Home range of newborn blacktip reef sharks ( Carcharhinus melanopterus ), as estimated using mark-recapture and acoustic
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Home range of newborn blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus), as estimated using mark-recapture and acoustic telemetry Ian A. Bouyoucos1,2 • Martin Romain2 • Lorine Azoulai2 • Kim Eustache2,3 Johann Mourier2,4,5 • Jodie L. Rummer1 • Serge Planes2,5
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Received: 7 October 2019 / Accepted: 28 May 2020 Ó Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Sharks play important functional roles in coral reef ecosystems. Studying reef shark populations’ spatial ecology also contributes important data for effective conservation planning. The purpose of this study was to define the home range of neonatal blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) around Moorea, French Polynesia, and compare estimates using both mark-recapture surveys and active acoustic telemetry. Mark-recapture surveys produced a minimum convex polygon (MCP) of 0.07 km2 that was significantly larger than the MCP derived from acoustic telemetry (0.02 km2). Acoustic telemetry produced 50 and 95% kernel utilization densities that were smaller (0.02 km2) and larger (0.14 km2) than home range estimates from mark-recapture surveys, respectively. Home range estimates from this study are the smallest that have been documented for neonatal blacktip
Topic Editor Michael Lee Berumen & Ian A. Bouyoucos [email protected] 1
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
2
PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Universite´ de Perpignan, 58 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan Cedex, France
3
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
4
UMR MARBEC (IRD, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, CNRS), 34000 Se`te, France
5
Laboratoire D’Excellence ‘‘CORAIL,’’ EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD, CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
reef sharks, possibly owing to the study sites’ proximity to deep channels. Mark-recapture and active acoustic telemetry are complementary approaches worthy of consideration where passive telemetry is impractical. Keywords Elasmobranch French Polynesia Kernel utilization density Marine protected area Minimum convex polygon Shark nursery area
Introduction As mesopredators and apex predators, reef sharks play significant functional roles in coral reef ecosystems by exerting top-down control on lower trophic levels (e.g., consumption, fear effects; Roff et al. 2016). Individual sharks can be highly resident (Chin et al. 2016; Mourier et al. 2016) and rely on adjacent, coastal habitats as nursery areas (Heupel et al. 2019). Maintaining healthy reef shark populations has quantifiable benefits for coral reef ecosystem health (Ruppert et al. 2013; Williams et al. 2018). Therefore, identifying key habitats for reef shark populations and describing their use will contribute to more effective conservation planning with the potential for coral reef ecosystem benefits. An animal’s home range represents the
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