The MegaMove project, which includes a global dataset valued at > US$ 50,000,000 including ~15,000 tracks of marine vertebrates obtained through contribution from the more than 400 members worldwide, is well positioned to provide a significant contribution to the aims of the UN Ocean Decade recently launched. The full-encompassing geographical and inter-jurisdictional range covered by the tracked movements of more than 100 marine vertebrates in the MegaMove dataset will be key to understand the extent of impacts of impacts associated with blue economy developments. The scientific outputs from MegaMove can easily be re-framed for non-scientists and articulated to align with key global oceans and environmental treaties to best bridge the science-policy interface and maximise opportunities for advancing global marine megafauna conservation and achieving a healthy ocean environment. The MegaMove steering committee, which includes world-renowned movement ecologists, macroecologists, modellers, and big data scientists, joined efforts with experts in oceanography and global environmental governance and international law to highlight how MegaMove can best address the goals of the ocean decade.
We are delighted with this outcome and look forward to assist creating ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’!