Dynamic seascapes predict the marine occurrence of an endangered species: <scp>A</scp>tlantic <scp>S</scp>turgeon <i><scp>A</scp>cipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus</i>

Breece, Matthew W.; Fox, Dewayne A.; Dunton, Keith J.; Frisk, Mike G.; Jordaan, Adrian; Oliver, Matthew J.

doi:10.1111/2041-210x.12532

Cited by 33 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Observations of acoustically telemetered animals can be infrequent in the ocean environment; therefore, lowpower AUVs such as Slocum and wave gliders can play the supporting role of environmental sentinel, targeting ocean features and discovering new areas used by telemetered organisms outside of fixed acoustic arrays with missions that last weeks to months [10][11][12][13][14]. Gliders are easily outfitted with externally mounted, self-contained VEMCO mobile transceivers (VMT) [10,15], or with vehicle-integrated VEMCO cabled receivers (VR2c) [11,14].…”

Section: Open Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting detection efficiency of mobile telemetry Slocum gliders

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Acoustic biotelemetry sensors have been fully integrated into a broad range of mobile autonomous platforms; however, estimates of detection efficiency in different environmental conditions are rare. Here, we examined the role of environmental and vehicle factors influencing detection range for two common acoustic receivers, the VEMCO mobile transceiver (VMT) and a VEMCO cabled receiver (VR2c) aboard a Teledyne Slocum glider. We used two gliders, one as a mobile transmitting glider and one as a mobile receiving glider during the fall in the mid-Atlantic coastal region. Results:We found distance between gliders, water depth, and wind speed were the most important factors influencing the detection efficiency of the VMT and the VR2c receivers. Vehicle attitude and orientation had minimal impacts on detection efficiency for both the VMT and VR2c receivers, suggesting that the flight characteristics of the Slocum glider do not inhibit the detection efficiency of these systems. The distance for 20% detection efficiency was approximately 0.4 and 0.6 km for the VMT and VR2c, respectively. The VR2c receivers had significantly lower detection efficiencies than the VMT receiver at distances <0.1 km, but higher detection efficiencies than the VMT at distances >0.1 km.Conclusions: Slocum gliders are effective biotelemetry assets that serve as sentinels along important animal migration corridors. These gliders can help elucidate the relationships between telemetered organisms and in situ habitat. Therefore, estimating the detection ranges of these common telemetry instruments provides an important metric for understanding the spatial scales appropriate for habitat selection inferences.

show abstract

Section: Open Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting detection efficiency of mobile telemetry Slocum gliders

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…After leaving their natal rivers as subadults, they form coastal aggregations of mixed population and DPS origin [5, 16–18]. Within the marine environment, subadults and adults make long seasonal movements [19, 20] over prolonged periods through unknown migratory corridors [21, 22]. Migrants seasonally visit non-natal estuaries and coastal areas until returning to spawn in their natal rivers once sexually mature [15, 18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of natural reproduction of Atlantic sturgeon in the Connecticut River from unlikely sources

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Atlantic Sturgeon is listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as five Distinct Population Segments (DPS). The “endangered” New York Bight (NYB) DPS is thought to only harbor two populations; one in the Hudson River and a second smaller one in the Delaware River. Historically, the Connecticut River probably supported a spawning population of Atlantic Sturgeon that was believed extirpated many decades ago. In 2014, we successfully collected pre-migratory juvenile specimens from the lower Connecticut River which were subjected to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequence and microsatellite analyses to determine their genetic relatedness to other populations coastwide. Haplotype and allelic frequencies differed significantly between the Connecticut River collection and all other populations coastwide. Sibship analyses of the microsatellite data indicated that the Connecticut River collection was comprised of a small number of families that were likely the offspring of a limited number of breeders. This was supported by analysis of effective population size (Ne) and number of breeders (Nb). STRUCTURE analysis suggested that there were 11 genetic clusters among the coastwide collections and that from the Connecticut River was distinct from those in all other rivers. This was supported by UPGMA analyses of the microsatellite data. In AMOVA analyses, among region variation was maximized, and among population within regions variation minimized when the Connecticut River collection was separate from the other two populations in the NYB DPS indicating the dissimilarity between the Connecticut River collection and the other two populations in the NYB DPS. Use of mixed stock analysis indicated that the Connecticut River juvenile collection was comprised of specimens primarily of South Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay DPS origins. The most parsimonious explanation for these results is that the Connecticut River hosted successful natural reproduction in 2013 and that its offspring were descendants of a small number of colonizers from populations south of the NYB DPS, most notably the South Atlantic DPS. Our results run contrary to the belief that re-colonizers of extirpated populations primarily originate in proximal populations.

show abstract

“…The relationship with temperature offers opportunities for implementing spatio‐temporal fishery closures during spring migration periods but then relaxing restrictions in summer months, consistent with sturgeon movements (Breece et al . ; Dunn et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whether the behavioural response is to temperature or to other temperature-related factors, it appears to have survival consequences. The relationship with temperature offers opportunities for implementing spatio-temporal fishery closures during spring migration periods but then relaxing restrictions in summer months, consistent with sturgeon movements (Breece et al 2016;Dunn et al 2016).…”

Section: S E a S O N A L M O V E M E N T Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Informing conservation strategies for the endangered Atlantic sturgeon using acoustic telemetry and multi‐state mark–recapture models

Melnychuk

Dunton

Jordaan

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Causes of non‐intentional mortality may pose conservation challenges for long‐lived, migratory species. Recovery attempts for Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus populations in the USA have mainly involved closures of targeted fishing, but bycatch mortality from fisheries targeting other species remains a significant obstacle. Natural and fishing mortality levels are highly uncertain and difficult to separate, but quantifying spatial and temporal patterns of movements and total mortality can directly inform management policies regarding fishing activity that affects sturgeon. Subadult sturgeon were tagged with acoustic transmitters to track their movements with receivers deployed in active fishing areas within the New York Bight. Multi‐state mark–recapture models were used to quantify seasonal patterns in survival and migration while accounting for detection probabilities of tagged fish. Movement patterns of sturgeon were highly variable among seasons along the Long Island Coast, with frequent south‐westward movements during the increase in sea surface temperature in spring. North‐eastward movements were most pronounced during winter, when temperatures were lowest. Sturgeon were less common along coastal Long Island during summer. Larger fish transitioned among strata more frequently, but also had slightly lower survival than smaller fish, which may result from selectivity for larger individuals caught incidentally in bottom trawl or gillnet fisheries. Weekly total mortality rates, including both natural and fishing mortality, averaged 0·24%. Highest weekly survival rates were observed during periods of decreasing sea surface temperature in autumn and winter, while lowest survival was observed during periods of increasing temperature in spring and summer while sturgeon migrated through areas of known bycatch. Policy implications. Movement and survival patterns of Atlantic sturgeon suggest that late spring, coinciding with periods of ocean bycatch in fisheries along the coast of Long Island, is a particularly sensitive period for Atlantic sturgeon. Conservation efforts could target these few weeks using real‐time observations from acoustic telemetry and remote sensing technologies to implement in‐season fishery closures, thereby reducing incidental mortality of Atlantic sturgeon. Such bycatch management measures would aid in recovery attempts of a long‐lived, migratory population with endangered status.

show abstract

Dynamic seascapes predict the marine occurrence of an endangered species: Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus

Cited by 33 publications

References 48 publications

Factors affecting detection efficiency of mobile telemetry Slocum gliders

Factors affecting detection efficiency of mobile telemetry Slocum gliders

Evidence of natural reproduction of Atlantic sturgeon in the Connecticut River from unlikely sources

Informing conservation strategies for the endangered Atlantic sturgeon using acoustic telemetry and multi‐state mark–recapture models

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About