Marine habitat 'hotspots' and their use by migratory species and top predators in the North Pacific Ocean: Introduction

摘要

Spatial variability in ocean ecosystem functions and dynamics is a growing aspect of investigations in marine ecology. Recent studies involving offshore and nearshore oceanographic surveys, remote-sensing, tagging technology, and geospatial analyses have revealed greater complexity in spatial ecosystem structure and bio-physical interactions than has been previously recognized (Etnoyer et al., 2004; Leslie et al., 2005; Worm et al., 2005). Top predators, including marine birds, sea turtles, large predatory fishes, pinnipeds and cetaceans are conspicuous ecological constituents of pelagic ecosystems and have been the focus of much of this research. Many of these taxa are economically, culturally and recreationally important, supporting commercial and artisanal fisheries and ecotourism.