal movements with telemetry methods was the most effective tool for demonstrating ecological connectivity.
Network analysis of sea turtle movements and connectivity: A tool for conservation prioritization by Kot CY, et al. was published February 2022 in Diversity and Distributions. This paper aims at understanding the spatial ecology of animal movements by analyzing networks developed from movements of six sea turtle species, which reveals marine connectivity and can help prioritize conservation efforts.
“The importance of migratory connectivity for global ocean policy” by Dunn DC, Harrison A-L et al. was published September 2019 in Proceedings B of the Royal Society.
In collaboration with UNEP-WCMC, MiCO developed three migratory connectivity case studies as part of the ABNJ Deep Seas Project. More information can be found here.
EcoMagazine featured an article about MiCO in their May/June 2019 issue, “International Consortium Releases Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO) Systems,” by Poulin S., Curtice C, and Dunn D.
In May 2019, Trends in Ecology and Evolution published “Translating Marine Animal Tracking Data into Conservation Policy and Management” by Hays GC, et al.
The April 2019 Marine Turtle Newsletter included a report by Kot CY, Poulin S, and Deland S. 2019. “Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean Workshop 2019 report”.

We’ve captured the essentials about MiCO in a brochure handout for use at conferences and other meetings. Our first case study, Cory’s shearwater, and the infographic illustrating how MiCO bridges the gap between research and the many ongoing policy and government efforts to better manage our oceans for various uses are included, as well as essential information on the project and the partnerships leading the consortium.

Get the MiCO brochure (11MB PDF)

Events

The World Marine Mammal Science Conference, in Barcelona, Spain (December 2019)
Workshop on migratory connectivity and conference presentation at the Species on the Move Conference in Kruger National Park, South Africa (July 2019)
Presentation at a workshop hosted by UNEP-WCMC ABNJ Deep Seas and STRONG High Seas Projects: “Science for Solutions: Bringing Stakeholders Together to Improve Ocean Planning and Governance in ABNJ of the South-East Atlantic and Western Indian Ocean” (June 2019)
As part of the ongoing negotiations over a new high seas treaty, MiCO co-organized a side event at the 2nd Intergovernmental Conference on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) in New York with UNEP-WCMC and the Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur (CPPS), hosted by the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the UN. At the event, we formally launched the MiCO system, providing examples of how migratory species connect national jurisdictions and areas beyond national jurisdiction and discussed the implications of connectivity to the development of environmental impacts assessments and area-based management tools under a new high seas treaty. (April 1, 2019)
International Sea Turtle Symposium, Charleston, SC US; Workshop on Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean: Global Sea Turtle Migratory Routes and Connected Areas. (February 2, 2019)
A side event by GOBI at the 1st Intergovernmental Conference on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). The focus will be on data and capacity development to support baseline information critical to the implementation of a new treaty and delivery on Sustainable Development Goals. MiCO will be a key example of a project attempting to aggregate or develop such baseline information. (September 2018)
American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Atlantic City, NJ US. The presentation by Guillermo Ortuño Crespo can be found here. (August 2018)
UNEP-WCMC presentation at the Science to Policy Forum in the Western Indian Ocean Region (a project of the Nairobi Convention in partnership with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and the Indian Ocean Commission). Included two case studies developed by MiCO to describe connectivity between EEZs and transboundary connectivity involving ABNJ. (July 2018)
World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Montreal, Canada; Conference talk by Daniel Dunn as part of the GOBI session, presenting literature review progress and initial pilot project results. Participation in the CBD / EBSA vendor booth with a demo video running and brochure handout available. (May 2018)
The OBIS Event Data Workshop on animal tagging and tracking data, Oostende, Belgium; Participation and presentation by Connie Kot. (April 2018)
Ellie Heywood participated in the 3rd Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) workshop in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia working with regional experts to identify known areas of importance in the North East Indian Ocean and South East Asian Seas region. (March 2018)
The Pacific Seabird Group meeting, La Paz Mexico; Poster presented by steering committee member Lisa Ballance, NOAA Fisheries / Scripps Institution of Oceanography. (February 2018)