Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea.
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are typically dispersed throughout their circumtropical range, but the species is also known to aggregate in specific coastal areas. Accurate site descriptions associated with these aggregations are essential for the conservation of R. typus, an Endangered species. Alt...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2019-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222285 |
| _version_ | 1818403343329918976 |
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| author | Jesse E M Cochran Camrin D Braun E Fernando Cagua Michael F Campbell Royale S Hardenstine Alexander Kattan Mark A Priest Tane H Sinclair-Taylor Gregory B Skomal Sahar Sultan Lu Sun Simon R Thorrold Michael L Berumen |
| author_facet | Jesse E M Cochran Camrin D Braun E Fernando Cagua Michael F Campbell Royale S Hardenstine Alexander Kattan Mark A Priest Tane H Sinclair-Taylor Gregory B Skomal Sahar Sultan Lu Sun Simon R Thorrold Michael L Berumen |
| author_sort | Jesse E M Cochran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are typically dispersed throughout their circumtropical range, but the species is also known to aggregate in specific coastal areas. Accurate site descriptions associated with these aggregations are essential for the conservation of R. typus, an Endangered species. Although aggregations have become valuable hubs for research, most site descriptions rely heavily on sightings data. In the present study, visual census, passive acoustic monitoring, and long range satellite telemetry were combined to track the movements of R. typus from Shib Habil, a reef-associated aggregation site in the Red Sea. An array of 63 receiver stations was used to record the presence of 84 acoustically tagged sharks (35 females, 37 males, 12 undetermined) from April 2010 to May 2016. Over the same period, identification photos were taken for 76 of these tagged individuals and 38 were fitted with satellite transmitters. In total of 37,461 acoustic detections, 210 visual encounters, and 33 satellite tracks were analyzed to describe the sharks' movement ecology. The results demonstrate that the aggregation is seasonal, mostly concentrated on the exposed side of Shib Habil, and seems to attract sharks of both sexes in roughly equal numbers. The combined methodologies also tracked 15 interannual homing-migrations, demonstrating that many sharks leave the area before returning in later years. When compared to acoustic studies from other aggregations, these results demonstrate that R. typus exhibits diverse, site-specific ecologies across its range. Sightings-independent data from acoustic telemetry and other sources are an effective means of validating more common visual surveys. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:22:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a11506fc057946f9b05cb99910a03f84 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:22:45Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-a11506fc057946f9b05cb99910a03f842022-12-21T23:09:44ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032019-01-01149e022228510.1371/journal.pone.0222285Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea.Jesse E M CochranCamrin D BraunE Fernando CaguaMichael F CampbellRoyale S HardenstineAlexander KattanMark A PriestTane H Sinclair-TaylorGregory B SkomalSahar SultanLu SunSimon R ThorroldMichael L BerumenWhale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are typically dispersed throughout their circumtropical range, but the species is also known to aggregate in specific coastal areas. Accurate site descriptions associated with these aggregations are essential for the conservation of R. typus, an Endangered species. Although aggregations have become valuable hubs for research, most site descriptions rely heavily on sightings data. In the present study, visual census, passive acoustic monitoring, and long range satellite telemetry were combined to track the movements of R. typus from Shib Habil, a reef-associated aggregation site in the Red Sea. An array of 63 receiver stations was used to record the presence of 84 acoustically tagged sharks (35 females, 37 males, 12 undetermined) from April 2010 to May 2016. Over the same period, identification photos were taken for 76 of these tagged individuals and 38 were fitted with satellite transmitters. In total of 37,461 acoustic detections, 210 visual encounters, and 33 satellite tracks were analyzed to describe the sharks' movement ecology. The results demonstrate that the aggregation is seasonal, mostly concentrated on the exposed side of Shib Habil, and seems to attract sharks of both sexes in roughly equal numbers. The combined methodologies also tracked 15 interannual homing-migrations, demonstrating that many sharks leave the area before returning in later years. When compared to acoustic studies from other aggregations, these results demonstrate that R. typus exhibits diverse, site-specific ecologies across its range. Sightings-independent data from acoustic telemetry and other sources are an effective means of validating more common visual surveys.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222285 |
| spellingShingle | Jesse E M Cochran Camrin D Braun E Fernando Cagua Michael F Campbell Royale S Hardenstine Alexander Kattan Mark A Priest Tane H Sinclair-Taylor Gregory B Skomal Sahar Sultan Lu Sun Simon R Thorrold Michael L Berumen Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea. PLoS ONE |
| title | Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea. |
| title_full | Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea. |
| title_fullStr | Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea. |
| title_short | Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea. |
| title_sort | multi method assessment of whale shark rhincodon typus residency distribution and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the red sea |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222285 |
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