Scientists name world's most important marine conservation hotspots

Study finds

20 sites are essential for the survival of marine mammals

Scientists have identified the 20 most important regions of the world's oceans and lakes that are essential for the survival of marine mammals on the planet such as seals and porpoises. Their analysis also shows, however, that most of these areas are already under pressure from human activities such as pollution and maritime transport.

marine ecosystems around the world are deteriorating rapidly, according to Sandra Pompa, an ecologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico who led the study, particularly because of habitat degradation, introduced species exotic and overexploitation of natural resources. Many species of marine mammals have experienced a loss of population and more serious - including the Caribbean monk seal, the sea of ??the Atlantic gray whale cow Steller - have disappeared in the 20th century by the trade of their skin, fat and meat

Pompa

led a team of scientists to try to identify which parts of the world's oceans were higher for 129 of the world, populations of marine mammals. Their findings, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed nine key sites of global conservation of 84% of marine mammal species and 11 "irreplaceable" conservation areas that contain species found nowhere else.

For the study, separated by oceans to a network of approximately 10,000 square kilometers boxes and examined the species living in the boxes. The boxes were also assigned values ??depending on whether you are important feeding areas or were on migration routes.

• primary conservation areas, which contains 108 species, the coast of Baja California, the U.S. northeast, Peru, Argentina, northwest of Africa, Africa South, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The 11 small conservation areas, each containing unique species specific to them, including areas around Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands, Lake Baikal in Siberia and the great rivers like the Amazon, Ganges and Yangtze.

Pompa is also correlated with an information card on the human impacts such as climate change, ocean pollution and based on commercial shipping. Areas where there was a marked impact was zero, while the high impact areas scored three. "Seventy percent of the worst affected areas were close to a key site for conservation," said Pompa. "We compete with [mammals] in terms of navigation or pollution of the ocean. We want to build industrial or tourist attractions and is home."

Mariners next mammal species are threatened with extinction, according to the researchers, is Mexico vaquita, a porpoise endemic to small a small geographic area in the northern part of Baja California. It is believed to be about 250 individuals in the wild.