"Protecting Blue Corridors”

ISPRA in International Research: Antarctic Orcas and the Global Map of Migration Corridors

Antarctica and the Global Network of Seas: ISPRA’s Contribution to the “Protecting Blue Corridors” Project

The Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) further strengthens its prominent role in the international scientific community through its participation in the global Protecting Blue Corridors initiative, a leading network bringing together experts in marine science, conservation, technology and environmental policy to map the migration routes of marine mammals worldwide.

Among the key contributions to the report and the international mapping effort are the monitoring data on Antarctic orcas (Orcinus orca), collected through research activities conducted in Antarctica. This body of information, resulting from the field research and analysis carried out by ISPRA researcher G. Lauriano as part of a project under the National Antarctic Research Programme (PNRA), has made it possible to incorporate the movement patterns of these apex predators and their use of critical habitats in polar waters into the global model.

The contribution of orca data further underscores the strategic value of ISPRA’s scientific missions and research activities on the Antarctic continent. The ability to generate high-quality scientific data in extreme environments once again highlights the Institute’s role in international scientific cooperation, positioning it as an important contributor to global conservation strategies.

Protecting the oceans’ “blue highways” requires a systemic vision that transcends national jurisdictions. Connecting knowledge acquired in the polar regions with migration corridors across the planet is essential to translating scientific research into concrete conservation action.

Further details about the project and interactive maps of migration routes are available at: https://bluecorridors.org/sources

_{RECOMMENDED CITATION OF BLUE CORRIDORS DATA IN DATA VISUALISATIONS}

_{Palacios, D., Reisinger, R., Constantine, R., Friedlaender, A., Zerbini, A., Vermuelen, E., Preito, R., De Silva, M., Dulau, V., Panigada, S., Collins, T., Adam, A., Andrews-Goff, V., Andriolo, A., Belda, E. Blanchet, M., Botero Acosta, N., Carroll, E., Cerchio, S., Coscarella, M., Derville, S., Falabella, V., Ferguson, S., Fossette, S. Garrigue, C., Gonzalez, R., Harcourt, R., Heide-Jørgensen, M.P., Herr, H., Jackson, J., Kennedy, A., Kovacs, K., Lauriano, G., Lawson, J., Lesage, V., Lydersen, C., Matthews, C., Panigada, V., Riekkola, L., Rikardsen, A., Robbins, J. Rosenbaum, H., Saloma, A., Schorr, G., Seakamela, M., Sepúlveda, M., Sironi, M., Sprogis, K., Trudelle, L., Uhart, M., Vely, M., Watt, C., Willson, A., Willson, M.S., and Wilson, J. (2026). Protecting Blue Corridors Dataset - bluecorridors.org}