1. A global perspective on the trophic geography of sharks.
- Author
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Bird CS, Veríssimo A, Magozzi S, Abrantes KG, Aguilar A, Al-Reasi H, Barnett A, Bethea DM, Biais G, Borrell A, Bouchoucha M, Boyle M, Brooks EJ, Brunnschweiler J, Bustamante P, Carlisle A, Catarino D, Caut S, Cherel Y, Chouvelon T, Churchill D, Ciancio J, Claes J, Colaço A, Courtney DL, Cresson P, Daly R, de Necker L, Endo T, Figueiredo I, Frisch AJ, Hansen JH, Heithaus M, Hussey NE, Iitembu J, Juanes F, Kinney MJ, Kiszka JJ, Klarian SA, Kopp D, Leaf R, Li Y, Lorrain A, Madigan DJ, Maljković A, Malpica-Cruz L, Matich P, Meekan MG, Ménard F, Menezes GM, Munroe SEM, Newman MC, Papastamatiou YP, Pethybridge H, Plumlee JD, Polo-Silva C, Quaeck-Davies K, Raoult V, Reum J, Torres-Rojas YE, Shiffman DS, Shipley ON, Speed CW, Staudinger MD, Teffer AK, Tilley A, Valls M, Vaudo JJ, Wai TC, Wells RJD, Wyatt ASJ, Yool A, and Trueman CN
- Subjects
- Animals, Ecosystem, Oceans and Seas, Phytoplankton chemistry, Carbon Isotopes analysis, Food Chain, Muscle, Skeletal chemistry, Sharks physiology
- Abstract
Sharks are a diverse group of mobile predators that forage across varied spatial scales and have the potential to influence food web dynamics. The ecological consequences of recent declines in shark biomass may extend across broader geographic ranges if shark taxa display common behavioural traits. By tracking the original site of photosynthetic fixation of carbon atoms that were ultimately assimilated into muscle tissues of 5,394 sharks from 114 species, we identify globally consistent biogeographic traits in trophic interactions between sharks found in different habitats. We show that populations of shelf-dwelling sharks derive a substantial proportion of their carbon from regional pelagic sources, but contain individuals that forage within additional isotopically diverse local food webs, such as those supported by terrestrial plant sources, benthic production and macrophytes. In contrast, oceanic sharks seem to use carbon derived from between 30° and 50° of latitude. Global-scale compilations of stable isotope data combined with biogeochemical modelling generate hypotheses regarding animal behaviours that can be tested with other methodological approaches.
- Published
- 2018
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