Characterizing snow crab (<i>Chionoecetes opilio</i>) movements in the Sydney Bight (Nova Scotia, Canada): a collaborative approach using multiscale acoustic telemetry

Côté, David; Nicolas, Jean-Marc; Whoriskey, Frederick G.; Cook, Adam; Broome, Jeremy E.; Regular, Paul M.; Baker, Darrin

doi:10.1139/cjfas-2017-0472

Cited by 21 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Recently, ‘tagging effects’ (e.g., elevated activity) have been documented in other crab species (e.g., Snow Crab, Chionoecetes opilio ), which is typically dealt with by discarding detections from the first day of tracking [ 102 , 103 ]. While we found no evidence of changes in activity, tagging effects in crabs may manifest themselves in ways not amenable to visual inspection of activity, such as burial (i.e., seeking refuge) or emigration from the area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crabs ride the tide: incoming tides promote foraging of Giant Mud Crab (Scylla serrata)

et al. 2023

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Background Effective fisheries management of mobile species relies on robust knowledge of animal behaviour and habitat-use. Indices of behaviour can be useful for interpreting catch-per-unit-effort data which acts as a proxy for relative abundance. Information about habitat-use can inform stocking release strategies or the design of marine protected areas. The Giant Mud Crab (Scylla serrata; Family: Portunidae) is a swimming estuarine crab that supports significant fisheries harvest throughout the Indo-West Pacific, but little is known about the fine-scale movement and behaviour of this species. Methods We tagged 18 adult Giant Mud Crab with accelerometer-equipped acoustic tags to track their fine-scale movement using a hyperbolic positioning system, alongside high temporal resolution environmental data (e.g., water temperature), in a temperate south-east Australian estuary. A hidden Markov model was used to classify movement (i.e., step length, turning angle) and acceleration data into discrete behaviours, while also considering the possibility of individual variation in behavioural dynamics. We then investigated the influence of environmental covariates on these behaviours based on previously published observations. Results We fitted a model with two well-distinguished behavioural states describing periods of inactivity and foraging, and found no evidence of individual variation in behavioural dynamics. Inactive periods were most common (79% of time), and foraging was most likely during low, incoming tides; while inactivity was more likely as the high tide receded. Model selection removed time (hour) of day and water temperature (°C) as covariates, suggesting that they do not influence Giant Mud Crab behavioural dynamics at the temporal scale investigated. Conclusions Our study is the first to quantitatively link fine-scale movement and behaviour of Giant Mud Crab to environmental variation. Our results suggest Giant Mud Crab are a predominantly sessile species, and support their status as an opportunistic scavenger. We demonstrate a relationship between the tidal cycle and foraging that is likely to minimize predation risk while maximizing energetic efficiency. These results may explain why tidal covariates influence catch rates in swimming crabs, and provide a foundation for standardisation and interpretation of catch-per-unit-effort data—a commonly used metric in fisheries science.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crabs ride the tide: incoming tides promote foraging of Giant Mud Crab (Scylla serrata)

et al. 2023

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“…; Stieglitz and Dujon ; Cote et al. ). When integrated with environmental or physiological sensor tags, acoustic telemetry can provide novel insights into the biology and ecology of tagged animals (e.g., Landry et al.…”

Section: Examples Of How Partnership In Acoustic Telemetry Network Imentioning

confidence: 98%

The FACT Network: Philosophy, Evolution, and Management of a Collaborative Coastal Tracking Network

et al. 2020

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The FACT Network (originally the Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry working group), established in 2007, is a grassroots collaboration that is dedicated to improving the conservation and management of aquatic animals by facilitating data sharing amongst researchers using acoustic telemetry technology, providing a community for scientists, and building stakeholder partnerships. Founded along the eastern Florida coastline, FACT quickly grew in both membership and geographical range to include 93 partner groups along a large portion of the southern U.S. Atlantic seaboard and western Caribbean. This rapid expansion was facilitated by adapting FACT's policies and procedures to meet the growing needs of its members, including implementing an online data sharing system capable of exchanging information with other compatible systems designed by the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN). Less than 13 months from its inception, the FACT database housed 129.5 million detections and metadata for 5,979 tags from 101 projects (85 FACT projects and 16 OTN-based projects). Twice-yearly meetings allow FACT members to interact, building relationships between individuals, which in turn promotes collaboration and data sharing. The success of FACT is attributable to a combination of biogeographical factors; partnerships with the Animal Tracking Network, OTN, and Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association; and active membership. In a survey of FACT members, data management services and belonging to a community ranked highest as reasons for joining the network. Future success of the FACT Network will depend on how effectively it can adapt to changing needs and conditions in the scientific landscape. In this paper, we describe the origins, philosophy, and management approach of the FACT Network, with the hope that this information can provide insights into the benefits (and limitations) of future acoustic tracking networks in other regions.

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“…These crab are mainly fished on the east coast, yet their movement ecology is not well understood. By integrating fine-scale positioning telemetry with larger-scale position estimates from autonomous mobile surveys and harvester returns, Côté et al (2019) demonstrated little evidence of site fidelity and no strong environmental influences on movements in this species, suggesting behavioural plasticity of snow crab and relative stability of offshore environments.…”

Section: Atlantic Otnmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Ocean Tracking Network: Advancing frontiers in aquatic science and management

Iverson

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Hinch

et al. 2019

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

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Aquatic animals are integral to ocean and freshwater ecosystems and their resilience, are depended upon globally for food sustainability, and support coastal communities and Indigenous peoples. However, global aquatic environments are changing profoundly due to anthropogenic actions and environmental change. These changes are altering distributions, movements, and survival of aquatic animals in ways that are not well understood. The Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) is a global partnership that is filling this knowledge gap. OTN Canada, a pan-Canadian (and beyond) research network, was launched in 2010 with visionary funding by the Canadian government. In our introduction to this special issue, we briefly overview how this interdisciplinary network has used state-of-the-art technologies, infrastructure, electronic tags and sensors, and associated cutting-edge research and training programs to better understand changing marine and freshwater dynamics and their impact on ecosystems, resources, and animal ecology. These studies have provided unprecedented insights into animal ecology and resource management at a range of spatial and temporal scales and by interfacing animal movements with novel measures of environment, physiology, disease, genetics–genomics, and anthropogenic stressors.

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Characterizing snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) movements in the Sydney Bight (Nova Scotia, Canada): a collaborative approach using multiscale acoustic telemetry

Cited by 21 publications

References 42 publications

Crabs ride the tide: incoming tides promote foraging of Giant Mud Crab (Scylla serrata)

Crabs ride the tide: incoming tides promote foraging of Giant Mud Crab (Scylla serrata)

The FACT Network: Philosophy, Evolution, and Management of a Collaborative Coastal Tracking Network

The Ocean Tracking Network: Advancing frontiers in aquatic science and management

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