Movement Patterns of Young Caribbean Reef Sharks, Carcharhinus perezi, at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil: the Potential of Marine Protected Areas for Conservation of a Nursery Ground

Authors

Ricardo C. Garla, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - Brazil; ONG Oceanica-Pesquisa - Brazil
Demian D. Chapman, Nova Southeastern University
Bradley M. Wetherbee, University of Rhode IslandFollow
Mahmood S. Shivji, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1-2006

Publication Title

Marine Biology

ISSN

0025-3162

Volume

149

Issue/No.

2

First Page

189

Last Page

199

Abstract

The movement patterns and long-term site-fidelity of primarily juvenile Caribbean reef sharks, Carcharhinus perezi, were investigated using tag-recapture and automated telemetry at an insular nursery area, the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil. Of the 143 externally tagged juvenile sharks (<110 >cm), 22 (15.3%) were recaptured between 0 and 5 km from the site of tagging after 5–800 days at liberty, suggesting some site-fidelity in young individuals of this species. Site-fidelity and movement patterns of ten juvenile sharks ranging from 78 to 110 cm total length (TL) and one opportunistically captured adult female (224 cm TL) were also investigated for periods of up to 2 years with an array of automated telemetry receivers. Tagging and telemetry data from both inside and outside a marine protected area (MPA) show that shark abundance and activity is greatest along the part of the archipelago’s coastline least disturbed by human activity. Telemetry tracking also showed that juvenile reef sharks demonstrated a high degree of site-fidelity and occupied specific locations along the coast throughout the year, with some evidence of an increase in activity space with ontogeny. Sharks appeared to range more widely at night and there were no seasonal variations in habitat use. Our results suggest that MPAs may be a useful conservation tool to protect youngC. perezi and potentially other reef-dwelling carcharhinid sharks during their early life history.

Comments

©Springer-Verlag 2005

NSUWorks Citation

Ricardo C. Garla, Demian D. Chapman, Bradley M. Wetherbee, and Mahmood S. Shivji. 2006. Movement Patterns of Young Caribbean Reef Sharks, Carcharhinus perezi, at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil: the Potential of Marine Protected Areas for Conservation of a Nursery Ground .Marine Biology , (2) : 189 -199. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/378.

ResearcherID

G-4080-2013

DOI

10.1007/s00227-005-0201-4