The "why and how" of marine functional connectivity for sustainable development

Marine Functional Connectivity (MFC) is a dynamic ecosystem process encompassing all the flows (of individuals, genes, matter and energy) driven by changes in the distribution and movement of marine organisms at sea and across the land-sea-air interface. Continuing advances in MFC understanding enhance our ability to evaluate the status, trends, and variability in marine species abundance, the drivers of change, and the role of marine species movement in the functioning of the biosphere. Ultimately, good knowledge of MFC is fundamental to advance models and forecasts of species and ecosystem distributions and resilience, and to develop scenarios that are possible outcomes of policy decisions. This talk explores how MFC knowledge can best improve the design of effective strategies for the sustainable and equitable use of marine ecosystems and resources. It summarizes practical transdisciplinary findings from several expert groups, convened in 2024 by the European COST Action/UN-Ocean Decade project SEA-UNICORN, the O-CONNECT working group of the French OMER GDR, and the UN-Ocean Decade Programme Marine Life 2030 to initiate the co-design of “the connectivity science and decision-making tools we need for the ocean we want”. Bringing together over 80 scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders from 22 countries, this initiative led to the production of key recommendations on how best to advance MFC data production and use to enhance: (1) Marine Protected Area design and management; (2) fisheries management; (3) blue economy development; (4) integrated management at the land-sea interface; (5) coastal and marine restoration; and (6) deep seas and high seas exploration and management.