Abstract

To efficiently protect marine migratory species and conserve marine biodiversity, knowledge of animal movements and how these movements relate to political boundaries and current marine protected areas and/or marine sanctuaries is required. We used satellite tracking to study the movements of migratory Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) within the area of the Northern Lesser Antilles during their 2014 reproductive season (mission MEGARA 2014). Eight individuals were followed for an average of 13 ± 11 days (max = 26 days). During that time, Humpback whales traveled back and forth between islands and revealed an unexpected strong connectivity between the islands of Saint-Martin, Anguilla, Saint-Barthélemy, and Barbuda on one hand, and Saint-Martin, Anguilla, the Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic on the other hand. Humpback whales therefore seem to be a shared resource among the islands and countries of the Northern Lesser Antilles and Great Antilles highlighting the need for regional cooperation and offering scientific support for a larger transboundary marine sanctuary. Ultimately, such partnership between the AGOA sanctuary, the sanctuary of the Dutch islands, and the waters of Anguilla would support a common strategy for joint conservation and scientific actions on the totality of the breeding ground of Humpback whales in the Northern Lesser Antilles and help conserve marine biodiversity.

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