Abiotic affinities and spatiotemporal distribution of the endangered smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata, in a south-western Florida nursery

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (10) ◽  
pp. 1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregg R. Poulakis ◽  
Philip W. Stevens ◽  
Amy A. Timmers ◽  
Tonya R. Wiley ◽  
Colin A. Simpfendorfer
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Population Recovery ◽  
Marine Fish Species ◽  
Recovery Planning ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Size At Birth ◽  
Pristis Pectinata

Understanding how endangered marine species rely on coastal habitats is vital for population recovery planning. The smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is one of several critically endangered sawfishes worldwide known to use estuaries and rivers during their early life history. In a Florida estuary designated as critical habitat by the USA government, juveniles were monitored to characterise seasonality, recruitment, and habitat use. Stretched total length ranged from 671 to 2172 mm (n = 137, mean = 1248 mm). Sawfish were captured year round. Captures of neonates with embryonic rostral sheaths allowed refinement of the size at birth (671–812 mm) and confirmed a protracted timing of parturition (November–July), which peaked between April and May. Although sampling occurred throughout the estuary, five locations had the greatest catch rates. Most juvenile sawfish had an affinity for water <1 m deep, water >30°C, dissolved oxygen >6 mg L–1, and salinity between 18 and 30. Greater catch rates for sawfish >1 year old were associated with shoreline habitats with overhanging vegetation such as mangroves. These results detail habitat use within a recognised nursery that can be used for conservation of the first endangered marine fish species in the USA.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variation in size-structured populations using fishery data: an application to shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) in the Pacific Ocean

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 1765-1780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikihiko Kai ◽  
James T. Thorson ◽  
Kevin R. Piner ◽  
Mark N. Maunder
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
Spatiotemporal Model ◽  
The North ◽  
Isurus Oxyrinchus ◽  
Shortfin Mako ◽  
Catch Rates

We develop a length-disaggregated, spatiotemporal, delta-generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) and apply the method to fishery-dependent catch rates of shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) in the North Pacific. The spatiotemporal model may provide an improvement over conventional time-series and spatially stratified models by yielding more precise and biologically interpretable estimates of abundance. Including length data may provide additional information to better understand life history and habitat partitioning for marine species. Nominal catch rates were standardized using a GLMM framework with spatiotemporal and length composition data. The best-fitting model showed that most hotspots for “immature” shortfin mako occurred in the coastal waters of Japan, while hotspots for “subadult and adult” occurred in the offshore or coastal waters of Japan. We also found that size-specific catch rates provide an indication that there has been a recent increasing trend in stock abundance since 2008.

scholarly journals Near-future levels of ocean acidification do not affect sperm motility and fertilization kinetics in the oyster <i>Crassostrea gigas</i>

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 3009-3015 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Havenhand ◽  
P. Schlegel
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Crassostrea Gigas ◽  
Power Analysis ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Fertilization Kinetics

Abstract. An increasing number of studies are now reporting the effects of ocean acidification on a broad range of marine species, processes and systems. Many of these are investigating the sensitive early life-history stages that several major reviews have highlighted as being potentially most susceptible to ocean acidification. Nonetheless there remain few investigations of the effects of ocean acidification on the very earliest, and critical, process of fertilization, and still fewer that have investigated levels of ocean acidification relevant for the coming century. Here we report the effects of near-future levels of ocean acidification (≈−0.35 pH unit change) on sperm swimming speed, sperm motility, and fertilization kinetics in a population of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas from western Sweden. We found no significant effect of ocean acidification – a result that was well-supported by power analysis. Similar findings from Japan suggest that this may be a globally robust result, and we emphasise the need for experiments on multiple populations from throughout a species' range. We also discuss the importance of sound experimental design and power analysis in meaningful interpretation of non-significant results.

scholarly journals Habitat use and abundance of goliath grouper Epinephelus itajara in Brazil: a participative survey

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 803-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinicius J. Giglio ◽  
Johnatas Adelir-Alves ◽  
Leopoldo C. Gerhardinger ◽  
Fabiano C. Grecco ◽  
Felippe A. Daros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Population Recovery ◽  
Conservation Policies ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Goliath Grouper ◽  
The Relationship

Developing survey strategies for threatened species is often limited by access to sufficient individuals to acquire information needed to design appropriate conservation measures. The goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) is a large reef fish, globally classified as critically endangered. In Brazil, fishing has been prohibited since 2002. Herein we investigated habitat use and abundance of E. itajara in Brazil drawn from a participative survey, which engaged volunteer divers in data-collection. A total of 188 reports were recorded between 2005 to 2011 throughout 13 Brazilian states. Our results revealed that habitat type influenced the relationship between total length and depth of occurrence of E. itajara. We observed a significant difference between habitats, artificial presented a nonlinear and natural an asymptotic relationship. This study underscores the importance of developing conservation measures addressing specific habitats and locations to enhance population recovery. Artificial structures (shipwrecks and manmade reefs) are critical habitats that must be considered as highly sensitive areas to E. itajara strategic conservation policies. We suggest the creation and implementation of marine protected areas, as key strategies for E. itajaraconservation, especially for artificial habitats and aggregation sites.

Holding ground in the face of invasion: native fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) do not alter their habitat use in response to introduced fire ants (Solenopsis invicta)

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (7) ◽  
pp. 626-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Langkilde
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Sceloporus Undulatus ◽  
The Face ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Adaptive Shifts ◽  
The Impact

The introduction of non-native species is becoming increasingly common. Understanding the impact of invaders on native populations is critical for effective management. Red imported fire ants ( Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972) were introduced to the USA in the 1930s. They will attack, and can kill, native fence lizards ( Sceloporus undulatus (Bosc and Daudin in Sonnini and Latreille, 1801)), which co-occur with these ants across much of their invasive range. I determined whether fence lizards minimize encounters with S. invicta by altering their habitat use following invasion or avoiding cues of the presence of these fire ants. I recorded the habitat use of fence lizards and S. invicta mounds across four sites with different histories of invasion, and quantified lizard avoidance of S. invicta scent. I found that lizards do not alter their habitat use following S. invicta invasion, nor do they spatially avoid their mounds. Fence lizards do avoid S. invicta scent, but this was only evident in naïve or recently invaded populations. The lack of avoidance of S. invicta by fence lizards could be explained by the high prevalence of these fire ants, making them difficult to avoid, and adaptive shifts in the escape behaviour and morphology of these lizards following invasion that permit them to survive fire ant attack.

Characterization of the marine aquarium trade and management of associated marine pests in Australia, a country with stringent import biosecurity regulation

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
DONALD MORRISEY ◽  
GRAEME INGLIS ◽  
KERRY NEIL ◽  
ANNA BRADLEY ◽  
ISLA FITRIDGE
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Aquarium Trade ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Potential Pest ◽  
Responsible Attitude ◽  
Online Sources

SUMMARYTrade in ornamental marine species in Australia, a country with relatively stringent import controls, was investigated using a telephone survey of wholesalers and retailers, and a desktop review of internet import databases and hobbyist trading websites. Information on the regulatory framework was obtained from government and other published or online sources, and from staff of regulatory agencies. Although the trade is small relative to that in the USA, Europe and parts of Asia, Australia imports significant numbers of marine fish each year for the aquarium trade. Many of the more than 200 species imported have the potential to become environmental and/or economic pests. Imported individuals of native species could act as vectors of disease or affect the genetic diversity of native populations if they were released into the wild. Regulatory measures include the use of lists of permitted species of plants and animals, a case-by-case risk assessment process for species not on these lists, and requirements for health certification and quarantining of imported stock. Once within Australia, however, translocation is less rigorously controlled, being managed by individual states and based largely on lists of prohibited species, though generally with scope for case-by-case assessment and refusal of permits for unwanted species, such as recognized pests. Wholesalers and retailers interviewed generally showed a responsible attitude to the disposal of dead or unwanted stock, but awareness and understanding of the potential pest risk of ornamental marine species was generally poor. The importance of raising public awareness of the pest potential of ornamental marine species is likely to increase with the growing importance of mail-order and internet trade.

scholarly journals Near-future levels of ocean acidification do not affect sperm motility and fertilization kinetics in the oyster <i>Crassostrea gigas</i>

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 4573-4586 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Havenhand ◽  
P. Schlegel
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Crassostrea Gigas ◽  
Power Analysis ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Fertilization Kinetics

Abstract. An increasing number of studies are now reporting the effects of ocean acidification on a broad range of marine species, processes and systems. Many of these are investigating the sensitive early life-history stages that several major reviews have highlighted as being potentially most susceptible to ocean acidification. Nonetheless there remain few investigations of the effects of ocean acidification on the very earliest, and critical, process of fertilization, and still fewer that have investigated levels of ocean acidification relevant for the coming century. Here we report the effects of near-future levels of ocean acidification (≈−0.35 pH unit change) on sperm swimming speed, sperm motility, and fertilization kinetics in a population of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas from western Sweden. We found no significant effect of ocean acidification – a result that was well supported by power analysis. Similar findings from Japan suggest that this may be a globally robust result, and we emphasise the need for experiments on multiple populations from throughout a species' range. We also discuss the importance of sound experimental design and power analysis in accurate interpretation of non-significant results.

scholarly journals Comparison of seasonal habitat selection between threatened woodland caribou ecotypes in central British Columbia

Rangifer ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena S. Jones ◽  
Michael P. Gillingham ◽  
Dale R. Seip ◽  
Douglas C. Heard
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Recovery Planning ◽  
Specific Mapping ◽  
Selection Of

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in British Columbia have been classified into ecotypes based on differences in use of habitat in winter. Although recovery planning focuses on ecotypes, habitat use and selection varies within ecotypes. Our objectives were to compare habitat use and selection among previously identified woodland caribou herds at the transition zone between northern (Moberly, Quintette, and Kennedy herds) and mountain (Parsnip herd) ecotypes in central British Columbia. We developed selection models for each herd in spring, calving, summer/fall, early and late winter. Topographic models best predicted selection by most herds in most seasons, but importance of vegetation-cover was highlighted by disproportionate use of specific vegetation-cover types by all caribou herds (e.g., in early winter, 75% of Kennedy locations were in pine-leading stands, 84% of Parsnip locations were in fir and fir-leading stands, and 87 and 96% of locations were in alpine for the Moberly and Quintette herds, respectively). Using a combination of GPS and VHF radio-collar locations, we documented some spatial overlap among herds within the year, but use of vegetation-cover types and selection of elevations, aspects, and vegetation-cover types differed among herds and within ecotypes in all seasons. Habitat use and selection were most similar between the two northern-ecotype herds residing on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. This research indicates that habitat use and selection by caribou herds in all seasons is more variable than ecotype classifications suggest and demonstrates the value of undertaking herd-specific mapping of critical habitat for woodland caribou.

scholarly journals Biology, ecology, and status of the smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata in the USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 9-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
AB Brame ◽  
TR Wiley ◽  
JK Carlson ◽  
SV Fordham ◽  
RD Grubbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Usa ◽  
Pristis Pectinata

scholarly journals A Survey On Marine Fish Species In River of Mahakam East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Omni-Akuatika ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwan Suyatna ◽  
Muhammad Syahrir ◽  
Mislan Mislan ◽  
Yuni Irawati Wijaya ◽  
Abdunnur Abdunnur
Keyword(s):  
Marine Fish ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Middle Part ◽  
Marine Fish Species ◽  
East Kalimantan ◽  
Velocity Water

A first survey  on a community marine species in  river of Mahakam East Kalimantan was performed in December 2015 and May 2016. Fish samplings were carried out from two locations the lower and the middle part of Mahakam. Whilst hydrometric observation of current velocity, water depth and tide was measured not only at the locations but also along the river from 2013 to 2017, tide was only observed in the lower part of Mahakam.  However, marine fish species were recognized to reach up the middle part of Mahakam, 230 km from coastline.  To describe a community fish structure and its dissimilarity of the two surveyed locations, diversity and bray Curtis index were applied.  Almost 15 marine fish species identified in river of Mahakam was demersal fish and index of the similarity of marine fish community between the locations only 0.106.

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