The feeding patterns of seabirds around the UK coastline can be can used to help identify the location of possible marine protection areas, a study says.
Researchers compiled data on 25 species' foraging behaviour, adding that feeding sites played a vital role in the success of breeding colonies.
There is just one Marine Conservation Zone in English waters but a network is expected to be decided by 2013.
The findings appear in the journal Biological Conservation.
"There is an increasing need to protect areas of sea for marine species because the environment is facing pressures - such as oil, shipping, gas and renewable energy," explained co-author Chris Thaxter, research ecologist for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
"It is important not to let these events impact on the species that are using these areas."
He told BBC News that there was a discrepancy between the level of protection offered to the birds while they were on colonies and when they were searching for food.
"Seabirds are an important part of the marine ecosystems," Dr Thaxter said.
"Seabird colonies are relatively well protected but offshore areas are not - and that has been a big gap in [scientific] knowledge.
"This is the challenge that the government faces: deciding what areas to protect when they do not have the best evidence to hand."
Continued at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16532920
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