title: Understanding the distribution of marine megafauna in the English channel region: identifying key habitats for conservation within the busiest seaway on earth.
abstract: The temperate waters of the North-Eastern Atlantic have a long history of maritime resource richness and, as a result, the European Union is endeavouring to maintain regional productivity and biodiversity. At the intersection of these aims lies potential conflict, signalling the need for integrated, cross-border management approaches. This paper focuses on the marine megafauna of the region. This guild of consumers was formerly abundant, but is now depleted and protected under various national and international legislative structures. We present a meta-analysis of available megafauna datasets using presence-only distribution models to characterise suitable habitat and identify spatially-important regions within the English Channel and southern bight of the North Sea. The integration of studies from dedicated and opportunistic observer programmes in the United Kingdom and France provide a valuable perspective on the spatial and seasonal distribution of various taxonomic groups, including large pelagic fishes and sharks, marine mammals, seabirds and marine turtles. The Western English Channel emerged as a hotspot of biodiversity for megafauna, while species richness was low in the Eastern English Channel. Spatial conservation planning is complicated by the highly mobile nature of marine megafauna, however they are important components of the marine environment and understanding their distribution is a first crucial step toward their inclusion into marine ecosystem management.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: McClellan
authors.affiliation: Marinelife, Bridport, Dorset, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brereton
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Études et de Soins pour les Tortues Marines, Aquarium La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dell'Amico
authors.affiliation: Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Plymouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.affiliation: International Fund for Animal Welfare and Marine Conservation Research International, Kelvedon, Essex, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Anna-C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cucknell
authors.affiliation: Biosciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Samantha C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Patrick
authors.affiliation: Marine Environmental Monitoring, Llechryd, Ceredigion, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Penrose
authors.affiliation: Observatoire PELAGIS, Université de La Rochelle-CNRS, La Rochelle, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ridoux
authors.affiliation: Marine Conservation Society, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Solandt
authors.affiliation: Association Pour l'Etude et la Conservation des Sélaciens, Brest, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stephan
authors.affiliation: Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Votier
authors.affiliation: Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Brendan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Godley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D001717:Birds; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D005399:Fishes; D008322:Mammals; D008386:Marine Biology / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D014426:Turtles