A perspective on quantifying the attractiveness of seamounts for marine megafauna

A perspective on quantifying the attractiveness of seamounts for marine megafauna | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 18 December 2025 V2 Latest version Share on A perspective on quantifying the attractiveness of seamounts for marine megafauna Authors : Lindsey Broadus 0000-0003-0812-4879 [email protected] , Gemma Carroll , Jacob Gonzalez-Sols , Lea-Anne Henry , Astrid Leitner , Sanjina Upadhyay Stæhr , Cordula Göke 0000-0003-0655-4816 , … Show All … , Andreas Holbach , Verónica Neves , Vitor Paiva 0000-0001-6368-9579 , Petra Quillfeldt , Francesco Ventura , Morten Frederiksen , and Christian Mohn Show Fewer Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174599647.77520271/v2 628 views 293 downloads Contents Abstract INTRODUCTION Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Seamounts are underwater mountains with unique hydrodynamic properties that play a major role in supporting marine biodiversity and biological productivity. Here, we address current research on factors contributing to seamount attractiveness for marine life, examining physical characteristics, environmental conditions, and interactions with marine megafauna. Our examination explores how physical data, marine megafauna tracking, environmental parameters, and fisheries information can improve our understanding of these complex ecosystems. Abundant seabird tracking data from the Cabo Verde and Azores archipelagos make ideal case studies to quantify how specific seamount characteristics attract marine species, particularly seabirds, at fine scales. Multi-species predictive modeling is needed to identify biological hotspots and their relationships to seamount hydrodynamics. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing effective marine conservation strategies for seamount ecosystems, especially considering increasing anthropogenic pressures and global climate change. We propose six priority research directions to address knowledge gaps and inform conservation measures that protect these refuges of ocean biodiversity. INTRODUCTION Seamounts are isolated topographic elevations rising at least 1000 meters from the seafloor, with summits often a few hundred meters below the surface or within the photic zone (Wessel et al., 2010; Yesson et al., 2011; Rogers, 2018). Thousands of seamounts occur throughout the earth’s oceans, displaying diverse physical characteristics such as slope, height, and summit depth. By interacting with ocean currents, seamounts modify conditions at local and global scales, creating biological hotspots in otherwise low-productivity areas of open ocean (Morato et al., 2010; Wessel et al., 2010; Rogers, 2018). Consequently, seamounts often aggregate phytoplankton, zooplankton, micronekton, and fish, attracting predators to the area (Lavelle and Mohn, 2010; Cascão et al., 2017; Denda et al., 2017; Rogers, 2018; Leitner et al., 2020). Marine megafauna, such as sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, elasmobranchs, and commercially important fish including tunas, are known to aggregate at seamounts (Morato et al., 2010; Morato et al., 2016). Despite increasing knowledge of seamount ecosystems, understanding which characteristics attract marine megafauna remains challenging, especially considering that not all seamounts are hotspots of biodiversity or trophic interactions (Leitner et al., 2020). Addressing this gap is needed to effectively protect highly productive and sensitive seamount sites in the High Seas (Tiller et al., 2019). Increasing anthropogenic threats to seamount ecosystems make protection imperative (Rogers, 2018). Bottom trawling and demersal longlining disturb benthic and pelagic communities (Koslow et al., 2000; Althaus et al., 2009; Clark and Rowden, 2009). Additional threats include emerging deep-sea mining industries, marine pollution, and climate change impacts that may alter seamount ecosystems’ physical and chemical properties (Rogers, 2018; Washburn et al., 2023). These threats compound broader challenges affecting marine megafauna utilizing seamounts. Marine megafauna face concerning population declines (Veit et al., 1997), with models predicting rising extinction rates from threats including bycatch, overfishing, ship collisions, pollution, environmental changes, and habitat degradation (McCauley et al., 2015; Pimiento et al., 2020). As top predators affecting lower trophic levels and nutrient flows (Hunt and McKinnell, 2006; Doughty et al., 2016), these species serve as "ecosystem indicators," providing insights into environmental processes and helping define priority conservation areas. Tracking them helps identify habitats that support diverse marine life and contribute to global biodiversity and ecosystem function (Hazen et al., 2019). Seabirds, in particular, are valuable bioindicators for marine ecosystems (Frederiksen et al., 2007; Oppel et al., 2018). Their longevity, wide-ranging foraging, and sensitivity to changes in abundance and distribution of prey (including vertically migrating mesopelagic prey), coupled with their accessibility for research at breeding colonies, make them ideal for detecting oceanic changes (Frederiksen et al., 2007; Hazen et al., 2019). Analyzing seabird tracking data relative to seamount characteristics helps determine which seamounts attract marine megafauna and mechanisms driving hotspot patterns (Oppel et al., 2018; Neves et al., 2023). Tracks often define priority conservation areas, like marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (Arcos et al., 2012), leading to Marine Protected Area (MPA) establishment (Davies et al., 2021). This is particularly important for declining oceanic seabird species like albatrosses and petrels (Procellariiformes) that use seamounts as foraging oases and are at high risk of fisheries bycatch in productive yet unprotected areas (Morato et al., 2008b). Efforts are underway to establish MPA networks including seamount ecosystems (Clark et al., 2011). Effective seamount conservation requires international cooperation and developing robust monitoring, compliance, and surveillance (MCS) strategies to cover remote regions (Gubbay, 2003). The new Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (the “BBNJ Agreement”) helps to address MCS strategies by providing mechanisms to close scientific, financial, technical, and policy gaps for States that struggle with capacity in MCS in areas beyond national jurisdiction (Cremers et al., 2020). Growing international attention to deep sea governance is reflected in two IUCN resolutions adopted in October 2024, one calling for seamount protection from destructive fishing practices and another advocating precautionary management of the mesopelagic zone (Morgan and Bent, 2025). Such conservation frameworks depend on identifying specific features that make seamounts productive and attractive to marine life, yet significant gaps remain in understanding which factors drive these patterns. We review existing knowledge on seamount features that enhance productivity and attract marine predators, focusing on seabirds, as fine-scale spatial data are abundant. These characteristics may promote ecological activity and biodiversity, serving as metrics to determine area attractiveness for predators (Figure 1). We focus on the Cabo Verde and Azores archipelagos as ideal study systems where seabird tracking data can help quantify seamount attractiveness and reveal mechanisms facilitating biological hotspots. Furthermore, we advocate for global research and conservation initiatives to safeguard seamount biodiversity. PHYSICAL AND ECOLOGICAL DRIVERS OF SEAMOUNT BIODIVERSITY Characterizing seamounts: physical features, oceanographic processes, and remote sensing Global seamount estimates range from 10,000 to over 60,000 due to incomplete mapping and differences in algorithms that detect seamounts from bathymetry models (Yesson et al., 2021). Factors such as steepness, summit height and depth, geomorphology (e.g., conical, stellate, ridge-like, guyot, plateaus), and bottom depth are used to categorize seamounts, with digital terrain models from depth data being employed to assess morphology (Cascão et al., 2017). Physical characteristics of seamounts influence biological processes by shaping nutrient distribution and organism aggregation. Seamounts with summit depths in the euphotic zone, where light levels support positive net photosynthesis, often host coral and macroalgae communities contributing to primary productivity (Yesson et al., 2011). Three-dimensional seamount structure, including slope steepness and overall morphology, further modifies productivity patterns by creating distinct hydrodynamic environments (White et al., 2007; Lavelle and Mohn, 2010; Rogers, 2018). Hydrodynamic processes interact with seamounts, forming internal waves, eddies, and localized upwelling, which enhance nutrient circulation and stimulate phytoplankton growth, thereby increasing productivity in surrounding waters (Boehlert and Genin, 1987; Lavelle and Mohn, 2010). Those seamounts with summit depths between the euphotic zone and approximately 1,500 meters may associate with accumulation layers of zooplankton and micronekton (Genin and Dower, 2007). Additionally, topographic blocking occurs when seamounts prevent organisms from descending past the summit during diel vertical migration (DVM), regularly concentrating them at predictable depths (Isaacs and Schwartzlose, 1965; Genin, 2004). This productivity provides additional mid-level trophic enhancement through zooplankton and micronekton, attracting migratory pelagic predators, and emphasizing seamounts as biodiversity hotspots (Morato et al., 2008b). Hydrodynamic modeling can simulate complex flow patterns and physical processes at seamounts (Mohn et al., 2023). When coupled with agent-based models (Fulton et al., 2007), such approaches may help explain the prey fields that make seamounts attractive to marine predators. Researchers use subsurface acoustic doppler current profilers, active acoustics surveys, and visual techniques including autonomous underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, and baited cameras to study these processes and related productivity (Letessier et al., 2019; Ramiro-Sánchez et al., 2019). Remote sensing technologies have improved our ability to study seamount-biodiversity relationships by providing environmental data at relevant spatial and temporal scales (Leitner et al., 2020). Parameters, including sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll concentration, primary production, ocean currents, and shallow water bathymetry, are now estimated and analyzed with increased accuracy and global coverage (Mendonca et al., 2010; Oliveira et al., 2016; Leitner et al., 2020). Validated open-source data can be utilized from global modeling and remote sensing products, including those provided by the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service. These data sources allow researchers to construct comprehensive models of marine ecosystems, linking physical oceanographic features with biological productivity and animal behaviors. For instance, chlorophyll concentration serves as a proxy for phytoplankton abundance and primary production, indicating potential areas of high zooplankton and micronektonic prey availability for seabirds and identifying foraging hotspots (Santos et al., 2019). Ocean current and SST data help further our understanding of the formation of productive frontal systems and eddies (Cole and Villacastin, 2000), which occur at seamounts and concentrate prey (Lavelle and Mohn, 2010; Mohn et al., 2021). Ongoing advancements in satellite technology, including the Behrenfeld method of estimating vertical migration (Behrenfeld et al., 2019), and new data processing techniques continue to improve assessments of seamount-driven ecosystem dynamics. Fisheries’ impacts on seamount ecosystems: historical patterns and management implications Since the mid-20th century, seamounts have been targets for intensive fishing operations (Koslow et al., 2000) and harvesting of precious corals, due to their role as biodiversity hotspots that aggregate commercially valuable species (Baco et al., 2023). Many species fished at seamounts have traits that render them slow to recover from overfishing, such as long lifespans, low fecundity, and limited dispersal (Koslow, 1997). These organisms often exist in low overall numbers but congregate at seamounts during specific life stages, like reproduction (Clark, 1996). The pattern of serially locating and depleting these aggregations raises significant concerns about the long-term viability of seamount fisheries (Koslow et al., 2000). There have been efforts to document the effects of seamount protection on fish abundance. Specifically, the Condor seamount observatory (Azores archipelago) was established to study seamount ecosystem dynamics and has been a crucial site for monitoring the effects of fishing cessation and conservation efforts (Giacomello et al., 2013). After nine years of fishing cessation, some species, like Pagellus bogaraveo, showed significant increases in abundance and biomass, indicating the effectiveness of protection measures (Giacomello et al., 2020). Fisheries-dependent data including fishing locations, catch data, species composition, and abundance, offer insights into seamount attractiveness to target species and their predators and competitors (Morato et al., 2008b). Seabird bycatch rates near seamounts can indicate which areas are most frequented (Montrond et al., 2020). These analyses can reveal seasonal patterns and oceanographic drivers of productivity at seamounts, improving our understanding of complex food web dynamics around seamounts and why they serve as important foraging grounds. However, fisheries management regulations may influence catch rates, affecting fish stocks and predator-prey dynamics, and thus complicating interpretation of patterns. Marine megafauna distribution patterns around seamounts: observational studies and tracking research Seamounts often act as hotspots for marine megafauna (Clark et al., 2010; Weber et al., 2025). Recent quantitative assessments demonstrate enhancements of biomass across trophic levels at shallow seamount summits compared to pelagic baselines (Weber et al., 2025). Fishery observer program sighting data have been used to assess marine megafauna presence and abundance near Azorean seamounts. Several marine species were observed at an increased rate near shallow seamount summits, suggesting that summit depth influences productivity and species aggregation (Morato et al., 2008b). Cetaceans, along with loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta ), have been observed in close proximity to seamount peaks, suggesting that these underwater features are important for multiple marine species (Fiori et al., 2016). Additionally, higher seabird density and biomass have been documented around seamounts compared to adjacent areas (Haney et al., 1995). Advancements in tracking technology have revolutionized our ability to study links between animal movement and conservation needs (Nathan et al., 2022). Tracking seabird movements has allowed researchers to investigate fine-scale habitat use around seamounts (Medrano et al., 2023). These technologies have revealed that many seabird species reliably appear in particular areas and time periods at the macroscale (Frederiksen et al., 2016). Seabirds congregate in habitats or migratory corridors often associated with oceanographic features that enhance productivity (Morten et al., 2025). By tracking individual animals with Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking technology, researchers can distinguish foraging using ground speed and movement directionality and analyze detailed environmental factors that make seamounts attractive for marine megafauna. Recent work reveals that distance from seamounts predicts foraging behavior and habitat use in multiple Procellariform species (Neves et al., 2023; Ventura et al., 2024). CASE STUDIES Cabo Verde The Cabo Verde archipelago, located in the North Atlantic Ocean off West Africa, has at least 14 major seamounts (including Senghor, Boa Vista, Cabo Verde, Maio, Cadamosto, and Nola; Orejas et al., 2025) within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Islands and seamounts form a horseshoe pattern opening westward in two chains. Eastern seamounts show age and erosion, while western seamounts display younger morphologies (Kwasnitschka et al., 2024). Interactions between the Canary Current, North Equatorial Current, North Equatorial Counter-Current, and Mauritanian Current foster a diverse ecosystem (Mittelstaedt, 1991). Complex bathymetry and mesoscale eddies create internal waves, enhancing productivity above seamount summits (Mohn et al., 2021) and providing abundant food for benthic communities (Vinha et al., 2024). Reef-building species contribute to biodiversity and may harbor undiscovered species (Ramiro-Sánchez et al., 2019; Weber et al., 2025). Cabo Verde waters contain hundreds of fish species, with a high degree of endemism, making the area a priority for marine conservation (Wirtz et al., 2013). Mesopelagic and nektonic communities around Senghor Seamount undergo DVMs, moving to surface waters at night and deeper during daytime, becoming accessible to surface-feeding predators during nighttime ascent (Mohn et al., 2021). Seamount-generated upwellings support complex food webs and serve as aggregation sites for pelagic species like tuna ( Thunnus spp.) and billfish (Morato et al., 2010). The area provides habitats for endemic and commercially valuable fish species (Wirtz et al., 2013), a pattern observed at many seamounts (Shank, 2010). The region hosts large shark and ray populations, including red-listed species (Montrond et al., 2020), and supports multiple cetacean populations (Hazevoet et al., 2010). The archipelago lies along migratory routes for humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ; Hazevoet et al., 2010) and sea turtles (Marco et al., 2011) and is an important breeding site for loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta ; Roast et al., 2023). Long-term monitoring efforts have provided robust data sets on several breeding seabird species (Figure 2), including five endemic taxa. These populations face threats from fishing bycatch, habitat degradation, invasive predators, light pollution, and human disturbance (Semedo et al., 2021). GPS tracking reveals the endemic Cape Verde shearwater ( Calonectris edwardsii ) performs long foraging trips to productive waters off Dakar, Senegal (Paiva et al., 2015). The endemic Cape Verde petrel ( Pterodroma feae ) undertakes trans-equatorial migrations between the Azores and Brazilian coastal waters during the non-breeding period (Ramos et al., 2017). Cabo Verde has established 17 marine/coastal protected areas under Decree-Law 3/2003 (BO, 2003; UNDP, 2009) and Decree-Law 44/2006 (NDE, 2015; reviewed in Larrea et al., 2023). The diverse marine ecosystem of Cabo Verde, encompassing a wide range of species from endemic coastal fish to unique seabird species and charismatic megafauna, underscores the ecological significance of this archipelago. Ongoing research across various marine taxa continues to uncover the complex interactions within this ecosystem and inform conservation strategies to protect this unique marine environment (Orejas et al., 2025). The Azores The Azores archipelago, in the central North Atlantic, contains 68 large and 398 small seamount-like features within its EEZ (Morato et al., 2008a). Prominent seamounts include Condor, Gigante, Dom João de Castro, Princess Anna, and Princess Alice. Seamounts occupy 37% of the total EEZ. Though many seamounts occur in chains, isolated seamounts are also present. Considerable variations in size and shape prevent generalizations regarding morphology (Morato et al., 2008a). The region's complex oceanography, influenced by the Azores Current system, creates a dynamic environment supporting diverse marine life (Mohn et al., 2023). Local seamounts serve as biodiversity hotspots with enhanced productivity. Micronekton concentrate near the surface over seamount summits, performing DVMs that increase prey biomass at night (Cascão et al., 2017; 2019). Benthic and benthopelagic fish rely on this prey, highlighting trophic connections between mesopelagic and deeper communities (Colaço et al., 2013). This increased micronektonic prey biomass attracts predators like tuna, seabirds, and marine mammals to the area (Morato 2008b). Seamounts support diverse deep-sea coral and sponge communities (Morato et al., 2013) and numerous pelagic and demersal fish species closely associated with seamount habitats (Afonso et al., 2020). The area hosts 24 whale and dolphin species (Silva et al., 2014) and is an important foraging and breeding site for seabirds (Figure 3), including Cory's shearwater ( Calonectris borealis ) and the endemic Monteiro's storm-petrel ( Hydrobates monteiroi ). Monteiro's storm-petrels prefer foraging near seamounts, with seafloor depth and distance from nearest seamount as the most important predictors of foraging location, and sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentration as secondary factors (Neves et al., 2023). As of 2024, the Azores has approved legislation to expand the Azores Marine Park and establish the largest MPA network in the North Atlantic, limiting fishing and other damaging activities to preserve the archipelago's biodiversity and supporting sustainable use of marine resources (Regional Legislative Decree n.º28/2011/A, updated version; also Tojeira et al., 2025). Ongoing research continues to reveal new insights into seamount ecology, seabird behavior, and the complex interactions within these unique marine ecosystems. Predictive models combining tracking and modeling data for multiple seabird species will help distinguish areas of increased biodiversity needing protection (Neves et al., 2023). DISCUSSION AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS Our synthesis demonstrates that seamount attractiveness can be quantified through environmental patterns, physical characteristics, and tracking data. Cabo Verde and Azores provide excellent systems for investigating factors influencing megafauna aggregation. Hydrodynamic conditions can create heterogeneous habitats that attract megafauna (Boehlert, 1988; Godø et al., 2012; Annasawmy et al., 2019), though not all seamount areas function as biodiversity hotspots. Areas with specific feature combinations may support consistently elevated biodiversity. For example, seamounts with shallow to intermediate depths, steep slopes, and proximity to other seamounts show chlorophyll enhancements that support trophic enhancement in some areas (Leitner et al., 2020). Conversely, isolated seamounts with deep summits and minimal current interactions show limited biological enhancement. Understanding seamount ecological value to prioritize conservation efforts requires multi-species predictive models that identify biological hotspots and how hydrodynamic features support different life stages of marine species. We propose six research priorities to address these knowledge gaps: 1) At which spatial and temporal scales do seamounts influence physical and ecological processes? Seamount observational studies are often limited in scale, making it unclear how they shape biogeography from local to regional spatial scales and daily to multi-year timescales. Predictive models integrating physical oceanography with biological responses across nested scales are needed to enhance understanding of seamount roles in marine ecosystems. 2) Why are some seamounts biodiversity hotspots while others are not? We lack a comprehensive understanding of how seamount location, topography, and oceanographic conditions interact to enhance productivity and biodiversity. Integrated analyses of hydrodynamics, nutrient fluxes, primary productivity, and species assemblages are needed to determine why some seamounts attract life across trophic levels while others remain relatively barren. 3) What role do seamounts play in enhancing ecological connectivity in the open ocean? While seamounts act as stepping stones for species dispersal, gene flow, and migration, their role in connecting isolated habitats remains poorly understood. Studying mechanisms that facilitate connectivity will elucidate their importance for population resilience and biodiversity networks. 4) How do functional roles of seamounts vary across marine megafauna taxa? Many large marine species, including sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, and elasmobranchs, associate with seamounts as foraging hotspots, migratory waypoints, or breeding grounds, yet drivers remain unclear. Understanding which seamount features (e.g., topography, productivity, prey availability, isolation, seabed habitat complexity) promote specific behaviors across taxa and life stages is important for targeted conservation. 5) How resilient are seamount ecosystems to environmental change and human impacts? These ecosystems face pressures from climate change, deep-sea mining, overfishing, and pollution, yet their capacity to endure and recover remains largely unknown. Studies on species turnover, habitat degradation, and adaptive responses are needed to predict ecological shifts and support adaptive management. 6) Which seamounts should be prioritized for protection? A science-based framework is needed to identify seamounts of high conservation value based on biodiversity richness, ecological connectivity, functional resilience, and vulnerability to human activities. Such criteria can guide MPA design and management strategies. We propose that a mechanistic understanding of seamount-megafaunal interactions, particularly considering complex hydrodynamic processes, will provide stakeholders with tools to identify and prioritize seamounts for protection. These insights support the development of area-based management strategies like MPAs and marine spatial planning (MSP). At the international level, the new BBNJ Agreement defines the processes and instruments for establishing MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction where most seamounts occur. The Agreement proposes criteria to help identify candidate MPAs based on ecological significance. Seamount-megafaunal interactions align with these criteria by holding special importance for species using seamounts, benefiting threatened, endangered, or declining species, and facilitating important ecological processes. At the national level, MSP processes, like those in the Azores, similarly require determining hotspots of seamount-megafaunal interactions and their underlying mechanisms. This information helps evaluate whether existing management measures ensure conservation and sustainable use and identifies gaps in policy and technical measures needed to meet these goals (Afonso et al., 2020). Our quantitative framework for identifying attractive seamounts supports conservation objectives at both scales by providing objective prioritization criteria. Research on seamount ecosystem complexities will enable informed conservation measures to safeguard these major components of ocean biodiversity for future generations. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS L. Broadus and C. Mohn acknowledge funding by a VILLUM FONDEN (Denmark) research grant (VIL58674, ‘A global assessment of seabird and seamount connections’). F. Ventura acknowledges support by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), grant 80NSSC25K7836. This work received national funds through the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the project UIDB/05634/2025 and UIDP/05634/2025 and through the Regional Government of the Azores through the project M1.1.A/FUNC.UI&D/003/2021-2024. Image (Figure1.png) is missing or otherwise invalid. Information used to quantify seamount attractiveness for marine megafauna. Data sources can include environmental data (e.g., hydrodynamics and primary production), physical seamount features, fisheries data, and marine megafauna data. Image (Figure2.png) is missing or otherwise invalid. Examples of tracks from multiple seabird species observed around seamounts in the Cabo Verde archipelago. Scientific names of seabird species from top to bottom in the map legend: Sula leucogaster , Bulweria bulwerii , Puffinus boydi, Pterodroma feae, Calonectris edwardsii , Hydrobates jabejabe , Phaethon aethereus , Sula sula, and Pelagodroma marina. Seamounts and seamount bases are indigo polygons (data from Yesson et al., 2021). Maps were created in R version 4.5.1 (R Core Team, 2025). Image (Figure3.png) is missing or otherwise invalid. Examples of tracks from multiple seabird species observed around seamounts in the Azores archipelago. Scientific names of seabird species from top to bottom in the map legend: Hydrobates castro, Calonectris borealis, and Hydrobates Monteiro. Seamounts and seamount bases are indigo polygons (data from Yesson et al., 2021). Maps were created in R version 4.5.1 (R Core Team, 2025). REFERENCES Afonso, P., J. Fontes, E. Giacomello, M.C. Magalhães, H.R. Martins, T. Morato, V. Neves, R. Prieto, R.S. Santos, M.A. Silva, and others. 2020. 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Keywords azores biodiversity hotspots cabo verde marine megafauna seamount Authors Affiliations Lindsey Broadus 0000-0003-0812-4879 [email protected] Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience View all articles by this author Gemma Carroll Environmental Defense Fund View all articles by this author Jacob Gonzalez-Sols Universitat de Barcelona Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat View all articles by this author Lea-Anne Henry The University of Edinburgh School of GeoSciences View all articles by this author Astrid Leitner Oregon State University College of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences View all articles by this author Sanjina Upadhyay Stæhr Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience View all articles by this author Cordula Göke 0000-0003-0655-4816 Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience View all articles by this author Andreas Holbach Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience View all articles by this author Verónica Neves Universidade dos Acores View all articles by this author Vitor Paiva 0000-0001-6368-9579 University of Coimbra View all articles by this author Petra Quillfeldt Justus Liebig University Giessen View all articles by this author Francesco Ventura Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution View all articles by this author Morten Frederiksen Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience View all articles by this author Christian Mohn Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 628 views 293 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Lindsey Broadus, Gemma Carroll, Jacob Gonzalez-Sols, et al. 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