VanCompernolle, MichelleMorris, JulietCalich, Hannah J.Rodriguez, Jorge P.Marley, Sarah A.Pearce, Jessica R.Abrahms, Briana L.Abrantes, KátyaAfonso, André SucenaAguilar, Álex HidalgoAgyekumhene, AndrewsAkamatsu, TomonariÄkesson, SúsanneAlawa, Nyimale G.Alfaro-Shigueto, JoannaAnderson, R.C.Anker-Nilssen, TychoArata, Javier A.Araujo, GonzaloArostegui, Martin C.Arrizabalaga, HaritzArrowsmith, Lucy M.Auger-Méthé, MarieAvila, Isabel C.Bailleul, FrédéricBarker, JoannaBarlow, Dawn R.Barnett, AdamBarrios-Garrido, Héctor A.Baylis, Alastair Martin MitriBearzi, G.Bejder, LarsBelda, Eduardo J.Benson, Scott R.Berumen, Michael L.Bestley, SophieBezerra, Natalia Priscila AlvesBlaison, Antonin V.Boehme, LarsBograd, Steven J.Abimbola, Bolaji DunsinBond, Mark E.Borrell, AsunciónBouchet, Phil J.Boveng, Peter L.Braulik, Gill T.Braun, Camrin D.Brodie, Stephanie J.Bugoni, LeandroBustamante, CarlosCampana, Steven E.Cárdenas-Alayza, SusanaCarmichael, Ruth H.Carroll, GemmaCarter, Matt Ian DanielCeia, Filipe RafaelCerchio, SalvatoreFerreira, Luciana CerqueiraeChambault, PhilippineChapple, Taylor K.Charvet, PatriciaChávez, Elpis J.Chevallier, DamienChiaradia, AndréLouise Chilvers, B.Cimino, Megan A.Clark, Bethany L.Clarke, Christopher R.Clay, Thomas A.Cloyed, Carl S.Cochran, Jesse E.M.Collins, Tim J.Q.Cortés, EnricCuevas, E. A.Curnick, David J.Danń, PeterDe Bruyn, P.J. NicoDe Vos, AshaDerville, SoleneDias, Maria PeixeDíaz, BrunoDodge, Kara L.Dove, Alistair D.M.Doyle, Thomas K.Drymon, James MarcusDudgeon, Christine L.Dutton, Peter H.Ellenberg, UrsulaElwen, Simon HarveyEmmerson, Louise M.Eniang, Edem ArchibongEspinoza, MarioEsteban, Nicole E.Mul, EvertFadely, Brian S.Fayet, Annette L.Feare, Chris J.Ferguson, Steven H.Feyrer, Laura JoanFinucci, BrittanyFlorko, Katie R.N.Fontes, Jorge Filipe FigueiredoFortuna, Caterina MariaFossette-Halot, SabrinaFouda, LeilaFrere, EstebanFuentes, Mariana Menezes Prata BezerraGallagher, Austin J.Borboroglu, J.P.G.Garrigue, ClaireGauffier, PaulineGennari, EnricoGenov, TilenGermanov, Elitza S.Giménez, JoanGodfrey, Matthew H.Godley, Brendan J.Goldsworthy, Simon DavidGollock, Matthew J.Carman, Victoria GonzálezGownaris, Natasha J.Grecian, W. JamesGuzmán, Héctor M.Hamann, MarkHammerschlag, NeilHansen, Erpur SnærHarris, Michael P.Hastie, Gordon D.Haulsee, Danielle E.Hazen, Elliott L.Heide-Jorgensen, Mads PeterHieb, Elizabeth E.Higdon, Jeff WaydeHindell, M.A.Hinke, Jefferson T.Hoenner, XavierHofmeyr, G.J. GregHolmes, Bonnie JaneHoyt, ErichHückstädt, Luis A.Hussey, Nigel EdwardHuveneers, Charlie P.M.Irvine, Lyn G.Jabado, Rima W.Jacoby, David M.P.Jaeger, AudreyJagielski, Patrick M.Jessopp, Mark JohnJewell, Oliver J.D.Alvarado, David JiménezJordan, Lance K.B.Jorgensen, Salvador J.Kahn, BenjaminKaramanlidis, Alexandros A.Kato, AkikoKeith-Diagne, Lucy W.Kiani, Muhammad ShoaibKiszka, Jeremy J.Kock, Alison A.Kopf, R. KellerKuhn, Carey E.Kyne, Peter M.Laidre, Kristin L.De Oliveira Lana, Fernanda O.Lander, Michelle E.Le Corre, Matthieu L.Lee, Olivia A.Leeney, Ruth H.Levengood, Alexis L.Levenson, Judah JacobLibertelli, Marcela MónicaLiu, KwangmingMendilaharsu, Milagros L.Loveridge, AlexandraLowe, Christopher G.Lynch, Heather J.Macena, Bruno C.L.Mackay, Alice I.Madrigal-Mesén, JeffryMallory, Mark L.Mangel, Jeffrey C.Mansfield, Katherine L.March, DavidMarcoux, MarianneMarsh, Helene D.Marshall, Andrea DeniseMattern, ThomasMaxwell, Sara M.McGuire, Rebecca L.McLeay, Lachlan JamesMcMahon, Clive ReginaldMethion, SéverineMeyers, Eva K.M.Michelot, Candice (57193891188);Masere, CaraMinton, GiannaMorales-Vela, BenjamínMucientes, G.R.Murua, HilarioNicoll, Malcolm A.C.Niella, Yuri VieiraNotarbartolo di Sciara, GiuseppeOppel, SteffenOrgeret, FlorianOswald, Julie N.Owen, ElliePacoureau, NathanPaiva, Vítor HugoPalacios, Daniel M.Panigada, SimonePapastamatiou, Yannis P.Parra, Guido J.Parsons, Sylvia K.Patterson-Fraser, Donna L.Peckham, S. HoytPetersen, Stephen D.Pichegru, LorienPierce, Simon J.Pipa, TâniaPirotta, EnricoPistorius, Pierre A.Pollom, Riley A.Prieto, RuiProsdocimi, LauraPütz, KlemensQueiroz, Nuno C.Quinn, John L.Ramos, Jaime AlbinoRaudino, Holly C.Recalde-Salas, AngelaRees, Alan F.Reina, Richard DavidReisinger, Ryan R.Reynolds, Samantha D.Richardson, Anthony J.Riddoch, NicholasRiet-Sapriza, Federico G.Robbins, James R.Robinson, David P.Rodríguez, AiramRogers, Tracey L.Rohner, Christoph AndreasRojas-Cañizales, DanielaRuhomaun, KevinSalgado Kent, ChandraSato, KatsufumiScales, Kylie L.Scheidat, Dr MeikeSchofield, GailSerena, FabrizioSetyawan, EdyShaffer, S.A.Shea, Brendan D.Shearer, LauraSheaves, Marcus J.Sherley, Richard B.Shillinger, George L.Shimada, TakahiroSilva, Mónica A.Skomal, Gregory B.Smith, Reyd A.Smoothey, Amy F.Soldo, AlenSouthall, Emily J.Steinfurth, AntjeStewart, D. BruceStewart, Joshua DavidTakahashi, AkinoriTatayah, Vikash R.V.Thalmann, Sam J.Thiebot, Jean BaptisteTomás, JesúsTorres, Leigh G.Trathan, Philip N.Trillmich, FritzUeda, KazuokiVandeperre, FrédéricVanstreels, Ralph Eric ThijlVedor, MarisaVillegas-Amtmann, StellaWaller, Lauren J.Waller, Matt J.Wanless, SarahWaples, Kelly A.Watt, Cortney A.Wege, MiaWeir, Caroline R.Wells, Randall SpencerWensveen, P.J.White, Timothy D.Whiting, Scott D.Wiig, ØysteinWildermann, Natalie ElizabethWiley, David N.Williams, Jessica L.Williams, Rosie S.Wilson, KenadyWitt, Matthew JohnWomersley, Freya C.Yurkowski, David JamesZhang, JieCosta, Daniel P.Duarte, C.M.Meekan, Mark GregoryHarcourt, Robert GeoffreySims, David W.Hays, Graeme ClivePattiaratchi, Charitha B.Eguíluz, Víctor M.Sequeira, A.M.M.2026-03-202026-03-202026-02VanCompernolle, M., Morris, J., Calich, H. J., Rodríguez, J. P., Marley, S. A., Pearce, J. R., Abrahms, B., Abrantes, K., Afonso, A. S., Aguilar, A., Agyekumhene, A., Akamatsu, T., Åkesson, S., Alawa, N. G., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Anderson, R. C., Anker-Nilssen, T., Arata, J. A., Araujo, G., … Sequeira, A. M. M. (2026). Vulnerability of marine megafauna to global at-sea anthropogenic threats. Conservation Biology, 40, e70147: 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70147.0888-8892 (print)1523-1739 (online)10.1111/cobi.70147http://hdl.handle.net/2263/109096Marine megafauna species are affected by a wide range of anthropogenic threats. To evaluate the risk of such threats, species’ vulnerability to each threat must first be determined. We build on the existing threats classification scheme and ranking system of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species by assessing the vulnerability of 256 marine megafauna species to 23 at-sea threats. The threats we considered included individual fishing gear types, climate-change-related subthreats not previously assessed, and threats associated with coastal impacts and maritime disturbances. Our ratings resulted in 70 species having high vulnerability (v > 0.778 out of 1) to at least 1 threat, primarily drifting longlines, temperature extremes, or fixed gear. These 3 threats were also considered to have the most severe effects (i.e., steepest population declines). Overall, temperature extremes and plastics and other solid waste were rated as affecting the largest proportion of populations. Penguins, pinnipeds, and polar bears had the highest vulnerability to temperature extremes. Bony fishes had the highest vulnerability to drifting longlines and plastics and other solid waste; pelagic cetaceans to 4 maritime disturbance threats; elasmobranchs to 5 fishing threats; and flying birds to drifting longlines and 2 maritime disturbance threats. Sirenians and turtles had the highest vulnerability to at least one threat from all 4 categories. Despite not necessarily having severe effects for most taxonomic groups, temperature extremes were rated among the top threats for all taxa except bony fishes. The vulnerability scores we provide are an important first step in estimating the risk of threats to marine megafauna. Importantly, they help differentiate scope from severity, which is key to identifying threats that should be prioritized for mitigation.en© 2025 The Author(s). Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License.Anthropogenic threatsClimate changeExpert elicitationFishingMarine megafaunaVulnerabilityArticle