138 results on '"Mark G. Meekan"'
Search Results
2. Isolated reefs support stable fish communities with high abundances of regionally fished species
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Conrad W. Speed, Jordan Goetze, Andrew Heyward, Katherine Cure, Shaun K. Wilson, Matthew J. Birt, Euan S. Harvey, Stephen J. Newman, James P. Gilmour, and Mark G. Meekan
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0106 biological sciences ,Coral reef fish ,baselines ,Population ,remote reefs ,endangered fish ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,fish assemblages ,Parrotfish ,education ,temporal stability ,Reef ,Relative species abundance ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,QH540-549.5 ,030304 developmental biology ,Nature and Landscape Conservation ,Original Research ,0303 health sciences ,education.field_of_study ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,Coral reef ,biology.organism_classification ,Bolbometopon muricatum ,Fishery ,Wrasse ,stereo‐BRUVS - Abstract
Anthropogenic impacts at isolated and inaccessible reefs are often minimal, offering rare opportunities to observe fish assemblages in a relatively undisturbed state. The remote Rowley Shoals are regarded as one of the healthiest reef systems in the Indian Ocean with demonstrated resilience to natural disturbance, no permanent human population nearby, low visitation rates, and large protected areas where fishing prohibitions are enforced. We used baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) to quantify fish assemblages and the relative abundance of regionally fished species within the lagoon, on the slope and in the mesophotic habitat at the Rowley Shoals at three times spanning 14 years and compared abundances of regionally fished species and the length distributions of predatory species to other isolated reefs in the northeast Indian Ocean. Fish assemblage composition and the relative abundance of regionally fished species were remarkably stable through time. We recorded high abundances of regionally fished species relative to other isolated reefs, including globally threatened humphead Maori wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) and bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum). Length distributions of fish differed among habitats at the Rowley Shoals, suggesting differences in ontogenetic shifts among species. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands typically had larger‐bodied predatory species than at the Rowley Shoals. Differences in geomorphology, lagoonal habitats, and fishing history likely contribute to the differences among remote reefs. Rowley Shoals is a rare example of a reef system demonstrating ecological stability in reef fish assemblages during a time of unprecedented degradation of coral reefs., Fish assemblage composition and the relative abundance of regionally fished species were remarkably stable through time at the Rowley Shoals. We recorded high abundances of regionally fished species relative to other isolated reefs, including globally threatened humphead Maori wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) and bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum).
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- 2021
3. Unprecedented longevity of unharvested shallow-water snappers in the Indian Ocean
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Mark G. Meekan, Stephen J. Newman, Mark Chinkin, Corey B. Wakefield, and Brett M. Taylor
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geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Macolor macularis ,biology ,Shoal ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Fishery ,Waves and shallow water ,Lutjanidae ,Archipelago ,Lethrinidae ,Reef ,geographic locations - Abstract
Identification of latitudinal trends in growth and maximum ages provides important insights into the vulnerability of coral reef fishes to human exploitation. Here, we sampled three species of unharvested tropical snappers from 4 locations along the tropical Western Australian coast and from the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean. Interpretation of sectioned sagittal otoliths identified 2 species as the longest-lived tropical reef-associated fishes recorded to date, with a combined eleven specimens aged > 60 yrs, a single Lutjanus bohar aged 79 yrs and a single Macolor macularis aged 81 yrs (both from Rowley Shoals, Western Australia). These maximum ages are two decades greater than previous estimates of maximum age for reef fishes. Lifetimes of such long durations confirm the low rates of natural mortality for these species, their associated low production potential, and the need for effective systems of governance to enable sustainable harvests across the distributions of these species.
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- 2020
4. Methods matter in repeating ocean acidification studies
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Mark I. McCormick, Timothy Ravasi, Sue-Ann Watson, Megan J. Welch, Mark G. Meekan, Geoffrey P. Jones, Rachael M. Heuer, Danielle L. Dixson, Göran E. Nilsson, Paolo Domenici, Martin Grosell, Philip L. Munday, and Douglas P. Chivers
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0106 biological sciences ,Marine biology ,geography ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Coral reef fish ,Ecology ,fungi ,Ocean acidification ,Coral reef ,Replicate ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Life stage ,%22">Fish ,geographic locations ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
[Extract:] In their study, Clark et al. suggest that previous studies on the effects of elevated levels of CO2 on the behaviour of coral reef fishes are not repeatable and that ocean acidification does not impair the behaviour of coral reef fishes, even though six significant behavioural effects were detected in their study, each of which was dismissed for a different reason. They then compare the means and variances of six previous ocean acidification studies in fish with a data distribution that is derived from a multi-species compilation of their own data to conclude that the results of previous studies are statistically improbable. However, Clark et al. did not closely repeat previous studies, as they did not replicate key species, used different life stages and ecological histories and changed methods in important ways that reduce the likelihood of detecting the effects of ocean acidification.
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- 2020
5. The hemisphere of fear: the presence of sharks influences the three dimensional behaviour of large mesopredators in a coral reef ecosystem
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Tim J. Langlois, Emily Lester, Stephen D. Simpson, Mark I. McCormick, and Mark G. Meekan
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0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Carcharhinus melanopterus ,Coral reef fish ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Reef shark ,Coral reef ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,Fishery ,Mesopredator release hypothesis ,Reef ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Coral trout - Abstract
Predators can exert strong ecological effects on their prey either via consumption or by altering their behaviour and morphology. In marine systems, predators and their prey co-occur in a three-dimensional environment, but to date predator-prey studies have largely focussed on behaviours of prey on horizontal (distance from shelter) rather than vertical (height in water column) axes. We used life-size shape-models of a blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus (threatening shape-model), a juvenile coral trout Plectropomus leopardus (non-threatening shape-model) and a shape-control to examine the impact of perceived instantaneous (measured by time to first feeding) versus sustained (measured by time to consume the entire bait) predation threats on the feeding behaviour and three-dimensional use of space by mesopredatory reef fishes in a coral reef environment. We found that mesopredatory fishes such as red snapper Lutjanus bohar and spangled emperor Lethrinus nebulosus took longer to begin feeding and to consume predation assays (fish baits) at greater distances from the shelter of a patch reef across both horizontal and vertical axes and that this phenomenon was stronger in the vertical axis than the horizontal. The presence of a life-size shape-model of a shark, which we used to increase the perception of predator threat, magnified the instantaneous effect compared to non-threatening models, but not the sustained effect. We found no evidence for a difference in the level of predation risk posed by the shape-model of the juvenile coral trout (a non-threatening reef fish) and a negative control (no shape-model). Our study suggests that mesopredators modify their behaviours in response to the perceived risk of predation across both horizontal and vertical axes away from shelter, and that this response is most severe on the vertical axis, potentially limiting daytime foraging behaviour to a hemisphere around shelter sites.
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- 2020
6. Teleconnections reveal that drivers of inter-annual growth can vary from local to ocean basin scales in tropical snappers
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Mark Chinkin, Brett M. Taylor, and Mark G. Meekan
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0106 biological sciences ,education.field_of_study ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Population ,Climate change ,Aquatic Science ,Seasonality ,medicine.disease ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Sea surface temperature ,Geography ,medicine ,Spatial ecology ,Oceanic basin ,education ,Pacific decadal oscillation ,Teleconnection - Abstract
Individual growth rate is one of the key traits that determine the productivity of populations. Chronological approaches that relate time series of growth and climate information present the opportunity to identify important climatic drivers of demography and thereby understand the likely impact of climate change. We constructed otolith chronologies (a proxy for somatic growth) to examine synchrony of growth patterns within and between two mesopredatory fishes (Lutjanus bohar and L. gibbus) in the remote Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean. We then used mixed-model and pathway analysis to relate growth responses to a suite of climatic and environmental factors to determine the extent to which variation in inter-annual growth could be predicted at individual and population levels. Our models explained up to half the variance associated with annual growth at the level of populations. Significant environmental drivers of growth differed between species, as did the spatial scale of these drivers: L. gibbus exhibited a strong relationship with regional ocean temperature, whereas growth of L. bohar was correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, suggesting influential teleconnections between ocean basins as an underlying predictor of productivity of fish populations. Our results demonstrate that (1) synchronous growth stemming from relationships with climate factors may be suppressed at very low latitudes; (2) closely related species may respond to very different environmental stimuli; and (3) within the same environment, the scale of influential drivers may be local in nature or reflect oceanographic processes stretching across entire ocean basins. We demonstrate that biochronological approaches are effective tools for reconstructing relationships between climate variability and fish growth even in tropical regions where seasonality is low, and these methods can be valuable for forecasting population-level responses to projected climate change.
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- 2020
7. Multi-year patterns in scarring, survival and residency of whale sharks in Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia
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Holly C. Raudino, Mark G. Meekan, Emily Lester, Kelly Waples, Peter Barnes, Conrad W. Speed, and Dani Rob
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Mark and recapture ,Fishery ,Geography ,Ecology ,biology ,Whale ,biology.animal ,Photo identification ,Marine park ,Aquatic Science ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Predation - Published
- 2020
8. Synchronous biological feedbacks in parrotfishes associated with pantropical coral bleaching
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Brett M. Taylor, Howard J. Choat, Kendall D. Clements, Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Nicholas A. J. Graham, and Mark G. Meekan
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0106 biological sciences ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Coral bleaching ,Coral reef fish ,Coral ,Effects of global warming on oceans ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Animals ,Environmental Chemistry ,Parrotfish ,Reef ,Ecosystem ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,General Environmental Science ,Global and Planetary Change ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,biology ,Coral Reefs ,fungi ,Fishes ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,Coral reef ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Anthozoa ,biology.organism_classification ,Perciformes ,Disturbance (ecology) ,population characteristics ,geographic locations - Abstract
Biological feedbacks generated through patterns of disturbance are vital for sustaining ecosystem states. Recent ocean warming and thermal anomalies have caused pantropical episodes of coral bleaching, which has led to widespread coral mortality and a range of subsequent effects on coral reef communities. Although the response of many reef-associated fishes to major disturbance events on coral reefs is negative (e.g., reduced abundance and condition), parrotfishes show strong feedbacks after disturbance to living reef structure manifesting as increases in abundance. However, the mechanisms underlying this response are poorly understood. Using biochronological reconstructions of annual otolith (ear stone) growth from two ocean basins, we tested whether parrotfish growth was enhanced following bleaching-related coral mortality, thus providing an organismal mechanism for demographic changes in populations. Both major feeding guilds of parrotfishes (scrapers and excavators) exhibited enhanced growth of individuals after bleaching that was decoupled from expected thermal performance, a pattern that was not evident in other reef fish taxa from the same environment. These results provide evidence for a more nuanced ecological feedback system-one where disturbance plays a key role in mediating parrotfish-benthos interactions. By influencing the biology of assemblages, disturbance can thereby stimulate change in parrotfish grazing intensity and ultimately reef geomorphology over time. This feedback cycle operated historically at within-reef scales; however, our results demonstrate that the scale, magnitude, and severity of recent thermal events are entraining the biological responses of disparate communities to respond in synchrony. This may fundamentally alter feedbacks in the relationships between parrotfishes and reef systems.
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- 2019
9. Does provisioning for tourism harm whale sharks at Oslob? A review of the evidence and reply to Ziegler et al. (2018)
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Mark G. Meekan and Judi Lowe
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biology ,Whale ,Strategy and Management ,Ecology (disciplines) ,Interpretation (philosophy) ,Transportation ,Provisioning ,Environmental ethics ,Development ,Harm ,Geography ,Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management ,biology.animal ,Tourism - Abstract
Provisioning of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) for tourism at Oslob in the Philippines is a controversial issue. Recent studies that claim negative impacts of this industry on the ecology of whale sharks are characterised by a lack of baselines, limited methodological approaches and poor interpretation of results. They do not provide robust evidence for management or for advocacy that seeks to prevent provisioning. Furthermore, these studies cannot be used to draw conclusions about the ethics of tourists visiting Oslob or the motivations of the local people running the tourism operation.
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- 2019
10. Satellite Tracking Reveals Nesting Patterns, Site Fidelity, and Potential Impacts of Warming on Major Green Turtle Rookeries in the Red Sea
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Mark G. Meekan, Abdulaziz M. Al-Suwailem, Takahiro Shimada, Lyndsey K. Tanabe, and Carlos M. Duarte
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coastal development ,0106 biological sciences ,Fastloc GPS telemetry ,Science ,Endangered species ,Ocean Engineering ,QH1-199.5 ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,reproductive ecology ,law ,warming temperature ,nesting success ,Seasonal breeder ,Turtle (robot) ,Nesting season ,Water Science and Technology ,Global and Planetary Change ,Rookery ,Reproductive success ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution ,climate change ,Geography ,Habitat ,Nesting (computing) - Abstract
Major aggregations of nesting green turtles (Chelonia mydas) occur in the northern Red Sea, although little is known about the reproductive ecology of this endangered species in the region. To address this issue, we satellite-tracked 30 female green turtles to document their movements and to identify factors driving habitat use at two major rookeries in the Red Sea, Jazirat Mashabah (Mashabah Island) and Ras Al Baridi in Saudi Arabia. Between successive nesting events, turtles displayed high fidelity to nesting beaches and adjacent in-water habitats (inter-nesting habitats). Using generalized linear mixed models, we estimated the mean probability of nesting per beach emergence (nesting success rate) to be 0.628, and the mean duration between a successful nesting event and the successive emergence onto the beach (re-nesting interval) to be 10.8 days at each site. The nesting success rate was relatively high (>0.8) when the preceding daytime land surface temperature (LST) was lower than 37°C but decreased with elevated daytime LST (47°C). Re-nesting interval was longer at lower water temperatures and towards the end of the nesting season of individuals. Our study improves the robustness of abundance estimates from census data (e.g., track counts) and shows that the protection of nesting and inter-nesting habitats during a breeding season would be an effective conservation strategy for the species. We discuss how global warming could increase energy expenditure due to lowered nesting success, ultimately compromising the reproductive fitness of these populations.
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- 2021
11. First Insights Into the Horizontal Movements of Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus) in the Northern Arabian Sea
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Charitha Pattiaratchi, Sajan John, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Rahul Kaul, B. C. Choudhury, Lucy M. Arrowsmith, Mark G. Meekan, Farukhkha Bloch, and Charan Kumar Paidi
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0106 biological sciences ,Water mass ,Science ,Fishing ,Ocean Engineering ,satellite tags ,tagging ,QH1-199.5 ,Aquatic Science ,migration ,Oceanography ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,biology.animal ,030304 developmental biology ,Water Science and Technology ,0303 health sciences ,Global and Planetary Change ,biology ,Satellite telemetry ,Whale ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution ,Fishery ,Indian ocean ,Habitat destruction ,Geography ,movement ecology - Abstract
Whale sharks off the western coast of India have suffered high levels of fishing pressure in the past, and today continue to be caught in small-scale fisheries as by-catch. Additionally, coastlines in this region host very large and growing human populations that are undergoing rapid development. This exacerbates ongoing anthropogenic threats to this species such as pollution, habitat loss, and ship traffic. For these reasons, there is an urgent need for data on movement patterns of whale sharks in this region of the Indian Ocean. Here, we address this issue by providing the first data on the horizontal movements of whale sharks tagged in the northern Arabian Sea off the western coast of the Indian state of Gujarat. From 2011 to 2017, eight individuals, ranging from 5.4 to 8 m were tagged and monitored using satellite telemetry. Tag retention varied from 1 to 137 days, with the sharks traveling distances of 34 – ∼2,230 km. Six of the eight individuals remained close to their tagging locations, although two sharks displayed wide ranging movements into the Arabian Sea, following frontal zones between water masses of different sea surface temperatures. We explore the relationship between the movement patterns of these whale sharks and the physical and biological processes of the region.
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- 2021
12. Reply to: Shark mortality cannot be assessed by fishery overlap alone
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Emily R. Nelson, Demian D. Chapman, Robert E. Hueter, Fabien Forget, Michele Thums, Mark G. Meekan, Laurent Dagorn, Pedro Afonso, Marcus Sheaves, Robert Harcourt, Charlie Huveneers, Jaime D. McAllister, Marisa Vedor, Alison V. Towner, James S. E. Lea, Sarika Singh, Ramón Bonfil, Nigel E. Hussey, Hector M. Guzman, Eric Clua, Felipe Ladino, Matthew Heard, Diego Bernal, Alex Hearn, John R. M. Chisholm, Warrick S. Lyon, Neil Hammerschlag, Laurenne B. Snyders, Taylor K. Chapple, Paulo Travassos, Sam B. Weber, Frederic Vandeperre, Estelle Crochelet, Clare A. Keating Daly, Patricia Zarate, Enrico Gennari, Cesar Peñaherrera-Palma, Mark E. Bond, Luciana C. Ferreira, Nuno Queiroz, Timothy D. White, Johan A. Gustafson, Graeme C. Hays, Luke Harman, David M. P. Jacoby, Jonathan Green, Francesco Ferretti, Lance K. B. Jordan, Fiona Llewellyn, André S. Afonso, Bonnie J. Holmes, Ryan Johnson, Simon D. Goldsworthy, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Natalia P. A. Bezerra, Steven E. Campana, Malcolm J. Smale, Bradley M. Wetherbee, J.B. Brown, Ana Rita Couto, Michael L. Berumen, Christopher R. Clarke, James T. Ketchum, Austin J. Gallagher, Nicolas E. Humphries, Ivo da Costa, Matthew Gollock, Sean Williams, Ryan Daly, Paul J. Rogers, Simon Pierce, Sandra Bessudo Lion, Samantha J. Simpson, Kilian M. Stehfest, Eduardo Espinoza, Emily J. Southall, Thomas K. Doyle, Marc Soria, Mariana Travassos Tolotti, Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Francois Poisson, Michael E. Byrne, Kátya G. Abrantes, Yuuki Y. Watanabe, Dylan T. Irion, Annabelle Brooks, Anna MacDonnell, Clinton A. J. Duffy, Warren Joyce, Alison A. Kock, Jayson M. Semmens, Michael A. Meÿer, Bruno C. L. Macena, G. Chris Fischer, Richard Fitzpatrick, Mauricio Hoyos, Camrin D. Braun, Carlos M. Duarte, Gonzalo Araujo, Fábio H. V. Hazin, Lara L. Sousa, Jorge Fontes, Mark Fowler, David Rowat, David Acuña-Marrero, Pieter Koen, Gonzalo Mucientes, Randall Arauz, John C. Holdsworth, Aaron B. Carlisle, John J. Morris, Thor Erikson, Adam Barnett, Barry D. Bruce, Daniel Devia Cortés, António M. Santos, Michael E. Drew, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Francisco J. Abascal, Edward J. Brooks, Fernanda O. Lana, Mahmood S. Shivji, Xabier Irigoien, Darrell Anders, Tristan L. Guttridge, Melita Samoilys, David W. Sims, Oliver J. D. Jewell, Lina Maria Quintero, Gregory B. Skomal, Christoph A. Rohner, Barbara A. Block, Pascal Bach, Malcolm P. Francis, German Soler, Debra L. Abercrombie, Simon R. Thorrold, A. Peter Klimley, John P. Tyminski, Russell W. Bradford, John D. Filmalter, Antonin V. Blaison, Heather Marshall, Víctor M. Eguíluz, Jeremy J. Vaudo, George L. Shillinger, Lucy A. Howey, Andrew J. Richardson, Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas [Horta], Instituto do Mar - Universidade dos Açores (IMAR-UAc), MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation (UMR MARBEC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR), University of Hawai‘i [Mānoa] (UHM), University of Iceland [Reykjavik], School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences [Stony Brook] (SoMAS), Stony Brook University [SUNY] (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY)-State University of New York (SUNY), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [Blacksburg], South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Zoological Society of London - ZSL (UNITED KINGDOM), Physique et mécanique des milieux hétérogenes (UMR 7636) (PMMH), Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris (ESPCI Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP), Flinders University of South Australia, James Cook University (JCU), Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Biology Department (WHOI), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Universidade dos Açores, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies [Horbat] (IMAS), University of Tasmania [Hobart, Australia] (UTAS), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Macquarie University [Sydney], Australian Institute of Marine Science [Perth] (AIMS Perth), Ikerbasque - Basque Foundation for Science, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
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0106 biological sciences ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Automatic Identification System ,[SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes ,Fishing ,Fisheries ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,survival ,ecological risk-assessment ,law.invention ,Longline fishing ,caught ,law ,Animals ,14. Life underwater ,Multidisciplinary ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Regression analysis ,Pelagic zone ,Catch per unit effort ,Fishery ,Geography ,Habitat ,Seafood ,Sharks ,Conservation biology ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology - Abstract
REPLYING TO H. Murua et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03396-4 (2021) Our previously published paper1 provided global fine-scale spatiotemporal estimates (1° × 1°; monthly) of overlap and fishing exposure risk (FEI) between satellite-tracked shark space use and automatic identification system (AIS) longline fishing effort. We did not assess shark mortality directly, but in addition to replying to the Comment by Murua et al.2, we confirm—using regression analysis of spatially matched data—that fishing-induced pelagic shark mortality (catch per unit effort (CPUE)) is greater where FEI is higher. We focused on assessing shark horizontal spatiotemporal overlap and exposure risk with fisheries because spatial overlap is a major driver of fishing capture susceptibility and previous shark ecological risk assessments (ERAs) assumed a homogenous shark density within species-range distributions3,4,5 or used coarse-scale modelled occurrence data, rather than more ecologically realistic risk estimates in heterogeneous habitats that were selected by sharks over time. Furthermore, our shark spatial exposure risk implicitly accounts for other susceptibility factors with equal or similar probabilities to those commonly used in shark ERAs3,5.
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- 2021
13. Natural nutrient subsidies alter demographic rates in a functionally important coral-reef fish
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Mark G. Meekan, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Brett M. Taylor, and Cassandra E. Benkwitt
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0106 biological sciences ,Stable isotope analysis ,Population dynamics ,Coral reef fish ,Science ,Ecosystem ecology ,Population ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Article ,Animals ,Ecosystem ,Biomass ,Parrotfish ,education ,Reef ,Population Density ,Marine biology ,education.field_of_study ,geography ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,Invasive species ,Coral Reefs ,Conservation biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,fungi ,Fishes ,Nutrients ,Coral reef ,Chlorurus sordidus ,biology.organism_classification ,Medicine ,Ichthyology - Abstract
By improving resource quality, cross-ecosystem nutrient subsidies may boost demographic rates of consumers in recipient ecosystems, which in turn can affect population and community dynamics. However, empirical studies on how nutrient subsidies simultaneously affect multiple demographic rates are lacking, in part because humans have disrupted the majority of these natural flows. Here, we compare the demographics of a sex-changing parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) between reefs where cross-ecosystem nutrients provided by seabirds are available versus nearby reefs where invasive, predatory rats have removed seabird populations. For this functionally important species, we found evidence for a trade-off between investing in growth and fecundity, with parrotfish around rat-free islands with many seabirds exhibiting 35% faster growth, but 21% lower size-based fecundity, than those around rat-infested islands with few seabirds. Although there were no concurrent differences in population-level density or biomass, overall mean body size was 16% larger around rat-free islands. Because the functional significance of parrotfish as grazers and bioeroders increases non-linearly with size, the increased growth rates and body sizes around rat-free islands likely contributes to higher ecosystem function on coral reefs that receive natural nutrient subsidies. More broadly, these results demonstrate additional benefits, and potential trade-offs, of restoring natural nutrient pathways for recipient ecosystems.
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- 2021
14. Protection from illegal fishing and shark recovery restructures mesopredatory fish communities on a coral reef
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Brigit Vaughan, Matthew J. Rees, Mark G. Meekan, Katherine Cure, and Conrad W. Speed
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0106 biological sciences ,marine reserve ,Coral reef fish ,Fishing ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,elasmobranchs ,03 medical and health sciences ,Abundance (ecology) ,lcsh:QH540-549.5 ,Reef ,fishing pressure ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,030304 developmental biology ,Nature and Landscape Conservation ,Original Research ,0303 health sciences ,top‐down effects ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,Marine reserve ,Coral reef ,baited remote underwater video stations ,Fishery ,Geography ,Habitat ,lcsh:Ecology ,predation ,competition - Abstract
The recovery of communities of predatory fishes within a no‐take marine reserve after the eradication of illegal fishing provides an opportunity to examine the role of sharks and other large‐bodied mesopredatory fishes in structuring reef fish communities. We used baited remote underwater video stations to investigate whether an increase in sharks was associated with a change in structure of the mesopredatory fish community at Ashmore Reef, Western Australia. We found an almost fourfold increase in shark abundance in reef habitat from 0.64 hr−1 ± 0.15 SE in 2004, when Ashmore Reef was being fished illegally, to 2.45 hr−1 ± 0.37 in 2016, after eight years of full‐time enforcement of the reserve. Shark recovery in reef habitat was accompanied by a two and a half‐fold decline in the abundance of small mesopredatory fishes (≤50 cm TL) (14.00 hr−1 ± 3.79 to 5.6 hr−1 ± 1.20) and a concomitant increase in large mesopredatory fishes (≥100 cm TL) from 1.82 hr−1 ± 0.48 to 4.27 hr−1 ± 0.93. In contrast, near‐reef habitats showed an increase in abundance of large mesopredatory fishes between years (2.00 hr−1 ± 0.65 to 4.56 hr−1 ± 1.11), although only smaller increases in sharks (0.67 hr−1 ± 0.25 to 1.22 hr−1 ± 0.34) and smaller mesopredatory fishes. Although the abundance of most mesopredatory groups increased with recovery from fishing, we suggest that the large decline of small mesopredatory fish in reef habitat was mostly due to higher predation pressure following the increase in sharks and large mesopredatory fishes. At the regional scale, the structure of fished communities at Ashmore Reef in 2004 resembled those of present day Scott Reefs, where fishing still continues today. In 2016, Ashmore fish communities resembled those of the Rowley Shoals, which have been protected from fishing for decades., We observed abundance and community composition of shark and mesopredatory reef fish at Ashmore Reef in Western Australia, before and after recovery from illegal fishing pressure. After eight years of recovery, there was a large decrease in small (≤50 cm TL) mesopredatory reef fish abundance and a concomitant increase in shark and large (>100 cm TL) mesopredatory fish abundance in reef habitat. Our findings provide support for fish community restructuring with reef shark recovery, which has implications for management time frames of marine protected areas.
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- 2019
15. High predation of marine turtle hatchlings near a coastal jetty
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Scott D. Whiting, Luciana C. Ferreira, Mark G. Meekan, Phillipa Wilson, Kellie Pendoley, Charitha Pattiaratchi, and Michele Thums
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0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Range (biology) ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,law.invention ,Fishery ,Jetty ,law ,Environmental science ,Vulnerable species ,Turtle (robot) ,Predator ,Hatchling ,Reef ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
Growing human populations are driving the development of coastal infrastructure such as port facilities. Here, we used passive acoustic telemetry to examine the effects of a jetty and artificial light on the rates of predation of flatback turtle (Natator depressus) hatchlings as they disperse through nearshore waters. When released near a jetty, around 70% of the tagged hatchlings were predated before they could transit the nearshore, irrespective of the presence or absence of artificial light. Only 3 to 23% of hatchlings encountered predators at a second study site nearby where there was no jetty and a similar amount of nesting activity. Evidence for predation was provided by rapid tag detachment due to prey handling by a predator or the extensive movement of the tags within the receiver array suggesting that the tag (and hatchling) was inside the stomach of a predator. We found that 70% of the fish predators that consumed tags used the jetty as a refuge during the day and expanded their range along nearshore waters at night, predating on hatchlings in areas adjacent to the jetty with the highest nesting density. Sampling of potential predators including lutjanid reef fishes under the jetty revealed the presence of turtle hatchlings in their gut contents. By providing daytime refuges for predators, nearshore structures such as jetties have the potential to concentrate predators and they may pose a significant threat to populations of vulnerable species. Such effects must be taken into consideration when assessing the environmental impacts associated with these structures.
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- 2019
16. Movement and residency patterns of reef manta rays Mobula alfredi in the Amirante Islands, Seychelles
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Christopher R. Clarke, Guy Stevens, Mark G. Meekan, Shaun P. Collin, Clare A. Keating Daly, James S. E. Lea, Lauren R. Peel, and Ryan Daly
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Geography ,Oceanography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,biology ,Movement (music) ,Mobula ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Reef ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Published
- 2019
17. Changes in local free-living parasite populations in response to cleaner manipulation over 12 years
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J. M. Murphy, Robert R. Warner, M. A. Richardson, O. Ho, Mark G. Meekan, Elizabeth M. P. Madin, Simon P. Blomberg, Derek Sun, Carrie A. Sims, Eva C. McClure, Paul C. Sikkel, Redouan Bshary, Alexandra S. Grutter, and 26867214 - Sikkel, Paul C.
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0106 biological sciences ,Coral reefs ,Population ,Zoology ,Cleaner fish ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,Cleaning mutualism ,Animals ,Parasites ,14. Life underwater ,Labroides ,education ,Reef ,Predator ,Predator-prey interaction ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Fish parasites ,geography ,education.field_of_study ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Coral Reefs ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Fishes ,Coral reef ,biology.organism_classification ,Perciformes ,Wrasse ,Gnathiid isopods ,Isopoda - Abstract
Predation on parasites is an important ecological process, but few experimental studies have examined the long-term impacts on the prey. Cleaner fish prey upon large numbers and selectively feed on the larger individuals of the ectoparasitic stage of gnathiid isopods. Removal of cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus for 1.5–12.5 years negatively affects coral reef fishes, but the mechanism is unclear. A reduction in local parasite populations or the size of individual parasites would benefit all susceptible fishes. We tested whether cleaner presence reduces local gnathiid populations using 18 patch-reefs distributed between two sites (both at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef) which were maintained cleaner-free or undisturbed for 12 years. Using emergence traps (1 m2), free-living gnathiid stages were sampled before and after cleaner fish were removed during the day and night, up to 11 times over the course of the experiment. There were effects of the removal in the predicted direction, driven largely by the response at one site over the other involving 200% more gnathiids, but manifested only in the daytime sampling after 4 months. There was also a main effect (36%) for the shared sample dates at both sites after 12 years. Gnathiid size occasionally differed with cleaner presence, but in no consistent way over time. Contrary to our predictions, changes in free-living gnathiid population numbers and their size structure rarely reflected the changes in fish populations and individuals observed on cleaner-free reefs. Therefore, evidence that this predator alone regulates gnathiids remains limited, suggesting other contributing processes are involved.
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- 2019
18. Effects of human footprint and biophysical factors on the body-size structure of fished marine species
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Alan Jordan, Neville S. Barrett, Jamie Hicks, Dianne L. McLean, Charlie Huveneers, Brooke A. Gibbons, Thomas Wernberg, Corey B. Wakefield, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Russell C. Babcock, Néstor E. Bosch, Hamish A. Malcolm, David Harasti, Jordan Goetze, Ben Radford, Nathan A. Knott, Jacquomo Monk, Michelle R. Heupel, Stephen J. Newman, Matthew J. Rees, David V. Fairclough, Rebecca Fisher, Thomas H. Holmes, Mark G. Meekan, Tim J. Langlois, Daniel Ierodiaconou, Shaun K. Wilson, Euan S. Harvey, Jock Clough, Conrad W. Speed, Michael J. Travers, and Benjamin J. Saunders
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Seascape ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Ecology ,Range (biology) ,Coral reef fish ,Marine reserve ,Australia ,Fisheries ,Fishes ,Fishery ,Geography ,Habitat ,Abundance (ecology) ,Animals ,Body Size ,Humans ,Marine protected area ,Ecosystem ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
Marine fisheries in coastal ecosystems in many areas of the world have historically removed large-bodied individuals, potentially impairing ecosystem functioning and the long-term sustainability of fish populations. Reporting on size-based indicators that link to food-web structure can contribute to ecosystem-based management, but the application of these indicators over large (cross-ecosystem) geographical scales has been limited to either fisheries-dependent catch data or diver-based methods restricted to shallow waters (20 m) that can misrepresent the abundance of large-bodied fished species. We obtained data on the body-size structure of 82 recreationally or commercially targeted marine demersal teleosts from 2904 deployments of baited remote underwater stereo-video (stereo-BRUV). Sampling was at up to 50 m depth and covered approximately 10,000 km of the continental shelf of Australia. Seascape relief, water depth, and human gravity (i.e., a proxy of human impacts) were the strongest predictors of the probability of occurrence of large fishes and the abundance of fishes above the minimum legal size of capture. No-take marine reserves had a positive effect on the abundance of fishes above legal size, although the effect varied across species groups. In contrast, sublegal fishes were best predicted by gradients in sea surface temperature (mean and variance). In areas of low human impact, large fishes were about three times more likely to be encountered and fishes of legal size were approximately five times more abundant. For conspicuous species groups with contrasting habitat, environmental, and biogeographic affinities, abundance of legal-size fishes typically declined as human impact increased. Our large-scale quantitative analyses highlight the combined importance of seascape complexity, regions with low human footprint, and no-take marine reserves in protecting large-bodied fishes across a broad range of species and ecosystem configurations.Las pesquerías marinas de los ecosistemas costeros en muchas áreas del mundo históricamente han removido a individuos de gran tamaño, potencialmente perjudicando el funcionamiento ambiental y la sostenibilidad a largo plazo de las poblaciones de peces. Los reportes sobre los indicadores basados en el tamaño que se vinculan con la estructura de la red alimenticia pueden contribuir al manejo basado en el ecosistema, aunque la aplicación de estos indicadores a grandes (inter-ecosistemas) escalas geográficas ha estado limitada a datos de captura dependientes de las pesquerías o métodos basados en el buceo restringidos a aguas someras (20 m), lo cual puede representar erróneamente la abundancia de peces de gran tamaño capturados para la pesca. Obtuvimos los datos de la estructura del tamaño corporal de 82 teleósteos marinos demersales focalizados por razones recreativas o comerciales tomados de 2,904 despliegues de video estéreo subacuático remoto con cebo (stereo-BRUV, en inglés). El muestreo se realizó hasta los 50 metros de profundidad y abarcó aproximadamente 10,000 km del talud continental de Australia. El relieve marino, la profundidad del agua y la gravedad humana (es decir, un indicador de los impactos humanos) fueron los pronosticadores más sólidos de la probabilidad de incidencia de los peces de gran tamaño y de la abundancia de peces por encima del tamaño legal mínimo de captura. Las reservas marinas de protección total tienen un efecto positivo sobre la abundancia de los peces que están por encima del tamaño legal, aunque el efecto varió según el grupo de especies. Como contraste, los peces de tamaño sublegal fueron pronosticados de mejor manera usando gradientes de la temperatura de la superficie marina (media y varianza). En las áreas con un impacto humano reducido, los peces de gran tamaño corporal tenían hasta tres veces mayor probabilidad de aparecer y los peces de tamaño legal eran aproximadamente cinco veces más abundantes. Para los grupos de especies conspicuas con afinidades contrastantes de hábitat, ambiente y biogeografía, la abundancia de peces de tamaño legal normalmente declinó conforme aumentó el impacto humano. Nuestros análisis cuantitativos a gran escala resaltan la importancia conjunta que tienen la complejidad marina, las regiones con una huella humana reducida y las reservas marinas de protección total para la protección de los peces de gran tamaño corporal en una extensa gama de especies y configuraciones ecosistémicas. Efectos de la Huella Humana y los Factores Biofísicos sobre la Estructura del Tamaño Corporal de Especies Marinas Capturadas para la Pesca.
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- 2021
19. The power of national acoustic tracking networks to assess the impacts of human activity on marine organisms during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Justin R. Rizzari, Charlie Huveneers, Mark G. Meekan, Ross G. Dwyer, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Hugh Pederson, Michelle R. Heupel, Paul D. van Ruth, Fabrice R. A. Jaine, Robert Harcourt, Jayson M. Semmens, Paul A. Butcher, Adam Barnett, Xavier Hoenner, Elodie J. I. Lédée, Daniel Ierodiaconou, PH Walsh, Luciana C. Ferreira, Thomas M. Clarke, Vinay Udyawer, Matthew D. Taylor, and Adrian C. Gleiss
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0106 biological sciences ,Monitoring ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,National network ,Acoustic tracking ,Wildlife tourism ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Pandemic ,Recreation ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Nature and Landscape Conservation ,biology ,business.industry ,IMOS ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Environmental resource management ,biology.organism_classification ,Carcharias ,Coronavirus ,White shark ,Geography ,Perspective ,TRIPS architecture ,Acoustic telemetry ,Yellowtail kingfish ,business ,human activities ,Tourism - Abstract
COVID-19 restrictions have led to an unprecedented global hiatus in anthropogenic activities, providing a unique opportunity to assess human impact on biological systems. Here, we describe how a national network of acoustic tracking receivers can be leveraged to assess the effects of human activity on animal movement and space use during such global disruptions. We outline variation in restrictions on human activity across Australian states and describe four mechanisms affecting human interactions with the marine environment: 1) reduction in economy and trade changing shipping traffic; 2) changes in export markets affecting commercial fisheries; 3) alterations in recreational activities; and 4) decline in tourism. We develop a roadmap for the analysis of acoustic tracking data across various scales using Australia's national Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Animal Tracking Facility as a case study. We illustrate the benefit of sustained observing systems and monitoring programs by assessing how a 51-day break in white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) cage-diving tourism due to COVID-19 restrictions affected the behaviour and space use of two resident species. This cessation of tourism activities represents the longest break since cage-diving vessels started day trips in this area in 2007. Long-term monitoring of the local environment reveals that the activity space of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) was reduced when cage-diving boats were absent compared to periods following standard tourism operations. However, white shark residency and movements were not affected. Our roadmap is globally applicable and will assist researchers in designing studies to assess how anthropogenic activities can impact animal movement and distributions during regional, short-term through to major, unexpected disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic.
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- 2021
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20. Moray eels are more common on coral reefs subject to higher human pressure in the greater Caribbean
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Euan S. Harvey, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Matthew J. Rees, Conrad W. Speed, Michael R. Heithaus, Bautisse D. Postaire, M. Aaron MacNeil, Fabian Kyne, Michelle R. Heupel, Mark E. Bond, Mark G. Meekan, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Demian D. Chapman, Elizabeth A. Babcock, Kathryn I. Flowers, Dayne Buddo, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, GM Clementi, Diego Cardeñosa, Jordan Goetze, and Judith Bakker
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0301 basic medicine ,Coral reef fish ,Fishing ,02 engineering and technology ,environmental science ,Article ,Predation ,03 medical and health sciences ,Caribbean region ,ethology ,Environmental DNA ,lcsh:Science ,Predator ,geography ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biological sciences ,zoology ,Coral reef ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Fishery ,animals ,030104 developmental biology ,Habitat ,lcsh:Q ,ecology ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Summary Proximity and size of the nearest market (‘market gravity’) have been shown to have strong negative effects on coral reef fish communities that can be mitigated by the establishment of closed areas. However, moray eels are functionally unique predators that are generally not subject to targeted fishing and should therefore not directly be affected by these factors. We used baited remote underwater video systems to investigate associations between morays and anthropogenic, habitat, and ecological factors in the Caribbean region. Market gravity had a positive effect on morays, while the opposite pattern was observed in a predator group subject to exploitation (sharks). Environmental DNA analyses corroborated the positive effect of market gravity on morays. We hypothesize that the observed pattern could be the indirect result of the depletion of moray competitors and predators near humans., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Baited remote underwater videos and environmental DNA were used to assess morays • Market gravity had a strong positive effect on moray abundance • Morays and sharks were negatively associated • Lack of competitors and predators may explain increased morays on reefs near humans, Environmental science; ecology; biological sciences; zoology; animals; ethology
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- 2021
21. The soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean
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Hans Slabbekoorn, Lucille Chapuis, Stephen D. Simpson, Milica Predragovic, Carlos M. Duarte, Francis Juanes, Christine Erbe, Jana Winderen, Xiangliang Zhang, Michelle-Nicole Havlik, Mark G. Meekan, Andrew N. Radford, Shaun P. Collin, Craig A. Radford, Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, Reny P. Devassy, Víctor M. Eguíluz, Harry R. Harding, Ilse van Opzeeland, Benjamin S. Halpern, Erica Staaterman, Daniel P. Costa, Miles Parsons, Nathan D. Merchant, Timothy A. C. Gordon, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Eguíluz, Víctor M. [0000-0003-1133-1289], and Eguíluz, Víctor M.
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0106 biological sciences ,Soundscape ,geography ,Aquatic Organisms ,Multidisciplinary ,Resource (biology) ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Oceans and Seas ,Biophony ,Climate change ,15. Life on land ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Habitat destruction ,Hearing ,13. Climate action ,Anthropocene ,Environmental science ,Animals ,14. Life underwater ,Natural sounds ,Noise ,Sound (geography) - Abstract
[Abstract] Oceans have become substantially noisier since the Industrial Revolution. Shipping, resource exploration, and infrastructure development have increased the anthrophony (sounds generated by human activities), whereas the biophony (sounds of biological origin) has been reduced by hunting, fishing, and habitat degradation. Climate change is affecting geophony (abiotic, natural sounds). Existing evidence shows that anthrophony affects marine animals at multiple levels, including their behavior, physiology, and, in extreme cases, survival. This should prompt management actions to deploy existing solutions to reduce noise levels in the ocean, thereby allowing marine animals to reestablish their use of ocean sound as a central ecological trait in a healthy ocean., [Background] Sound is the sensory cue that travels farthest through the ocean and is used by marine animals, ranging from invertebrates to great whales, to interpret and explore the marine environment and to interact within and among species. Ocean soundscapes are rapidly changing because of massive declines in the abundance of sound-producing animals, increases in anthropogenic noise, and altered contributions of geophysical sources, such as sea ice and storms, owing to climate change. As a result, the soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean is fundamentally different from that of preindustrial times, with anthropogenic noise negatively impacting marine life., [Advances] We find evidence that anthropogenic noise negatively affects marine animals. Strong evidence for such impacts is available for marine mammals, and some studies also find impacts for fishes and invertebrates, marine birds, and reptiles. Noise from vessels, active sonar, synthetic sounds (artificial tones and white noise), and acoustic deterrent devices are all found to affect marine animals, as are noise from energy and construction infrastructure and seismic surveys. Although there is clear evidence that noise compromises hearing ability and induces physiological and behavioral changes in marine animals, there is lower confidence that anthropogenic noise increases the mortality of marine animals and the settlement of their larvae., [Outlook] Anthropogenic noise is a stressor for marine animals. Thus, we call for it to be included in assessments of cumulative pressures on marine ecosystems. Compared with other stressors that are persistent in the environment, such as carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere or persistent organic pollutants delivered to marine ecosystems, anthropogenic noise is typically a point-source pollutant, the effects of which decline swiftly once sources are removed. The evidence summarized here encourages national and international policies to become more ambitious in regulating and deploying existing technological solutions to mitigate marine noise and improve the human stewardship of ocean soundscapes to maintain a healthy ocean. We provide a range of solutions that may help, supported by appropriate managerial and policy frameworks that may help to mitigate impacts on marine animals derived from anthropogenic noise and perturbations of soundscapes., This research was funded by KAUST through the Tarek Ahmed Juffali Research Chair in Red Sea Ecology and baseline funding to C.M.D.
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- 2021
22. Reply to: Caution over the use of ecological big data for conservation
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Fiona Llewellyn, Ivo da Costa, Francois Poisson, Michael L. Berumen, Charlie Huveneers, Andrew J. Richardson, Cesar Peñaherrera-Palma, David W. Sims, Lucy A. Howey, Alex Hearn, Dylan T. Irion, Annabelle Brooks, Christopher R. Clarke, James T. Ketchum, Nuno Queiroz, Kilian M. Stehfest, Alison A. Kock, Michael E. Drew, German Soler, Debra L. Abercrombie, Aaron B. Carlisle, John J. Morris, Jaime D. McAllister, Hector M. Guzman, Eric Clua, Bonnie J. Holmes, Johan A. Gustafson, Natalia P. A. Bezerra, Sarika Singh, Sandra Bessudo Lion, Demian D. Chapman, Robert E. Hueter, Mahmood S. Shivji, Oliver J. D. Jewell, Anna MacDonnell, Gregory B. Skomal, Michael E. Byrne, Carlos M. Duarte, Jonathan Green, Xabier Irigoien, Paul J. Rogers, Simon Pierce, Edward J. Brooks, Luciana C. Ferreira, Warren Joyce, Nicolas E. Humphries, Marc Soria, Lara L. Sousa, Warrick S. Lyon, Pedro Afonso, Darrell Anders, Marcus Sheaves, Felipe Ladino, Matthew Heard, Thor Erikson, Tristan L. Guttridge, Fernanda O. Lana, Francesco Ferretti, Mark G. Meekan, David Acuña-Marrero, Melita Samoilys, Paulo Travassos, Pieter Koen, Taylor K. Chapple, Randall Arauz, Malcolm J. Smale, Ryan Daly, Ramón Bonfil, Estelle Crochelet, Simon R. Thorrold, Camrin D. Braun, Austin J. Gallagher, Gonzalo Mucientes, Matthew Gollock, Lina Maria Quintero, Emily R. Nelson, Sam B. Weber, Samantha J. Simpson, Jayson M. Semmens, Richard Fitzpatrick, John P. Tyminski, Laurenne B. Snyders, Daniel Devia Cortés, David Rowat, Fábio H. V. Hazin, John D. Filmalter, Clare A. Keating Daly, Francisco J. Abascal, Fabien Forget, Heather Marshall, Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Barbara A. Block, Jeremy J. Vaudo, Michele Thums, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Jesse E. M. Cochran, A. Peter Klimley, David M. P. Jacoby, Ana Rita Couto, Pascal Bach, George L. Shillinger, Timothy D. White, John R. M. Chisholm, Bruno C. L. Macena, António M. Santos, Alison V. Towner, Lance K. B. Jordan, Christoph A. Rohner, André S. Afonso, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Emily J. Southall, Antonin V. Blaison, Thomas K. Doyle, Steven E. Campana, Víctor M. Eguíluz, Nigel E. Hussey, Eduardo Espinoza, G. Chris Fischer, Patricia Zarate, Enrico Gennari, Mauricio Hoyos, Malcolm P. Francis, Gonzalo Araujo, Neil Hammerschlag, Frederic Vandeperre, Kátya G. Abrantes, J.B. Brown, Yuuki Y. Watanabe, Michael A. Meÿer, Mark Fowler, Jorge Fontes, Sean Williams, Mariana Travassos Tolotti, Ryan Johnson, Simon D. Goldsworthy, Clinton A. J. Duffy, John C. Holdsworth, Adam Barnett, Laurent Dagorn, Mark E. Bond, Graeme C. Hays, Luke Harman, Robert Harcourt, James S. E. Lea, Diego Bernal, Marisa Vedor, MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation (UMR MARBEC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), James Cook University (JCU), Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Biology Department (WHOI), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Universidade dos Açores, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies [Horbat] (IMAS), University of Tasmania [Hobart, Australia] (UTAS), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Macquarie University [Sydney], Australian Institute of Marine Science [Perth] (AIMS Perth), Ikerbasque - Basque Foundation for Science, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas [Horta], Instituto do Mar - Universidade dos Açores (IMAR-UAc), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR), University of Hawai‘i [Mānoa] (UHM), University of Iceland [Reykjavik], School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences [Stony Brook] (SoMAS), Stony Brook University [SUNY] (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY)-State University of New York (SUNY), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [Blacksburg], South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Zoological Society of London - ZSL (UNITED KINGDOM), Physique et mécanique des milieux hétérogenes (UMR 7636) (PMMH), Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris (ESPCI Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP), and Flinders University of South Australia
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0106 biological sciences ,Big Data ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Multidisciplinary ,Automatic Identification System ,Ecology ,business.industry ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,[SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes ,Big data ,Fishing ,Space use ,Satellite tracking ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,Fishery ,Longline fishing ,Geography ,law ,14. Life underwater ,Conservation biology ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,business - Abstract
REPLYING TO A. V. Harry & J. M. Braccini Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03463-w (2021) Our global analysis1 estimated the overlap and fishing exposure risk (FEI) using the space use of satellite-tracked sharks and longline fishing effort monitored by the automatic identification system (AIS). In the accompanying Comment, Harry and Braccini2 draw attention to two localized shark–longline vessel overlap hotspots in Australian waters, stating that 47 fishing vessels were misclassified as longline and purse seine vessels in the Global Fishing Watch (GFW)3 2012–2016 AIS fishing effort data product that we used. This, they propose2, results in misidentifications that highlight fishing exposure hotspots that are subject to an unexpected level of sensitivity in the analysis and they suggest that misidentifications could broadly affect the calculations of fishing exposure and the central conclusions of our study1. We acknowledged in our previously published paper1 that gear reclassifications were likely to occur for a small percentage of the more than 70,000 vessels studied, however, here we demonstrate that even using much larger numbers of vessel reclassifications than those proposed by Harry and Braccini2, the central results and conclusions of our paper1 do not change.
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- 2021
23. A review of a decade of lessons from one of the world’s largest MPAs: conservation gains and key challenges
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Charles Sheppard, Margaux Steyaert, Heather J. Koldewey, Mark G. Meekan, David Tickler, David M. P. Jacoby, Robert B. Dunbar, Julian Engel, Mark Spalding, Robin Freeman, Stephen G. Preston, Clara Diaz, Aaron B. Carlisle, Stephen C. Votier, Ines D. Lange, Nicole Esteban, Guy Stevens, David J. Curnick, Jamie M. McDevitt-Irwin, Ana Nuno, Jeanne A. Mortimer, Matthew Gollock, Emma Levy, Catherine E. I. Head, Anne Sheppard, Nigel E. Hussey, Adrian Smith, Joanna L. Harris, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Emma V. Sheehan, Malcolm A. C. Nicoll, Phil Hosegood, John R. Turner, Francesco Ferretti, Sivajyodee Sannassy Pilly, Taylor K. Chapple, Melissa Schiele, Robert J. Schallert, Kerry L. Howell, Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Daniel T. I. Bayley, Brett M. Taylor, Alice M. Trevail, Sarah Stiffel, Hannah Wood, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Nicola L. Foster, Shanta C. Barley, Dannielle S. Eager, Fiorenza Micheli, Graeme C. Hays, Ronan C. Roche, Rachel Jones, Barbara A. Block, Tom B. Letessier, Mathilde Lindhart, Edward Robinson, Alex Rattray, Nicholas Dunn, Jessica J. Meeuwig, Andrew O. M. Mogg, Peter W. Carr, Gareth J. Williams, Michael J. Williamson, Bry Wilson, Pablo Trueba, Martin J. Attrill, Clare B. Embling, Chris T. Perry, Benjamin Williamson, Claire Collins, David A. Mucciarone, and Bradley Soule
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0106 biological sciences ,Marine conservation ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,Coral bleaching ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Atoll ,Pelagic zone ,Marine life ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Archipelago ,Marine protected area ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
Given the recent trend towards establishing very large marine protected areas (MPAs) and the high potential of these to contribute to global conservation targets, we review outcomes of the last decade of marine conservation research in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), one of the largest MPAs in the world. The BIOT MPA consists of the atolls of the Chagos Archipelago, interspersed with and surrounded by deep oceanic waters. Islands around the atoll rims serve as nesting grounds for sea birds. Extensive and diverse shallow and mesophotic reef habitats provide essential habitat and feeding grounds for all marine life, and the absence of local human impacts may improve recovery after coral bleaching events. Census data have shown recent increases in the abundance of sea turtles, high numbers of nesting seabirds and high fish abundance, at least some of which is linked to the lack of recent harvesting. For example, across the archipelago the annual number of green turtle clutches (Chelonia mydas) is ~ 20,500 and increasing and the number of seabirds is ~ 1 million. Animal tracking studies have shown that some taxa breed and/or forage consistently within the MPA (e.g. some reef fishes, elasmobranchs and seabirds), suggesting the MPA has the potential to provide long-term protection. In contrast, post-nesting green turtles travel up to 4000 km to distant foraging sites, so the protected beaches in the Chagos Archipelago provide a nesting sanctuary for individuals that forage across an ocean basin and several geopolitical borders. Surveys using divers and underwater video systems show high habitat diversity and abundant marine life on all trophic levels. For example, coral cover can be as high as 40–50%. Ecological studies are shedding light on how remote ecosystems function, connect to each other and respond to climate-driven stressors compared to other locations that are more locally impacted. However, important threats to this MPA have been identified, particularly global heating events, and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activity, which considerably impact both reef and pelagic fishes.
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- 2020
24. A field and video annotation guide for baited remote underwater stereo-video surveys of demersal fish assemblages
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David V. Fairclough, Todd Bond, Mark G. Meekan, Dianne L. McLean, Laura A. F. Fullwood, Ben Radford, Nathan A. Knott, Marcus Stowar, Stephen J. Newman, Neville S. Barrett, Michael J. Travers, Corey B. Wakefield, Benjamin J. Saunders, Jordan Goetze, Brooke A. Gibbons, J. Williams, Jacquomo Monk, Tim J. Langlois, Anthony T. F. Bernard, Sasha K. Whitmarsh, Damon Driessen, Adam N. H. Smith, Alan Jordan, Matthew J. Birt, Phil J. Bouchet, Thomas H. Holmes, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Steve Lindfield, Jamie Hicks, Euan S. Harvey, Rene A. Abesamis, Fernanda A. Rolim, Daniel Ierodiaconou, Mike Cappo, Peter Mitchell, Jacob Asher, Hamish A. Malcolm, Charlie Huveneers, Michelle R. Heupel, David Miller, David Harasti, Univ Western Australia, Dept Biodivers Conservat & Attract, Curtin Univ, Univ Tasmania, Silliman Univ, NOAA Inouye Reg Ctr, Univ Hawaii Manoa, South African Inst Aquat Biodivers, Rhodes Univ, Univ St Andrews, Indian Ocean Marine Res Ctr, Australian Inst Marine Sci, Govt Western Australia, NSW Dept Primary Ind, Dept Environm & Water, Flinders Univ S Australia, Deakin Univ, Coral Reef Res Fdn, Ctr Environm Fisheries & Aquaculture Sci, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Massey Univ, and University of St Andrews. School of Mathematics and Statistics
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0106 biological sciences ,Video annotation ,sampling ,GE ,biology ,Coral reef fish ,QH301 Biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Ecological Modeling ,DAS ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Field (geography) ,monitoring (population ecology) ,Fishery ,QH301 ,Demersal fish ,Geography ,population ecology ,Underwater ,Commons ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,GE Environmental Sciences ,Research data - Abstract
Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T12:19:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-09-24 Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program Australian Research Data Commons GorgonBarrow Island Gorgon Barrow Island Net Conservation Benefits Fund Baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs) are a popular tool to sample demersal fish assemblages and gather data on their relative abundance and body size structure in a robust, cost-effective and non-invasive manner. Given the rapid uptake of the method, subtle differences have emerged in the way stereo-BRUVs are deployed and how the resulting imagery is annotated. These disparities limit the interoperability of datasets obtained across studies, preventing broadscale insights into the dynamics of ecological systems. We provide the first globally accepted guide for using stereo-BRUVs to survey demersal fish assemblages and associated benthic habitats. Information on stereo-BRUVs design, camera settings, field operations and image annotation are outlined. Additionally, we provide links to protocols for data validation, archiving and sharing. Globally, the use of stereo-BRUVs is spreading rapidly. We provide a standardized protocol that will reduce methodological variation among researchers and encourage the use of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable workflows to increase the ability to synthesize global datasets and answer a broad suite of ecological questions. Univ Western Australia, UWA Oceans Inst, Perth, WA, Australia Univ Western Australia, Sch Biol Sci, Perth, WA, Australia Dept Biodivers Conservat & Attract, Marine Sci Program, Biodivers & Conservat Sci, Kensington, WA, Australia Curtin Univ, Sch Mol & Life Sci, Perth, WA, Australia Univ Tasmania, Inst Marine & Antarctic Studies, Hobart, Tas, Australia Silliman Univ, Angelo King Ctr Res & Environm Management, Dumaguete, Philippines NOAA Inouye Reg Ctr, NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Isl Fisheries Sci Ctr, Sci Operat Div, Honolulu, HI USA Univ Hawaii Manoa, Joint Inst Marine & Atmospher Res, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA South African Inst Aquat Biodivers, Grahamstown, South Africa Rhodes Univ, Dept Zool & Entomol, Grahamstown, South Africa Univ St Andrews, Ctr Res Ecol & Environm Modelling, Sch Math & Stat, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland Indian Ocean Marine Res Ctr, Australian Inst Marine Sci, Perth, WA, Australia Australian Inst Marine Sci, Townsville, Qld, Australia Govt Western Australia, Western Australian Fisheries & Marine Res Labs, Dept Primary Ind & Reg Dev, North Beach, WA, Australia NSW Dept Primary Ind, Fisheries Res, Taylors Beach, NSW, Australia Dept Environm & Water, Marine Sci Program, Sci & Corp Serv Div, Adelaide, SA, Australia Flinders Univ S Australia, Southern Shark Ecol Grp, Coll Sci & Engn, Bedford Pk, SA, Australia Deakin Univ, Sch Life & Environm Sci, Ctr Integrat Ecol, Warrnambool, Vic, Australia NSW Dept Primary Ind, Fisheries Res, Huskisson, NSW, Australia Coral Reef Res Fdn, Koror, Palau NSW Dept Primary Ind, Fisheries Res, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Ctr Environm Fisheries & Aquaculture Sci, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England Sao Paulo State Univ, Elasmobranch Res Lab, Inst Biosci, Sao Vicente, SP, Brazil Massey Univ, Sch Nat & Computat Sci, Auckland, New Zealand Sao Paulo State Univ, Elasmobranch Res Lab, Inst Biosci, Sao Vicente, SP, Brazil
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- 2020
25. Asymptotic Growth of Whale Sharks Suggests Sex-Specific Life-History Strategies
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Matthew J. Birt, Mark G. Meekan, Luciana C. Ferreira, Alex Aspinall, Kim Brooks, Alistair D. M. Dove, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Emily Lester, Brett M. Taylor, and Michele Thums
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lcsh:QH1-199.5 ,Zoology ,Ocean Engineering ,lcsh:General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,Life history theory ,biology.animal ,Photo identification ,Juvenile ,photo-identification ,lcsh:Science ,Reef ,Water Science and Technology ,Ningaloo ,Global and Planetary Change ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Whale ,Population size ,asymptotic size ,Sex specific ,Sexual dimorphism ,Rhincodon typus ,sexual dimorphism ,lcsh:Q - Abstract
Age and growth data are central to management or conservation strategies for any species. Circumstantial evidence suggests that male whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) grow to asymptotic sizes much smaller than those predicted by age and growth studies and consequently, there may be sex-specific size and growth patterns in the species. We tested this hypothesis by using stereo-video and photo-identification studies to estimate the growth rates of 54 whale sharks that were resighted over a period of up to a decade at Ningaloo Reef. We found that male growth patterns were consistent with an average asymptotic total length (TL) of approximately 8–9 m, a size similar to direct observations of size at maturity at aggregation sites world-wide and much smaller than the sizes predicted by earlier modeling studies. Females were predicted to grow to an average asymptotic length of around 14.5 m. Males had growth coefficients of K = 0.088 year–1, whereas limited resighting data suggested a growth coefficient of K = 0.035 year–1 for females. Other data including re-sightings of an individual male over two decades, records of sex-specific maximum sizes of individuals captured in fisheries and data from juveniles growing in aquaria were also consistent with the suggestion of sex-specific growth profiles for the species. We argue that selection for sex-specific growth patterns could explain many of the otherwise enigmatic patterns in the ecology of this species including the tendency of the species to form aggregations of juvenile males in coastal waters.
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- 2020
26. Contrasting patterns in the abundance of fish communities targeted by fishers on two coral reefs in southern Mozambique
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Anna L. Flam, Sébastien Jaquemet, Mark G. Meekan, Alexandra M. Watts, Conrad W. Speed, T Sancelme, Jordan Goetze, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), The University of Western Australia (UWA), Ecologie marine tropicale dans les Océans Pacifique et Indien (ENTROPIE [Réunion]), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Bentley University, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Marine Megafauna Foundation, Partenaires INRAE, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
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0106 biological sciences ,marine reserve ,rarefaction curves ,Biodiversity ,fish community structure ,Aquatic Science ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Abundance (ecology) ,parasitic diseases ,14. Life underwater ,western Indian Ocean ,fishing pressure ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,biodiversity ,[SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Baseline (sea) ,Marine reserve ,Coral reef ,15. Life on land ,Fishery ,Geography ,Habitat ,Marine protected area ,Species richness ,baited remote underwater video ,Bazaruto Archipelago - Abstract
International audience; Coastal populations of maritime countries in eastern Africa rely on fish as a primary source of protein, but baseline information on the abundance of fish communities on these coastlines is often lacking. We used baited remote underwater video stations to compare the abundance and diversity of reef fishes targeted by fishing at two sites in southern Mozambique, one at Lighthouse Reef within the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park and the other to the south at San Sebastian Reef on the San Sebastian Peninsula. Fish that are known targets of fisheries (mostly small-scale and artisanal) had an abundance that was almost three-times greater at San Sebastian Reef (80.22 ind. h–1 [SE 18.00]) than at Lighthouse Reef (29.70 ind. h–1 [SE 8.91]). Similarly, there was greater mean species richness at San Sebastian Reef (38.74 species h–1 [SE 2.79]) than at Lighthouse Reef (25.37 species h–1 [SE 3.66]). The main drivers of targeted fish abundance were habitat and depth, with shallow (
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- 2020
27. Author Correction: Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks
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Demian D. Chapman, Robert E. Hueter, Mark G. Meekan, Juney Ward, Virginia Fourqurean, Aljoscha Wothke, M. Shiham Adam, Mohini Johnson, Michelle R. Heupel, Rosalind M. K. Bown, Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Jessica Quinlan, Owen R. O’Shea, Adam N. H. Smith, Alessandro Ponzo, Michael L. Berumen, Eric Clua, Jennifer E. Caselle, Jordan Goetze, Laurent Vigliola, Tim J. Langlois, Tristan L. Guttridge, Bradley J. Peterson, Jorge Angulo-Valdés, Patrick J. Burke, Melita Samoilys, JQ Maggs, L. M. Sjamsul Quamar, Matthew J. Rees, Daniel Fernando, Jasmine Valentin-Albanese, Steve Lindfield, Fabián Pina-Amargós, Lauren Sparks, Elizabeth R. Whitman, Muslimin Kaimuddin, M. Aaron MacNeil, Thomas Claverie, Llewelyn Meggs, Andy Estep, Océane Beaufort, Naomi F. Farabaugh, Venkatesh Charloo, Mareike Dornhege, Jeffrey C. Carrier, Martin de Graaf, B. Mabel Manjaji-Matsumoto, Kennedy Osuka, Aaron J. Wirsing, Andrea D. Marshall, Elodie J. I. Lédée, Dayne Buddo, Kathryn I. Flowers, Edd J. Brooks, Nikola Simpson, Taratu Kirata, Kirk Gastrich, Brooke M. D’Alberto, Taylor Gorham, C. Samantha Sherman, Conrad W. Speed, Neil D. Cook, Michael J. Travers, Colin K. C. Wen, Steven T. Kessel, Royale S. Hardenstine, Jessica E. Cramp, Darcy Bradley, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Michelle Schärer-Umpierre, Stacy L. Bierwagen, Ricardo C. Garla, Clay Obota, Michael R. Heithaus, Josep Nogués, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Erika Bonnema, Rubén Torres, Fabian Kyne, Rory Graham, Vinay Udyawer, Akshay Tanna, Nishan Perera, Lachlan George, Philip Matich, Alexandra M. Watts, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Anna L. Flam, Camila Cáceres, Audrey M. Schlaff, Alexei Ruiz-Abierno, Erin McCombs, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Diego Cardeñosa, Joshua E. Cinner, Enric Sala, Lanya Fanovich, Esteban Zarza-Gonzâlez, Jacob Asher, Camilla Floros, GM Clementi, Heidi Hertler, J. Jed Brown, Khadeeja Ali, Cecilie Benjamin, Stacy D. Jupiter, Laura García Barcia, Devanshi Kasana, Sushmita Mukherji, Baraka Kuguru, Stephen Heck, Euan S. Harvey, Maurits P. M. van Zinnicq Bergmann, Ryan R. Murray, Aaron C. Henderson, Mark E. Bond, Dianne L. McLean, Benedict Kiilu, Stephen E. Moore, Andhika Prima Prasetyo, Anthony T. F. Bernard, Andrea Luna-Acosta, and Stephen J. Newman
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Fishery ,geography ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Published Erratum ,MEDLINE ,Onderz. Form. B ,Life Science ,Reef - Abstract
An Amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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- 2020
28. Integrating Emerging Technologies into Marine Megafauna Conservation Management
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Mark G. Meekan, Lars Bejder, Peter H. Dutton, and Lisa M. Komoroske
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Geography ,business.industry ,Emerging technologies ,Megafauna ,Environmental resource management ,Wildlife ,business - Published
- 2020
29. Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks
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Eric Clua, Jennifer E. Caselle, Mark G. Meekan, Stephen J. Newman, Mohini Johnson, C. Samantha Sherman, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Josep Nogués, Andy Estep, Kathryn I. Flowers, Mareike Dornhege, Steven T. Kessel, Demian D. Chapman, Patrick J. Burke, Aljoscha Wothke, Esteban Zarza-Gonzâlez, Michelle R. Heupel, Brooke M. D’Alberto, Robert E. Hueter, Michelle Schärer-Umpierre, Audrey M. Schlaff, Fabián Pina-Amargós, Colin K. C. Wen, Cecilie Benjamin, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Juney Ward, Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Diego Cardeñosa, Stacy D. Jupiter, Jessica Quinlan, Owen R. O’Shea, Edd J. Brooks, Andrea Luna-Acosta, Taylor Gorham, Tim J. Langlois, GM Clementi, M. Shiham Adam, Stacy L. Bierwagen, Royale S. Hardenstine, Michael L. Berumen, Daniel Fernando, Euan S. Harvey, Naomi F. Farabough, Michael R. Heithaus, Heidi Hertler, Erika Bonnema, Jessica E. Cramp, Jordan Goetze, Philip Matich, Jacob Asher, Alexandra M. Watts, Jasmine Valentin-Albanese, JQ Maggs, Ryan R. Murray, Alessandro Ponzo, Taratu Kirata, Camilla Floros, Elizabeth R. Whitman, Aaron C. Henderson, Adam N. H. Smith, Jorge Angulo-Valdés, Laurent Vigliola, Matthew J. Rees, Muslimin Kaimuddin, Andrea D. Marshall, Conrad W. Speed, Michael J. Travers, Dayne Buddo, Neil D. Cook, Thomas Claverie, Llewelyn Meggs, M. Aaron MacNeil, Virginia Fourqurean, Rubén Torres, Venkatesh Charloo, Elodie J. I. Lédée, Mark E. Bond, Ricardo C. Garla, Rory Graham, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Steve Lindfield, Darcey Bradley, Joshua E. Cinner, Jeffrey C. Carrier, Sushmita Mukherji, Tristan L. Guttridge, Bradley J. Peterson, Martin de Graaf, B. Mabel Manjaji-Matsumoto, Lachlan George, Melita Samoilys, L. M. Sjamsul Quamar, J. Jed Brown, Lauren Sparks, Khadeeja Ali, Benedict Kiilu, Nishan Perera, Stephen Heck, Alexei Ruiz-Abierno, Erin McCombs, Devanshi Kasana, Baraka Kuguru, Maurits P. M. van Zinnicq Bergmann, Enric Sala, Lanya Fanovich, Laura García Barcia, Fabian Kyne, Vinay Udyawer, Akshay Tanna, Rosalind M. K. Bown, Stephen E. Moore, Andhika Prima Prasetyo, Anthony T. F. Bernard, Kirk Gastrich, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Anna L. Flam, Camila Cáceres, Dianne L. McLean, Nikola Simpson, Clay Obota, Océane Beaufort, Kennedy Osuka, Aaron J. Wirsing, Centre de recherches insulaires et observatoire de l'environnement (CRIOBE), Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL (LabEX CORAIL), Université des Antilles (UA)-Institut d'écologie et environnement-Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (UNC)-Université de la Polynésie Française (UPF)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS)-Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean - East Africa (CORDIO - East Africa), ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reefs Studies and Coral Genomics Group, James Cook University (JCU), and James Cook University (JCU)
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0106 biological sciences ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Fishing ,Reef shark ,Population ,Fisheries ,Geographic Mapping ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Onderz. Form. B ,Life Science ,Animals ,14. Life underwater ,education ,Reef ,Ecosystem ,Population Density ,education.field_of_study ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Coral Reefs ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Fishery ,Overexploitation ,Geography ,Socioeconomic Factors ,Sharks ,Conservation status ,Marine protected area ,Conservation biology ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology - Abstract
Fishing has had a profound impact on global reef shark populations, and the absence or presence of sharks is strongly correlated with national socio-economic conditions and reef governance. Decades of overexploitation have devastated shark populations, leaving considerable doubt as to their ecological status(1,2). Yet much of what is known about sharks has been inferred from catch records in industrial fisheries, whereas far less information is available about sharks that live in coastal habitats(3). Here we address this knowledge gap using data from more than 15,000 standardized baited remote underwater video stations that were deployed on 371 reefs in 58 nations to estimate the conservation status of reef sharks globally. Our results reveal the profound impact that fishing has had on reef shark populations: we observed no sharks on almost 20% of the surveyed reefs. Reef sharks were almost completely absent from reefs in several nations, and shark depletion was strongly related to socio-economic conditions such as the size and proximity of the nearest market, poor governance and the density of the human population. However, opportunities for the conservation of reef sharks remain: shark sanctuaries, closed areas, catch limits and an absence of gillnets and longlines were associated with a substantially higher relative abundance of reef sharks. These results reveal several policy pathways for the restoration and management of reef shark populations, from direct top-down management of fishing to indirect improvement of governance conditions. Reef shark populations will only have a high chance of recovery by engaging key socio-economic aspects of tropical fisheries.
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- 2020
30. Acoustic enrichment can enhance fish community development on degraded coral reef habitat
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Mark G. Meekan, Isla K. Davidson, Andrew N. Radford, Sophie L. Nedelec, Kasey Barnes, Kieran P. McCloskey, Stephen D. Simpson, Timothy A. C. Gordon, and Mark I. McCormick
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0106 biological sciences ,Restoration ecology ,Science ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Animal Population Groups ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Article ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Animals ,Ecosystem ,14. Life underwater ,lcsh:Science ,Reef ,Environmental Restoration and Remediation ,Trophic level ,Marine biology ,geography ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Conservation biology ,Coral Reefs ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,fungi ,Fishes ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,Biodiversity ,social sciences ,General Chemistry ,Coral reef ,15. Life on land ,Tropical ecology ,Acoustic Stimulation ,Habitat ,population characteristics ,Environmental science ,lcsh:Q ,Animal Migration ,Species richness ,geographic locations - Abstract
Coral reefs worldwide are increasingly damaged by anthropogenic stressors, necessitating novel approaches for their management. Maintaining healthy fish communities counteracts reef degradation, but degraded reefs smell and sound less attractive to settlement-stage fishes than their healthy states. Here, using a six-week field experiment, we demonstrate that playback of healthy reef sound can increase fish settlement and retention to degraded habitat. We compare fish community development on acoustically enriched coral-rubble patch reefs with acoustically unmanipulated controls. Acoustic enrichment enhances fish community development across all major trophic guilds, with a doubling in overall abundance and 50% greater species richness. If combined with active habitat restoration and effective conservation measures, rebuilding fish communities in this manner might accelerate ecosystem recovery at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Acoustic enrichment shows promise as a novel tool for the active management of degraded coral reefs., Healthy coral reefs have an acoustic signature known to be attractive to coral and fish larvae during settlement. Here the authors use playback experiments in the field to show that healthy reef sounds can increase recruitment of juvenile fishes to degraded coral reef habitat, suggesting that acoustic playback could be used as a reef management strategy.
- Published
- 2019
31. Artificial light disrupts the nearshore dispersal of neonate flatback turtles Natator depressus
- Author
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Scott D. Whiting, Phillipa Wilson, Michele Thums, Rebecca Fisher, Charitha Pattiaratchi, Kellie Pendoley, and Mark G. Meekan
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0106 biological sciences ,Ecology ,Artificial light ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Biodiversity ,Wildlife ,Aquatic Science ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Geography ,Animal ethics ,Biological dispersal ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
Special thanks to the staff of Mackerel Island, Dennis Stanley and Dr Suzanne Long for their assistance in field experiments and to Dr Vinay Udyawer for providing R code for track animations. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (formerly Department of Parks and Wildlife), the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Western Australia provided financial support. All procedures were approved by the University of Western Australia Animal Ethics Committee (RA/3/100/1423) and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions licenses SF010696.
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- 2018
32. Evidence for rapid recovery of shark populations within a coral reef marine protected area
- Author
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Conrad W. Speed, Mike Cappo, and Mark G. Meekan
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Fishing ,Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos ,Coral reef ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Abundance (ecology) ,Marine protected area ,Reef ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Tiger shark ,Nature and Landscape Conservation ,Trophic level - Abstract
There is limited evidence on the rate at which the shark populations of coral reefs can rebound from over-exploitation, the baselines that might signify when recovery has occurred and the role of no-take Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in aiding this process. We surveyed shark assemblages at Ashmore Reef in Western Australia using baited remote underwater video stations in 2004 prior to enforcement of MPA status and then again in 2016 after eight years of strict enforcement. We found an increase in the relative mean abundance of Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos from 0.16 ± 0.06 individuals h−1 in 2004 to 0.74 ± 0.11 individuals h−1 in 2016, a change that was also accompanied by a shift in the assemblage of sharks to greater proportions of apex species (from 7.1% to 11.9%) and reef sharks (from 28.6% to 57.6%), and a decrease in the proportional abundance of lower trophic level species (from 64.3% to 30.5%). Abundances and trophic assemblage of sharks at Ashmore Reef in 2004 resembled those of the Scott Reefs, where targeted fishing for sharks still occurs, whereas in 2016, abundances and trophic structures had recovered to resemble those of the Rowley Shoals, a reef system that has been a strictly enforced MPA for over 25 years. The shift in abundance and community structure coincident with strict enforcement of the MPA at Ashmore Reef has occurred at a rate greater than predicted by demographic models, implying the action of compensatory processes in recovery. Our study shows that shark communities can recover rapidly after exploitation in a well-managed no-take MPA.
- Published
- 2018
33. A boundary current drives synchronous growth of marine fishes across tropical and temperate latitudes
- Author
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Adam N. Rountrey, Stephen J. Newman, Corey B. Wakefield, Peter G. Coulson, Mark G. Meekan, Hoang Minh Nguyen, Joyce J. L. Ong, Bryan A. Black, and Jessica J. Meeuwig
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0106 biological sciences ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Climate Change ,Oceans and Seas ,Climate change ,01 natural sciences ,Latitude ,Effects of global warming ,Water Movements ,Temperate climate ,Animals ,Environmental Chemistry ,Ecosystem ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,General Environmental Science ,Trophic level ,Tropical Climate ,Global and Planetary Change ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Fishes ,Western Australia ,La Niña ,Geography ,Habitat - Abstract
Entrainment of growth patterns of multiple species to single climatic drivers can lower ecosystem resilience and increase the risk of species extinction during stressful climatic events. However, predictions of the effects of climate change on the productivity and dynamics of marine fishes are hampered by a lack of historical data on growth patterns. We use otolith biochronologies to show that the strength of a boundary current, modulated by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, accounted for almost half of the shared variance in annual growth patterns of five of six species of tropical and temperate marine fishes across 23° of latitude (3000 km) in Western Australia. Stronger flow during La Niña years drove increased growth of five species, whereas weaker flow during El Niño years reduced growth. Our work is the first to link the growth patterns of multiple fishes with a single oceanographic/climate phenomenon at large spatial scales and across multiple climate zones, habitat types, trophic levels and depth ranges. Extreme La Niña and El Niño events are predicted to occur more frequently in the future and these are likely to have implications for these vulnerable ecosystems, such as a limited capacity of the marine taxa to recover from stressful climatic events.
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- 2018
34. Predator declines and morphological changes in prey: evidence from coral reefs depleted of sharks
- Author
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Emily R. Nelson, Mark G. Meekan, Duncan J. Irschick, Jessica J. Meeuwig, Shanta C. Barley, and Neil Hammerschlag
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0106 biological sciences ,geography ,education.field_of_study ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,History ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Population ,Fishing ,Wildlife ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Scholarship ,Sustainability ,Commonwealth ,education ,Reef ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
We thank the Western Australian Departments of Fisheries, Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities for arranging permits to conduct research at the Scott Reefs and the Rowley Shoals. We acknowledge the crew on board the RV 'Solander,' Kim Brooks, Paul Tinkler and numerous volunteers for aid in the field. Thanks also to Paddy Ryan who provided images for the figures. Special thanks to Sarah Hirth, Gammon Koval, Rachel Skubel and Marcelo Costa Lopez for help with some figures. This research was funded in part by the Australian Institute of Marine Science, an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to S.C.B., the Save our Seas Foundation and the University of Western Australia, Perth, under UWA Ethics Approvals: RA3/100/1279, RA3/100/1172. We thank Ashley Frisch and several reviewers who provided valuable comments that improved our manuscript.
- Published
- 2018
35. Distribution and temporal trends in the abundance of nesting sea turtles in the Red Sea
- Author
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Robert F. Baldwin, Christopher R. Clarke, Abdulaziz M. Al-Suwailem, Mark G. Meekan, August Santillan Santillan, Carlos M. Duarte, and Takahiro Shimada
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education.field_of_study ,Rookery ,biology ,Baseline (sea) ,Population ,Population ecology ,biology.organism_classification ,Fishery ,Sea turtle ,Geography ,Nest ,Habitat ,Abundance (ecology) ,education ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
Mobile species often aggregate at predictable places and times to ensure that individuals find mates and breed in suitable habitats. Sea turtles demonstrate this life history trait, which can make these species highly susceptible to population declines if nesting habitats are lost or degraded. Conservation management thus requires knowledge of where and when turtles nest and changes in abundance in these habitats through time. Here, we compiled new and published data and used a novel analysis to describe seasonality, annual abundance and spatial distribution of nesting green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles in data-deficient populations that inhabit the Red Sea. Major new rookeries were identified for green turtles at Jazirat 1 Mashabah (113 and 179 nesting females in 2018 and 2019) and for hawksbill turtles at Jazirat Al Waqqadi (79 nesting females in 2018), both of which are located on nearshore islands of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in an area subject to industrial, residential and ecotourism developments. An upward trend in annual abundance of nesting sea turtles was estimated at some sites including Ras Al Baridi (Saudi Arabia), a major rookery of green turtles in the Red Sea, where the annual numbers increased from 14–110 individuals in 1982–1995 to 178 and 330 individuals in 2018 and 2019. This integrative work provides the most up-to-date, comprehensive information on nesting sea turtles in the Red Sea and documents a critical baseline for sea turtle conservation and future management effort.
- Published
- 2021
36. The BRUVs workshop – An Australia-wide synthesis of baited remote underwater video data to answer broad-scale ecological questions about fish, sharks and rays
- Author
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Charlie Huveneers, Mike Cappo, Mark G. Meekan, Michelle R. Heupel, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Alan Jordan, David V. Fairclough, Jacquomo Monk, David Harasti, Euan S. Harvey, Hamish A. Malcolm, Shaun K. Wilson, Corey B. Wakefield, Tim J. Langlois, Neville S. Barrett, Ben Radford, Conrad W. Speed, Michael J. Travers, Benjamin J. Saunders, Dianne L. McLean, Daniel Ierodiaconou, Nathan A. Knott, Stephen J. Newman, Thomas H. Holmes, Jordan Goetze, and Matthew J. Rees
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0106 biological sciences ,Economics and Econometrics ,Overfishing ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,Aquatic Science ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Dredging ,Geography ,Habitat ,Abundance (ecology) ,Sustainable management ,Data quality ,040102 fisheries ,0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries ,Ecosystem ,Fisheries management ,Law ,General Environmental Science - Abstract
Many marine fish populations have declined due to the individual or cumulative impacts of increasing water temperatures, ocean acidification, overfishing and other human-induced impacts such as land run-off, dredging and habitat alteration. Some solutions may be offered by ecosystem-based fisheries and conservation management. However, understanding their effectiveness relies on the availability of good quality data on the size distributions and abundance of fish populations and assemblages, collected at appropriate temporal and spatial scales. Since the early 2000s, baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVs) have become a popular tool for collecting data on fish assemblages across a range of depths and habitats. In Australia, this technique has been adopted by many different agencies and institutions, creating a unique opportunity to compile a continental-scale synthesis of fish data using a standardised sampling technique. Key Australian researchers and managers were invited to contribute to a synthesis workshop on baited underwater video in Albany, Western Australia between the 4th and 8th of February 2018. Data from 19,939 BRUVs deployments, collected between 2000 and 2017 around Australia, were compiled using GlobalArchive (globalarchive.org). The workshop identified and prioritised several key research themes that would contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of focal species and broad assemblages. Our goal is to describe where and when the data were collected, the type of equipment used and how the imagery was analysed. We also discuss the types of questions that can be addressed by analysing these standardised datasets and the potential benefits to conservation and fisheries management.
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- 2021
37. Human activities as a driver of spatial variation in the trophic structure of fish communities on Pacific coral reefs
- Author
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Laurent Vigliola, Michel Kulbicki, Jonathan L. W. Ruppert, P. Labrosse, Marie-Josée Fortin, and Mark G. Meekan
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Food Chain ,Biogeography ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Animals ,Environmental Chemistry ,media_common.cataloged_instance ,Human Activities ,Marine ecosystem ,Biomass ,European union ,General Environmental Science ,Trophic level ,media_common ,Global and Planetary Change ,geography ,Pacific Ocean ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,Coral Reefs ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Marine reserve ,Fishes ,Coral reef ,Fishery ,Habitat ,Spatial variability - Abstract
Anthropogenic activities such as land-use change, pollution and fishing impact the trophic structure of coral reef fishes, which can influence ecosystem health and function. Although these impacts may be ubiquitous, they are not consistent across the tropical Pacific Ocean. Using an extensive database of fish biomass sampled using underwater visual transects on coral reefs, we modelled the impact of human activities on food webs at Pacific-wide and regional (1,000s-10,000s km) scales. We found significantly lower biomass of sharks and carnivores, where there were higher densities of human populations (hereafter referred to as human activity); however, these patterns were not spatially consistent as there were significant differences in the trophic structures of fishes among biogeographic regions. Additionally, we found significant changes in the benthic structure of reef environments, notably a decline in coral cover where there was more human activity. Direct human impacts were the strongest in the upper part of the food web, where we found that in a majority of the Pacific, the biomass of reef sharks and carnivores were significantly and negatively associated with human activity. Finally, although human-induced stressors varied in strength and significance throughout the coral reef food web across the Pacific, socioeconomic variables explained more variation in reef fish trophic structure than habitat variables in a majority of the biogeographic regions. Notably, economic development (measured as GDP per capita) did not guarantee healthy reef ecosystems (high coral cover and greater fish biomass). Our results indicate that human activities are significantly shaping patterns of trophic structure of reef fishes in a spatially nonuniform manner across the Pacific Ocean, by altering processes that organize communities in both "top-down" (fishing of predators) and "bottom-up" (degradation of benthic communities) contexts.
- Published
- 2017
38. The trophic role of a large marine predator, the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier
- Author
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Bonnie J. Holmes, Robert J. Nowicki, Ashley J. Frisch, Lara Marcus Zamora, Kátya G. Abrantes, Jeremy J. Vaudo, Luciana C. Ferreira, Derek A. Burkholder, Julian G. Pepperell, Michael R. Heithaus, Michele Thums, Jessica J. Meeuwig, Adam Barnett, and Mark G. Meekan
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Male ,Aquatic Organisms ,food.ingredient ,Biometry ,Food Chain ,Coral reef fish ,Science ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Article ,food ,Animals ,Reef ,Ecosystem ,Isotope analysis ,geography ,Carbon Isotopes ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Nitrogen Isotopes ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Australia ,Animal Structures ,Pelagic zone ,Coral reef ,Feeding Behavior ,Galeocerdo ,biology.organism_classification ,Fishery ,Predatory Behavior ,Sharks ,Medicine ,Female ,Bay ,Tiger shark - Abstract
Tiger sharks were sampled off the western (Ningaloo Reef, Shark Bay) and eastern (the Great Barrier Reef; GBR, Queensland and New South Wales; NSW) coastlines of Australia. Multiple tissues were collected from each shark to investigate the effects of location, size and sex of sharks on δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes among these locations. Isotopic composition of sharks sampled in reef and seagrass habitats (Shark Bay, GBR) reflected seagrass-based food-webs, whereas at Ningaloo Reef analysis revealed a dietary transition between pelagic and seagrass food-webs. In temperate habitats off southern Queensland and NSW coasts, shark diets relied on pelagic food-webs. Tiger sharks occupied roles at the top of food-webs at Shark Bay and on the GBR, but not at Ningaloo Reef or off the coast of NSW. Composition of δ13C in tissues was influenced by body size and sex of sharks, in addition to residency and diet stability. This variability in stable isotopic composition of tissues is likely to be a result of adaptive foraging strategies that allow these sharks to exploit multiple shelf and offshore habitats. The trophic role of tiger sharks is therefore both context- and habitat-dependent, consistent with a generalist, opportunistic diet at the population level.
- Published
- 2017
39. Species diversity, abundance, biomass, size and trophic structure of fish on coral reefs in relation to shark abundance
- Author
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Jessica J. Meeuwig, Shanta C. Barley, and Mark G. Meekan
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,education.field_of_study ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,Coral reef fish ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Population ,Wildlife ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishing down the food web ,Fishery ,Abundance (ecology) ,education ,Reef ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Apex predator - Abstract
We thank the University of Western Australia (UWA), Perth, which partly funded this research via an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. We also thank the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) and the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities for arranging permits to conduct research at the Scott Reefs and the Rowley Shoals. Thank you also to the crew on board the RV 'Solander'. This research was permitted under UWA Ethics Approvals: RA3/100/1279, RA3/100/1172.
- Published
- 2017
40. Cross-continent comparisons reveal differing environmental drivers of growth of the coral reef fish, Lutjanus bohar
- Author
-
Mark G. Meekan, Ross J. Marriott, Adam N. Rountrey, Joyce J. L. Ong, Stephen J. Newman, and Jessica J. Meeuwig
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Ecology ,Range (biology) ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Climate change ,Context (language use) ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,01 natural sciences ,Latitude ,Fishery ,Spatial variability ,Reef ,Sea level ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
Biochronologies provide important insights into the growth responses of fishes to past variability in physical and biological environments and, in so doing, allow modelling of likely responses to climate change in the future. We examined spatial variability in the key drivers of inter-annual growth patterns of a widespread, tropical snapper, Lutjanus bohar, at similar tropical latitudes on the north-western and north-eastern coasts of the continent of Australia. For this study, we developed biochronologies from otoliths that provided proxies of somatic growth and these were analysed using mixed-effects models to examine the historical drivers of growth. Our analyses demonstrated that growth patterns of fish were driven by different climatic and biological factors in each region, including Pacific Ocean climate indices, regional sea level and the size structure of the fish community. Our results showed that the local oceanographic and biological context of reef systems strongly influenced the growth of L. bohar and that a single age-related growth trend cannot be assumed for separate populations of this species that are likely to experience different environmental conditions. Generalised predictions about the growth response of fishes to climate change will thus require adequate characterisation of the spatial variability in growth determinants likely to be found throughout the range of species that have cosmopolitan distributions.
- Published
- 2016
41. Oslob whale sharks – Preconceived ideas about provisioning?
- Author
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Mark G. Meekan and Judi Lowe
- Subjects
Fishery ,Geography ,biology ,Whale ,Strategy and Management ,Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management ,biology.animal ,Transportation ,Provisioning ,Development - Published
- 2019
42. Stable isotope analyses reveal unique trophic role of reef manta rays (
- Author
-
Lauren R. Peel, Ryan Daly, Clare A. Keating Daly, Guy Stevens, Mark G. Meekan, and Shaun P. Collin
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Foraging ,stable isotopes ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,foraging ,nutrient transport ,mobulid ,lcsh:Science ,Reef ,Feeding ecology ,Trophic level ,geography ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Stable isotope ratio ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,fungi ,Biology (Whole Organism) ,Coral reef ,biology.organism_classification ,Mobula ,lcsh:Q ,elasmobranch ,Research Article - Abstract
Stable isotope analyses provide the means to examine the trophic role of animals in complex food webs. Here, we used stable isotope analyses to characterize the feeding ecology of reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) at a remote coral reef in the Western Indian Ocean. Muscle samples ofM. alfrediwere collected from D'Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll, Republic of Seychelles, in November 2016 and 2017. Prior to analysis, lipid and urea extraction procedures were tested on freeze-dried muscle tissue in order to standardize sample treatment protocols forM. alfredi. The lipid extraction procedure was effective at removing both lipids and urea from samples and should be used in future studies of the trophic ecology of this species. The isotopic signatures of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) forM. alfredidiffered by year, but did not vary by sex or life stage, suggesting that all individuals occupy the same trophic niche at this coral reef. Furthermore, the isotopic signatures forM. alfredidiffered to those for co-occurring planktivorous fish species also sampled at D'Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll, suggesting that the ecological niche ofM. alfrediis unique. Pelagic zooplankton were the main contributor (45%) to the diet ofM. alfredi, combined with emergent zooplankton (38%) and mesopelagic prey items (17%). Given the extent of movement that would be required to undertake this foraging strategy, individualM. alfrediare implicated as important vectors of nutrient supply around and to the coral reefs surrounding D'Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll, particularly where substantial site fidelity is displayed by these large elasmobranchs.
- Published
- 2019
43. Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries
- Author
-
Gonzalo Mucientes, Nigel E. Hussey, John R. M. Chisholm, Paul J. Rogers, Sarika Singh, Natalia P. A. Bezerra, Daniel Devia Cortés, Sandra Bessudo Lion, Frederic Vandeperre, Steven E. Campana, Taylor K. Chapple, Nicolas E. Humphries, Michael E. Byrne, Samantha J. Simpson, Eduardo Espinoza, Estelle Crochelet, Mark G. Meekan, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Clare A. Keating Daly, Xabier Irigoien, Simon J. Pierce, Matthew Gollock, Pedro Afonso, Marcus Sheaves, Francois Poisson, Dylan T. Irion, Darrell Anders, Lucy A. Howey, Camrin D. Braun, Richard Fitzpatrick, Annabelle Brooks, Timothy D. White, Tristan L. Guttridge, Melita Samoilys, Aaron B. Carlisle, John J. Morris, Marisa Vedor, Alison V. Towner, Alison A. Kock, G. Chris Fischer, Nuno Queiroz, Warrick S. Lyon, Mauricio Hoyos, Ryan Daly, Enrico Gennari, Charlie Huveneers, Ramón Bonfil, Paulo Travassos, Barbara A. Block, Felipe Ladino, Matthew Heard, Rory McAuley, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Alex Hearn, Francisco J. Abascal, Bonnie J. Holmes, Fábio H. V. Hazin, John C. Holdsworth, Carlos M. Duarte, Ana Rita Couto, Jonathan Green, Salvador J. Jorgensen, Anna MacDonnell, Thor Erikson, Jaime D. McAllister, Gonzalo Araujo, Barry D. Bruce, John D. Stevens, A. Peter Klimley, Jorge Fontes, Adam Barnett, Bruno C. L. Macena, Hector M. Guzman, Eric Clua, Neil Hammerschlag, Mahmood S. Shivji, António M. Santos, Laurent Dagorn, Malcolm J. Smale, Michael E. Drew, Lara L. Sousa, Emily J. Southall, Luciana C. Ferreira, Clinton A. J. Duffy, Thomas K. Doyle, Russell W. Bradford, Austin J. Gallagher, Sam B. Weber, David Acuña-Marrero, Pieter Koen, Kilian M. Stehfest, Randall Arauz, Emily R. Nelson, Francesco Ferretti, Antonin V. Blaison, Kátya G. Abrantes, Víctor M. Eguíluz, Ryan Johnson, Pascal Bach, Simon D. Goldsworthy, Edward J. Brooks, Julian G. Pepperell, Warren Joyce, Fabien Forget, Michele Thums, Fernanda O. Lana, David M. P. Jacoby, Lance K. B. Jordan, Cesar Peñaherrera-Palma, André S. Afonso, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Sean Williams, Mariana Travassos Tolotti, German Soler, Debra L. Abercrombie, Johan A. Gustafson, Laurenne B. Snyders, Christoph A. Rohner, Simon R. Thorrold, Toby A. Patterson, Malcolm P. Francis, David W. Sims, Lina Maria Quintero, Oliver J. D. Jewell, Gregory B. Skomal, Demian D. Chapman, Robert E. Hueter, John P. Tyminski, John D. Filmalter, Robert Harcourt, Heather Marshall, James S. E. Lea, Jeremy J. Vaudo, George L. Shillinger, Diego Bernal, Andrew J. Richardson, Mark E. Bond, Marc Soria, Graeme C. Hays, Luke Harman, Michael L. Berumen, Christopher R. Clarke, James T. Ketchum, J.B. Brown, Patricia Zárate, Jayson M. Semmens, Yuuki Y. Watanabe, David Rowat, Fiona Llewellyn, Michael A. Meÿer, Ivo da Costa, Mark Fowler, Red Sea Research Centre (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation (UMR MARBEC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences [Stony Brook] (SoMAS), Stony Brook University [SUNY] (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY)-State University of New York (SUNY), Laboratoire Franco-Mexicain d'Informatique et d'Automatique (LAFMIA), Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV)-Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC)-Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología [Mexico] (CONACYT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019] (UGA [2016-2019]), South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Zoological Society of London - ZSL (UNITED KINGDOM), James Cook University (JCU), Biology Department (WHOI), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Australian Institute of Marine Science [Perth] (AIMS Perth), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Natural Environment Research Council (UK), Save Our Seas Foundation, European Commission, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Rio Grande do Norte, Xunta de Galicia, Australian Respiratory Council, and Australian Institute of Marine Science
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,improving light ,Fishing ,bycatch ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,[SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems ,Megafauna ,Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias ,patterns ,14. Life underwater ,Pesquerías ,movements ,Marine biology ,Multidisciplinary ,model ,pelagic sharks ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,conservation ,temperature ,Pelagic zone ,tracking ,Bycatch ,Fishery ,Geolocation ,Geography ,geolocation ,International waters ,Conservation biology ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology - Abstract
Effective ocean management and the conservation of highly migratory species depend on resolving the overlap between animal movements and distributions, and fishing effort. However, this information is lacking at a global scale. Here we show, using a big-data approach that combines satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and global fishing fleets, that 24% of the mean monthly space used by sharks falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries. Space-use hotspots of commercially valuable sharks and of internationally protected species had the highest overlap with longlines (up to 76% and 64%, respectively), and were also associated with significant increases in fishing effort. We conclude that pelagic sharks have limited spatial refuge from current levels of fishing effort in marine areas beyond national jurisdictions (the high seas). Our results demonstrate an urgent need for conservation and management measures at high-seas hotspots of shark space use, and highlight the potential of simultaneous satellite surveillance of megafauna and fishers as a tool for near-real-time, dynamic management., Data analysis was funded in part by the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/R00997X/1) (to D.W.S.) with additional research support from the Save Our Seas Foundation and the NERC Oceans 2025 Strategic Research Programme, in which D.W.S. was a principal investigator. D.W.S. was supported by an MBA Senior Research Fellowship, N.Q. by European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) via the Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (COMPETE), National Funds via Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under PTDC/MAR/100345/2008 and COMPETE FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-010580 (to N.Q. and D.W.S.), and Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020) under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in project MarInfo (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000031). Additional support was provided by an FCT Investigator Fellowship IF/01611/2013 (N.Q.), FCT Doctoral Fellowship PD/BD/52603/2014 (M.V.), PTDC/MAR-BIO/4458/2012, Xunta de Galicia - Isabel Barreto Program 2009-2012 (G.M.), Australian Research Council (ARC) grant DE170100841 and operational funds from the Australian Institute for Marine Science (AIMS) (both to A.M.M.S.).
- Published
- 2019
44. First Insights Into the Fine-Scale Movements of the Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus
- Author
-
Mark G. Meekan, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Adrian C. Gleiss, and Charitha Pattiaratchi
- Subjects
vertical movement ,0106 biological sciences ,lcsh:QH1-199.5 ,Ocean Engineering ,tagging ,lcsh:General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,Water column ,lcsh:Science ,Reef ,Water Science and Technology ,Global and Planetary Change ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Sandbar shark ,biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Energetics ,Shoal ,dive energetics ,biology.organism_classification ,Benthic zone ,Carcharhinus ,movement ecology ,lcsh:Q ,tortuosity - Abstract
The expanding use of biologging tags in studies of shark movement provides an opportunity to elucidate the context and drivers of fine-scale movement patterns of these predators. In May 2017, we deployed high-resolution biologging tags on four mature female sandbar sharks Carcharhinus plumbeus at Ningaloo Reef for durations ranging between 13 and 25.5 h. Pressure and tri-axial motion sensors within these tags enabled the calculation of dive geometry, swimming kinematics and path tortuosity at fine spatial scales (m-km) and concurrent validation of these behaviors from video recordings. Sandbar sharks oscillated through the water column at shallow dive angles, with gliding behavior observed in the descent phase for all sharks. Continual V-shaped oscillatory movements were occasionally interspersed by U-shaped dives that predominately occurred around dusk. The bottom phase of these U-shaped dives likely occurred on the seabed, with dead-reckoning revealing a highly tortuous, circling track. By combining these fine-scale behavioral observations with existing ecological knowledge of sandbar habitat and diet, we argue that these U-shaped dives are likely to be a strategy for bentho-pelagic foraging. Comparing the diving geometry of sandbar sharks with those of other shark species reveals common patterns in oscillatory swimming. Collectively, the fine-scale movement patterns of sandbar sharks reported here are consistent with results of previous biologging studies that emphasize the role of cost-efficient foraging in sharks.
- Published
- 2018
45. Nearshore wave characteristics as cues for swimming orientation in flatback turtle hatchlings
- Author
-
Scott D. Whiting, Phillipa Wilson, Michele Thums, Kellie Pendoley, Mark G. Meekan, and Charitha Pattiaratchi
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Continental shelf ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Swell ,law.invention ,Flume ,Oceanography ,Wave flume ,law ,Biological dispersal ,Turtle (robot) ,Hatchling ,Trough (meteorology) ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
Waves are thought to provide an important directional cue for hatchlings of marine turtles to navigate through the nearshore zone and to facilitate dispersal to oceanic waters. As the flatback turtle (Natator depressus) is the only species of marine turtle that lacks an oceanic juvenile stage and remains on the continental shelf throughout the entire life cycle, it is possible that hatchlings of this species do not use wave cues for early dispersal. Here, we used a wave flume to examine the response of flatback turtle hatchlings to waves as a cue for nearshore dispersal. We exposed hatchlings to two types of waves (sea and swell waves) differing in height and period commonly experienced at nesting locations and monitored swimming direction (orientation). Hatchlings oriented towards shorter period (3 s) sea waves with both small (6 cm peak to trough) and large (12 cm peak to trough) wave heights. Orientation of hatchlings to longer period (8 s) swell waves only occurred with large (16 cm peak to trough) and not with small (7 cm peak to trough) wave heights. Acceleration generated by waves was the strongest predictor of directional preference in hatchling bearings. There was a positive relationship between maximum acceleration and directional preference, with hatchling bearings more concentrated (r-value 0.98) towards the oncoming wave direction with waves that produced the highest acceleration (sea waves with largest wave heights). These waves were similar to sea waves generated from onshore winds, which was the most common type of wave we measured at a flatback turtle nesting beach. Our study has confirmed that despite lacking an oceanic development stage, flatback hatchlings, like other species of sea turtles, can detect and respond to wave cues, and that the accelerations generated by waves may be a key characteristic of waves that drives orientation.
- Published
- 2021
46. Intraspecific variability in diet and implied foraging ranges of whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, from signature fatty acid analysis
- Author
-
Peter D. Nichols, Lara Marcus, Patti Virtue, Michele Thums, Mark G. Meekan, and Heidi Pethybridge
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,biology ,Endowment ,Whale ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Foraging ,Wildlife ,Aquatic Science ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Intraspecific competition ,On board ,Fishery ,biology.animal ,Reef ,Feeding ecology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
We are grateful to people who contributed to field-work, including Captain Terry Maxwell and his crew on board of 'Osso Blu', as well as all the scientific team from the Australian Institute of Marine Science with special mention to Kim Brooks and the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife. We also thank Peter Mansour at CSIRO for his help with lipid and fatty acid analysis and Ella Clausius for her work in identifying zooplankton samples. Janet A. Ley and 3 anonymous reviewers are thanked for their helpful comments that improved the final manuscript. This research was funded by the Save Our Seas Foundation, Winifred Violet Scott Charitable Trust and Holsworth Wild-life Research Endowment Grants.
- Published
- 2016
47. Indicators of fishing mortality on reef-shark populations in the world’s first shark sanctuary: the need for surveillance and enforcement
- Author
-
Gabriel M. S. Vianna, Jonathan L. W. Ruppert, Mark G. Meekan, Tova H. Bornovski, and Jessica J. Meeuwig
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Reef shark ,Marine reserve ,Fishing ,Foundation (engineering) ,Aquatic Science ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Geography ,Marine protected area ,Enforcement ,Tourism - Abstract
The authors acknowledge the Save Our Seas Foundation and a private donor for financial support.
- Published
- 2016
48. Cleaner wrasse influence habitat selection of young damselfish
- Author
-
Johanna Werminghausen, Mark I. McCormick, Eva C. McClure, Mark G. Meekan, Alexandra S. Grutter, Derek Sun, Karen L. Cheney, and Thomas H. Cribb
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Coral reef fish ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Pomacentrus amboinensis ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Halichoeres melanurus ,Wrasse ,Bluestreak cleaner wrasse ,Labroides ,Damselfish - Abstract
The presence of bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, on coral reefs increases total abundance and biodiversity of reef fishes. The mechanism(s) that cause such shifts in population structure are unclear, but it is possible that young fish preferentially settle into microhabitats where cleaner wrasse are present. As a first step to investigate this possibility, we conducted aquarium experiments to examine whether settlement-stage and young juveniles of ambon damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, selected a microhabitat near a cleaner wrasse (adult or juvenile). Both settlement-stage (0 d post-settlement) and juvenile (~5 weeks post-settlement) fish spent a greater proportion of time in a microhabitat adjacent to L. dimidiatus than in one next to a control fish (a non-cleaner wrasse, Halichoeres melanurus) or one where no fish was present. This suggests that cleaner wrasse may serve as a positive cue during microhabitat selection. We also conducted focal observations of cleaner wrasse and counts of nearby damselfishes (1 m radius) to examine whether newly settled fish obtained direct benefits, in the form of cleaning services, from being near a cleaner wrasse. Although abundant, newly settled recruits (
- Published
- 2015
49. Response to Comments on 'Evidence for rapid recovery of shark populations within a coral reef marine protected area'. Speed et al., 2018 220:308–319
- Author
-
Mark G. Meekan, Mike Cappo, and Conrad W. Speed
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Ecology (disciplines) ,Foundation (engineering) ,Coral reef ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Fishery ,Biodiversity conservation ,Marine protected area ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
Funding was provided from the Paul G. Allen Foundation through the Global FinPrint Project.
- Published
- 2020
50. Zonation and reef size significantly influence fish population structure in an established marine protected area, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
- Author
-
Mark G. Meekan, Camilla Floros, Vivienne Dames, JQ Maggs, Anthony T. F. Bernard, Bruce Q. Mann, Stuart C.S. Laing, Conrad W. Speed, and Jennifer M. Olbers
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Biomass (ecology) ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,fungi ,Pelagic zone ,Coral reef ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,01 natural sciences ,Habitat ,Environmental science ,Marine protected area ,Relative species abundance ,Population dynamics of fisheries ,Reef ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
To demonstrate conservation effects resulting from marine protected areas, many studies rely on spatial comparisons between areas afforded different levels of protection. These spatial comparisons can be confounded if the habitat and reef size are dissimilar and not accounted for in the statistical analysis. Taking into account reef size (obtained from multibeam sonar data) and benthic habitat structure, this research tested the effect of management zonation (No-take Sanctuary Zone = NTSZ; Controlled Pelagic Zone = CPZ) on the population structure (relative abundance and average biomass) of six fish species in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa. Furthermore, this study tested the effect of ignoring reef size in spatial comparisons. Our results showed that reef size had a significant positive effect on the relative abundance and average biomass of most, but not all species. When reef size was included in the models, the results showed that two of the six species presented no effect of management zone; two appeared to be directly affected by the permitted (past and present) fishing activity in the CPZ; and the last two species appeared to be affected by the disturbance caused by the diving and/or boating activity in the CPZ. Excluding reef size from the analysis consistently resulted in the predicted relative abundance and average biomass decreasing in the CPZ and increasing in the NTSZ. This effect was most marked in the average biomass data, as the management zone effect changed from negligible to significant for five of the six species. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for the reef size, or area of suitable habitat, when conducting spatial comparisons among species and illustrate the potential impact of the trade-off required to accommodate human needs within protected spaces.
- Published
- 2020
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