Residency and movement patterns of bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo, in a large Florida estuary

Heupel, Michelle R.; Simpfendorfer, Colin A.; Collins, Angela B.; Tyminski, John P.

doi:10.1007/s10641-006-9007-6

Cited by 126 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…When spawning, females move into offshore waters of higher salinity when a corresponding pattern of older individuals are observed offshore (Dickinson et al 2006). This movement of prey can potentially drive larger bonnetheads further from the coast, which is reflected in the decrease in δ 13 C and confirmed using observed offshore seasonal movement patterns (Heupel et al 2006, Ubeda et al 2009.…”

supporting

confidence: 73%

Feeding ecology of three coastal shark species in the northwest Gulf of Mexico

Plumlee¹,

Wells²

2016

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The feeding ecology of 3 coastal shark species -Atlantic sharpnose Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, bonnethead Sphyrna tiburo, and blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus shark -was examined in the northwest Gulf of Mexico (GOM). A total of 601 sharks (305 Atlantic sharpnose, 239 bonnethead, and 57 blacktip) were collected over 2 yr from recreational anglers in Galveston, TX. All individuals had stomach contents examined and a subset (50 Atlantic sharpnose, 50 bonnethead, and 36 blacktip sharks) was analyzed for stable isotopes (carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur) in muscle tissue, revealing short-term and long-term feeding strategies. Both blacktip and Atlantic sharpnose shark stomach contents consisted of teleost fishes with percent index of relative importance (%IRI) of 98.95 and 91.16, respectively, whereas bonnethead diets were dominated by crustaceans (%IRI = 87.20). Stable isotope analysis revealed bonnetheads had higher mean carbon (δ 13 C) and lower sulfur (δ 34 S) values, indicating inshore feeding and a preference for benthic invertebrates, respectively. Atlantic sharpnose and blacktip sharks were shown to feed on similar prey using stomach content analysis, yet Atlantic sharpnose sharks had a broader diet, including cephalopods and crustaceans in addition to teleost fishes. Differences were further established using nitrogen (δ 15 N) values, which were significantly lower for Atlantic sharpnose than blacktip sharks. Collectively, stomach contents and stable isotope analyses supported different feeding strategies of 3 common shark species. δ 34 S appeared to serve as a natural tracer, distinguishing benthic versus pelagic feeding patterns in elasmobranchs. This study provides important ecosystem-based feeding information of upper trophic-level predators in coastal waters of the northwestern GOM.

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supporting

confidence: 73%

Feeding ecology of three coastal shark species in the northwest Gulf of Mexico

Plumlee¹,

Wells²

2016

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Changes in salinity offer the most intuitive explanation for the changes in habitat use shown by tagged Bonnetheads, in line with previous findings for this species [4,6,15]. We found that Bonnetheads generally remained at Katrina Cut while the cut was open and made a general westward shift once the cut was closed, as seen from the IDW analysis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Anthropogenic modifications to a barrier island influence Bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo) movements in the northern Gulf of Mexico

et al. 2015

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Background: Barrier islands are dynamic features of the northern Gulf of Mexico that are affected by natural processes and more frequently, anthropogenic disturbances. In addition to providing a barrier from storms, these islands offer habitat for many marine species. In an effort to prevent oiling of the Alabama coastline following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, an artificial rock-rubble berm was constructed in 2010 to reconnect two portions of Dauphin Island, a northern Gulf of Mexico barrier island that was separated during Hurricane Katrina. An acoustic array established prior to the closure of "Katrina Cut" was used to investigate the potential effect of this anthropogenic alteration on the movement patterns of acoustically tagged Bonnetheads (Sphyrna tiburo).Results: Across the entire acoustic array, the largest proportion of detections occurred on receivers before construction at Katrina Cut (0.55), followed by the period after the construction (0.25), and the period during the construction (0.20). Focusing on the area near Katrina Cut, the two hydrophones in this area had the highest proportion of detections before construction (0.10), followed by the period during construction (0.02), and then the period after construction and closure of Katrina Cut (<0.01). The post-closure location of highest activity for Bonnetheads shifted westward following the closure of Katrina Cut. Salinity values from a hydrographic model were higher at the Katrina Cut location in 2010 when the cut was open compared to 2011 and 2012 when the cut was closed, a potential explanation for the observed changes in Bonnethead distribution. Conclusions:Fluctuations in salinity post-closure of Katrina Cut may effect Bonnethead movements, although other factors, including seasonal migrations and/or the redistribution of their preferred prey, may also be important. Regardless of the mechanism, this rapid shift in distribution of Bonnetheads highlights the potential effect of anthropogenic activities on sharks using coastal environments.

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“…(3) Twenty nocturnal gillnet collections were conducted along the 3 transects at our study site. Gillnet gear specifications (180 × 3 m, 11.8 cm stretched mesh, weighted) and survey procedures followed those used by Heupel et al (2006) and Wiley & Simpfendorfer (2007). This procedure is highly selective for particular nearshore predators, such as juvenile sharks (Heupel et al 2006, Wiley & Simpfendorfer 2007.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative predation risk for fishes along a subtropical mangrove–seagrass ecotone

Hammerschlag¹,

Morgan²,

Serafy³

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Many fishes shelter in mangrove habitats by day and forage mostly in seagrass beds by night. This pattern of diel habitat use has been attributed to a predator avoidance strategy, whereby predation risk is reduced by alternating between the cover afforded by prop-roots during the day and darkness at night. We employed a series of diel tethering experiments in Biscayne Bay (Florida, USA) to empirically examine whether relative predation pressure on fishes is lower at night than during the day and to compare relative predation pressure on fishes at different distances from the mangroveseagrass ecotone. Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides ranging from 10 to 17 cm in total length were tethered during day and night at 10, 50, and 110 m from the mangrove-seagrass ecotone. Pinfish removal rates at night were twice as high as during the day, which contradicts the idea that darkness provides 'cover' during nocturnal foraging in seagrass. Predation losses were highest nearest the mangrove edge and decreased with increasing distance from shore. Our results agree with those of other tethering studies that marine ecotones, or transition zones between refuges and feeding sites, can be areas of high predation pressure for fishes. KEY WORDS: Predators · Edge effects · Proximity gradient · Shark · Snapper · Porgy · Grunt Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 401: [259][260][261][262][263][264][265][266][267] 2010 tor access (Shulman 1985, Blaber 2007, Rypel et al. 2007). Most previous studies, which have been primarily diurnal, have consistently reported fish densities to be higher nearest the mangroves compared to offshore (e.g. Jelbart et al. 2007, Newman et al. 2007, Unsworth et al. 2008. However, direct field-based evidence evaluating how predation risk varies spatially in seagrass beds in relation to mangrove proximity is lacking.Ecotones, or habitat transition zones, are recognized as hunting corridors for predators in a variety of systems (Decamps & Naiman 1988, Ries & Sisk 2004. Organisms are likely at highest risk from predation when crossing ecotones between sheltered and feeding patches, due to the high concentration of individuals in refuges and predictability of their foraging movements. For example, off the coast of South Africa, hunting white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) patrol fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) refuge entry and exit points in attempts to ambush seals as they leave for, and return from, foraging (Martin et al. 2005, Hammerschlag et al. 2006, Martin et al. 2009). Although previous studies in a variety of habitats (e.g. reefs, Shulman 1985) have reported predation pressure to be high near ecotones, or habitat edges, this has not been previously reported in mangroveseagrass habitats and results of most published diurnal fish abundance surveys indicate highest fish densities nearest the mangroves (Jelbart et al. 2007, Newman et al. 2007, Unsworth et al. 2008.Recently, Hammerschlag & Serafy (in press) examined nocturnal abundance ...

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Residency and movement patterns of bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo, in a large Florida estuary

Cited by 126 publications

References 34 publications

Feeding ecology of three coastal shark species in the northwest Gulf of Mexico

Feeding ecology of three coastal shark species in the northwest Gulf of Mexico

Anthropogenic modifications to a barrier island influence Bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo) movements in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Relative predation risk for fishes along a subtropical mangrove–seagrass ecotone

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