Methods to estimate marine functional connectivity: A primer

Area of Science:

• Marine ecology
• Oceanography
• Conservation biology

Background:

• Organism movement drives essential ecological processes like gene flow and energy transfer, collectively known as marine functional connectivity (MFC).
• Accurate estimation of MFC is vital for addressing environmental changes, overexploitation, habitat loss, and invasive species, but ocean inaccessibility and small organism sizes pose challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a methodological roadmap for estimating organism movement and marine functional connectivity (MFC).
• To guide researchers and stakeholders in understanding, utilizing, and integrating various tools for MFC assessment.
• To review ancillary and emerging methods and present case studies for practical applications.

Main Methods:

• Tagging and telemetry for tracking organism movement.
• Analysis of chemical markers in biological tissues.
• Genetic analyses to infer population connectivity.
• Numerical modeling to simulate dispersal patterns.

Main Results:

• The study outlines the strengths, weaknesses, and spatiotemporal resolution of different MFC estimation methods.
• Case studies demonstrate successful application of integrated methods in marine protected area design, global change prediction, and fisheries management.
• Methodological innovations are highlighted to advance future MFC research.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding and integration of diverse methods are essential for accurate MFC estimation.
• Effective MFC assessment supports crucial applications such as marine conservation, climate change impact prediction, and sustainable fisheries management.
• Future innovations promise to significantly enhance the field of marine functional connectivity research.