41 Persistent annual hotspots
Last updated July 23, 2026
Description: Integrated persistent annual hotspots derived from at-sea observations of seabirds, cetaceans and sea turtles collected on systematic ship and aerial surveys
Contributor(s): Timothy White, Jason Roberts
Affiliations: BOEM
Indicator Family:
Indicator Category:
Synthesis Theme:
41.1 Introduction to Indicator
Locations of high densities through time of seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles
41.2 Key Results and Visualizations
41.3 Implications
Persistent hotpots through time identify places where seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles frequently aggregate to feed, and may indicate locations of seasonal and annual resilience. Individual hotspot richness maps represent annual persistent hotspots of 71 species and also common taxa challenging to identify to the species level on at-sea surveys but whose abundance and spatial patterns significantly contribute to richness and diversity on the Atlantic EEZ. The integrated maps represent very high densities and very high persistence; however, one or both parameters can be adjusted to identify other important locations, for example, to reveal areas of high density and moderate persistence.
41.4 Indicator statistics
Spatial scale: Atlantic EEZ
Temporal scale: Annual, all seasons
Variable definitions
Persistence probability.
41.5 Get the data
Point of contact: Timothy White (timothy.white@boem.gov)