Habitat Shifts in the Pacific Saury (Cololabis saira) Population in the High Seas of the North Pacific Under Medium-to-Long-Term Climate Scenarios Based on Vessel Position Data and Ensemble Species Distribution Models

Global climate change poses a significant management challenge for vital transboundary resources like the Pacific saury (Cololabis saira). To address this, we developed an innovative framework that uses high-resolution Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and deep learning to define species distribution, which then informs a robust Ensemble Species Distribution Model (ESDM). The model (TSS > 0.89, AUC > 0.97) identifies sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (CHL) as key habitat drivers. Projections under future climate scenarios reveal two critical threats: (1) a continuous northeastward migration of the habitat’s centroid, exceeding 400 km by 2100 under a high-emission SSP5-8.5 scenario, and (2) a drastic contraction of highly suitable habitat (suitability > 0.8), shrinking by up to 94% under the high-emission SSP3-7.0 scenario. By directly linking key oceanographic features to these climate-driven risks, this study delivers an essential scientific decision-support tool for management bodies like the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) to develop climate-adaptive strategies.