Population connectivity of pelagic megafauna in the Cuba-Mexico-United States triangle

Abstract

The timing and extent of international crossings by billfishes, tunas, and sharks in the Cuba-Mexico-United States (U.S.) triangle was investigated using electronic tagging data from eight species that resulted in >22,000 tracking days. Transnational movements of these highly mobile marine predators were pronounced with varying levels of bi- or tri-national population connectivity displayed by each species. Billfishes and tunas moved throughout the Gulf of Mexico and all species investigated (blue marlin, white marlin, Atlantic bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna) frequently crossed international boundaries and entered the territorial waters of Cuba and/or Mexico. Certain sharks (tiger shark, scalloped hammerhead) displayed prolonged periods of residency in U.S. waters with more limited displacements, while whale sharks and to a lesser degree shortfin mako moved through multiple jurisdictions. The spatial extent of associated movements was generally associated with their differential use of coastal and open ocean pelagic ecosystems. Species with the majority of daily positions in oceanic waters off the continental shelf showed the greatest tendency for transnational movements and typically traveled farther from initial tagging locations. Several species converged on a common seasonal movement pattern between territorial waters of the U.S. (summer) and Mexico (winter).

Migrations and movements of Atlantic tarpon revealed by two decades of satellite tagging

“…We deployed 292 tags from 2001 to 2018 averaging 30 tags/year, spanning three continents, six countries and eight US states, the largest tagging effort for tarpon since the inception of satellite telemetry technology (Block, Dewar, Farwell, & Prince, ; Block et al, , ; Lutcavage, Brill, Skomal, Chase, & Howey, ; Rooker et al, ; Wilson et al, ). The size distribution of tagged tarpon reflected our objective of tagging sexually mature tarpon (>35 kg, Crabtree, Cyr, Chacón Chaverri, McLarney, & Dean, ) which are believed capable of taking long seasonal migrations (Crabtree et al, ).…”

Movement patterns and habitat use of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) across ontogeny in the Gulf of Mexico

“…While all life stages of tiger shark are known to occur in the GoM [ 11 , 25 , 28 ], detailed habitat use has never been quantified. This is striking as the GoM faces numerous anthropogenic stressors [ 35 – 37 ], complex tri-national management [ 38 , 39 ], and indications of size reductions in recreational landings for large sharks [ 40 , 41 ]. Additionally, the potential for ontogenetic and sex-specific habitat partitioning by tiger sharks remains unknown in these waters.…”

“…Although the species does not use discrete nurseries for parturition in the GoM, it has been suggested that the nearshore waters of the region are important for neonates [ 28 , 42 ] and by extension, could also serve a critical role for gravid females. A recent study demonstrated the capacity of tiger sharks to traverse tri-national boundaries within the GoM, particularly during the winter [ 39 ]. However, the former study did not include: 1) an assessment of sex-based differences in distribution patterns, 2) quantification of movement rates, and 3) potential interactions with large-scale habitat features, all of which have been identified as information-deficient areas in need of additional research [ 17 ].…”

Natural geochemical markers reveal environmental history and population connectivity of common cuttlefish in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

“…English Channel, Bay of Biscay [1]), there is renewed interest in their movement ecology and population connectivity [3]. This is primarily due to the fact that spatio-temporal shifts in distribution of marine organisms, particularly spawning stock biomass (SSB), can have profound implications for the management of harvested fisheries [4]. Current knowledge on the movement of S. officinalis is limited, preventing the implementation of conservation measures (e.g.…”