Citizen science reveals female sand tiger sharks (<i>Carcharias taurus</i>) exhibit signs of site fidelity on shipwrecks

Paxton, Avery B.; Blair, Erica; Blawas, Camryn; Fatzinger, Michael H.; Marens, Madeline; Holmberg, Jason; Kingen, Colin; Houppermans, Tanya; Keusenkothen, Mark; McCord, John; Silliman, Brian R.; Penfold, Linda M.

doi:10.1002/ecy.2687

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(34 reference statements)

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“…Despite their relatively small footprint (<0.01% of seafloor) in the SEUS, these artificial reefs play key ecological roles within the seascape. Within the SEUS region, for example, artificial reefs have been shown to host high abundances of tropical and subtropical reef fish at their poleward climate range edges (Paxton et al, 2019b) and high densities of large predators (Paxton et al, 2020), potentially provide stepping stones or connectivity corridors for large predator movement (Paxton et al, 2019a), and form hotspots for economically valuable fish species (Paxton et al, 2021). The fish communities on artificial reefs differ from those of nearby natural reefs (Paxton et al, 2017;Rosemond et al, 2018;Lemoine et al, 2019) and this translates to differences in species-specific feeding ecology (Lindquist et al, 1994;Pike and Lindquist, 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying spatial extents of artificial versus natural reefs in the seascape

et al. 2022

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With increasing human uses of the ocean, existing seascapes containing natural habitats, such as biogenic reefs or plant-dominated systems, are supplemented by novel, human-made habitats ranging from artificial reefs to energy extraction infrastructure and shoreline installments. Despite the mixture of natural and artificial habitats across seascapes, the distribution and extent of these two types of structured habitats are not well understood but are necessary pieces of information for ocean planning and resource management decisions. Through a case study, we quantified the amount of seafloor in the southeastern US (SEUS; 103,220 km2 in the Atlantic Ocean; 10 – 200 m depth) covered by artificial reefs and natural reefs. We developed multiple data-driven approaches to quantify the extent of artificial reefs within state-managed artificial reef programs, and then drew from seafloor maps and published geological and predictive seafloor habitat models to develop three estimates of natural reef extent. Comparisons of the extent of natural and artificial reefs revealed that artificial reefs account for substantially less habitat (average of two estimates 3 km2; <0.01% of SEUS) in the region than natural reefs (average of three estimates 2,654 km2; 2.57% of SEUS) and that this pattern holds across finer regional groupings (e.g., states, depth bins). Our overall estimates suggest that artificial reef coverage is several orders of magnitude less than natural reef coverage. While expansive seafloor mapping and characterization efforts are still needed in SEUS waters, our results fill information gaps regarding the extent of artificial and natural reef habitats in the region, providing support for ecosystem-based management, and demonstrating an approach applicable to other regions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying spatial extents of artificial versus natural reefs in the seascape

et al. 2022

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“…We hypothesize that water current direction and magnitude could influence spatial distributions of the demersal fish around shipwrecks and that these fish likely aggregated on the port side of the vessel because it was upstream. Although we do not have water current data from either shipwreck during our surveys, we do know that on shallower shipwrecks also on the US continental shelf, fish tended to concentrate on the upstream side of shipwrecks (Paxton et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extracting ecological metrics from archeological surveys of shipwrecks using submersible video and laser‐line scanning

et al. 2020

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Ecological metrics derived from habitat surveys can provide information necessary to understand population, community, and ecosystem processes. Here, we present a case study on the feasibility of extracting ecological metrics from archeological studies of shipwrecks. Even though shipwrecks that are the focus of archeological surveys also form habitat for diverse flora and fauna, shipwrecks are often studied separately by archeologists and ecologists. Conducting joint archeological and ecological surveys promises to maximize research resources and outputs, yet this cross-disciplinary approach is rare. Here, we test the feasibility of extracting ecological metrics from archeological surveys of two historically significant and deep (200 m) shipwrecks, the German U-boat U-576 and the Nicaraguan freighter SS Bluefields, which sank in close proximity to one another on the continental shelf of North Carolina, USA during World War II. First, we assessed fish density, community composition, behavior, and spatial distribution on these shipwrecks using video and laser-line scanning data collected from human-occupied submersibles during archeological surveys. Second, we examined the ecological benefits and biases of pairing laser-line scanning and video surveys designed for archeological specifications. Our approach allowed us to pinpoint locations of fish around the shipwrecks and to identify these fish to fine taxonomic levels. The extracted ecological data revealed that both shipwrecks hosted high densities (U-576 38.2 AE 4.0; SS Bluefields 32.0 AE 18.0 per along-ship transect) of demersal fishes, including grouper species, and that fish concentrated around high-relief shipwreck features. More broadly, our findings demonstrate the utility and benefits of collecting multipurpose and cross-disciplinary data and provide a proof-of-concept for conducting joint archeological and ecological studies.

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“…The reefs range from 10–33 m deep, and all are open to fishing, including spearfishing, and diving. The area encompassed by the studied reefs is known to host a diversity of fish species, including tropical, subtropical, and temperate fishes [ 19 , 32 ] Aggregations of sand tiger sharks [ 33 ] and other large reef-associated predators, including snapper, grouper, jacks, and mackerel, are also known to occur on these reefs [ 29 , 34 ]).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial habitats host elevated densities of large reef-associated predators

et al. 2020

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Large predators play important ecological roles, yet many are disproportionately imperiled. In marine systems, artificial reefs are often deployed to restore degraded reefs or supplement existing reefs, but it remains unknown whether these interventions benefit large predators. Comparative field surveys of thirty artificial and natural reefs across~200 km of the North Carolina, USA coast revealed large reef-associated predators were more dense on artificial than natural reefs. This pattern was associated with higher densities of transient predators (e.g. jacks, mackerel, barracuda, sharks) on artificial reefs, but not of resident predators (e.g., grouper, snapper). Further analyses revealed that this pattern of higher transient predator densities on artificial reefs related to reef morphology, as artificial reefs composed of ships hosted higher transient predator densities than concrete reefs. The strength of the positive association between artificial reefs and transient predators increased with a fundamental habitat trait-vertical extent. Taller artificial reefs had higher densities of transient predators, even when accounting for habitat area. A global literature review of high trophic level fishes on artificial and natural habitats suggests that the overall pattern of more predators on artificial habitats is generalizable. Together, these findings provide evidence that artificial habitats, especially those like sunken ships that provide high vertical structure, may support large predators.

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Citizen science reveals female sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) exhibit signs of site fidelity on shipwrecks

Abstract: 2019. Citizen science reveals female sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) exhibit signs of site fidelity on shipwrecks. Ecology 100(8):

Cited by 17 publications

References 15 publications

Quantifying spatial extents of artificial versus natural reefs in the seascape

Quantifying spatial extents of artificial versus natural reefs in the seascape

Extracting ecological metrics from archeological surveys of shipwrecks using submersible video and laser‐line scanning

Artificial habitats host elevated densities of large reef-associated predators

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