A new perspective led by Assoc Prof Ana Sequeira, Founder & Lead Coordinator of MegaMove, outlines how the large-scale movements of marine megafauna can be harnessed as a nature-based solution to help finance the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Published in npj Ocean Sustainability, the paper introduces the concept of ecosystem services “on the move”—recognising that migratory species such as whales, sharks, and turtles generate ecological, economic, and cultural value as they travel across national and international boundaries. These mobile species connect countries with different capacities and conservation priorities, but the services they provide—from carbon regulation and nutrient cycling to tourism and cultural heritage—are often overlooked. This paper shows that these services can be accounted for through existing economic frameworks to assist global financing.

Building directly on the principles of MegaMove, which coordinates and synthesises global marine megafauna movement data to inform conservation across jurisdiction, this study proposes that the animal movements can form the basis for credit schemes, Official Development Assistance (ODA), and other financing tools.

The study provides a practical pathway from where MegaMove’s data, scientific infrastructure and collaborative model can support implementation of a global finance system to support marine megafauna conservation.