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Article
Vertical Movements of Shortfin Mako Sharks Isurus oxyrinchus in the Western North Atlantic Ocean are Strongly Influenced by Temperature
Marine Ecology Progress Series
  • Jeremy Vaudo, Nova Southeastern University
  • Bradley M. Wetherbee, Nova Southeastern University; University of Rhode Island
  • Anthony D. Wood, University of Rhode Island
  • Kevin Weng, College of William and Mary
  • Lucy A. Howey-Jordan, Nova Southeastern University
  • Guy Harvey, Nova Southeastern University
  • Mahmood S. Shivji, Nova Southeastern University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-7-2016
Keywords
  • Habitat use,
  • Satellite tracking,
  • Dive behavior,
  • Telemetry
Abstract

Although shortfin mako sharks Isurus oxyrinchus are regularly encountered in pelagic fisheries, limited information is available on their vertical distribution and is primarily restricted to cooler areas of their geographic range. We investigated the vertical movements of mako sharks across differing temperature regimes within the western North Atlantic by tagging 8 individuals with pop-up satellite archival tags off the northeastern United States and the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Depth and temperature records across 587 d showed vertical movements strongly associated with ocean temperature. Temperatures <15°C created a lower depth limit to most diving behaviors, and shifts in depths used coincided with changes in the thermal properties of the vertical habitat. In the warmest water columns, sharks spent 36% of the daytime at depths >150 m compared to only 1% in the coldest water columns. The sharks showed diel diving behavior, with deeper dives occurring primarily during the daytime (maximum depth: 866 m). Overall, sharks experienced temperatures between 5.2 and 31.1°C. When the opportunity was available, sharks spent considerable time in waters ranging from 22 to 27°C, indicating underestimation of the previously reported upper limit of the mako sharks’ preferred temperature. The preference for higher temperatures does not support endothermy as an adaption for niche expansion in mako sharks. The strong influence of thermal habitat on movement behavior suggests potentially strong impacts of rising ocean temperatures on the ecology of this highly migratory top predator.

Comments

©2016 Inter-Research.

Additional Comments
Florida Sea Grant Program grant #: R/LR-B-73; National Marine Fisheries Service grant #: NA97FE0363
ORCID ID
0000-0002-3753-8950
ResearcherID
G-4080-2013
DOI
10.3354/meps11646
Citation Information
Jeremy Vaudo, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Anthony D. Wood, Kevin Weng, et al.. "Vertical Movements of Shortfin Mako Sharks Isurus oxyrinchus in the Western North Atlantic Ocean are Strongly Influenced by Temperature" Marine Ecology Progress Series Vol. 87 (2016) p. 163 - 175 ISSN: 0171-8630
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jeremy-vaudo/31/