Basking sharks and oceanographic fronts: Quantifying associations in the north-east Atlantic

Functional Ecology

Volumn 29, Issue 8, 2015, Pages 1099-1109

  Miller, Peter I ^a   Scales, Kylie L ^a,b,f   Ingram, Simon N ^c   Southall, Emily J ^d   Sims, David W ^d,e  

^a PLYMOUTH MARINE LABORATORY   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH   (United Kingdom)

^d THE LABORATORY   (United Kingdom)

^e UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON   (United Kingdom)

^f SOUTHWEST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER   (United States)

Author keywords

Animal tracking; Biologging; Front mapping; Habitat preference; Habitat use; Marine megavertebrate; Marine vertebrate; Remote sensing

Indexed keywords

ADAPTATION; ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECT; CHLOROPHYLL A; HABITAT MANAGEMENT; HABITAT SELECTION; OCEANIC FRONT; PERSISTENCE; PREFERENCE BEHAVIOR; REAL TIME; REMOTE SENSING; SHARK; SHELF SEA; SPACE USE; SPATIOTEMPORAL ANALYSIS; TRACKING; ZOOPLANKTON;

ATLANTIC OCEAN; ATLANTIC OCEAN (NORTHEAST);

ANIMALIA; CETORHININAE; CETORHINUS MAXIMUS; CHONDRICHTHYES; VERTEBRATA;

EID: 84938419534     PISSN: 02698463     EISSN: 13652435     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12423     Document Type: Article

References (73)

1. Aarts, G., MacKenzie, M., McConnell, B., Fedak, M. & Matthiopoulos, J. (2008) Estimating space-use and habitat preference from wildlife telemetry data. Ecography, 31, 140-160.
2. Bakun, A. (2006) Fronts and eddies as key structures in the habitat of marine fish larvae: opportunity, adaptive response and competitive advantage. Scientia Marina, 70, 105-122.
3. Bates, D., Maechler, M., Bolker, B. & Walker, S. (2014) lme4: Linear mixed-effects models using Eigen and S4. R package version 1.1-6. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=lme4.
4. Belkin, I.M., Cornillon, P.C. & Sherman, K. (2009) Fronts in large marine ecosystems. Progress in Oceanography, 81, 223-236.
5. Belkin, I.M., Hunt Jr, G.L., Hazen, E.L., Zamon, J.E., Schick, R.S., Prieto, R. et al. (2014) Special issue: fronts, fish, and predators. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 107, 1-2.
6. Berrow, S.D. & Heardman, C. (1994) The basking shark Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus) in Irish waters: patterns of distribution and abundance. Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 94B, 101-107.
7. Bost, C.A., Cotté, C., Bailleul, F., Cherel, Y., Charrassin, J.B., Guinet, C. et al. (2009) The importance of oceanographic fronts to marine birds and mammals of the southern oceans. Journal of Marine Systems, 78, 363-376.
8. Bradshaw, C.J.A., Hindell, M.A., Sumner, M.D. & Michael, K.J. (2004) Loyalty pays: potential life history consequences of fidelity to marine foraging regions by southern elephant seals. Animal Behaviour, 68, 1349-1360.
9. Calenge, C. (2006) The package adehabitat for the R software: a tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals. Ecological Modelling, 197, 516-519.
10. Cayula, J.-F. & Cornillon, P.C. (1992) Edge detection algorithm for SST images. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 9, 67-80.
11. Cotton, P.A., Sims, D.W., Fanshawe, S. & Chadwick, M. (2005) The effects of climate variability on zooplankton and basking shark relative abundance off southwest Britain. Fisheries Oceanography, 14, 151-155.
12. Curtis, T.H., Zeeman, S.I., Summers, E.L., Cadrin, S.X. & Skomal, G.B. (2014) Eyes in the sky: linking satellite oceanography and biotelemetry to explore habitat selection by basking sharks. Animal Biotelemetry, 2, 1-15.
13. Etnoyer, P., Canny, D., Mate, B., Morgan, L., Ortegaortiz, J. & Nichols, W. (2006) Sea-surface temperature gradients across blue whale and sea turtle foraging trajectories off the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 53, 340-358.
14. Fiedler, P.C. & Bernard, H.J. (1987) Tuna aggregation and feeding near fronts observed in satellite imagery. Continental Shelf Research, 7, 871-881.
15. Fossette, S., Hobson, V.J., Girard, C., Calmettes, B., Gaspar, P., Georges, J.-Y. et al. (2010) Spatio-temporal foraging patterns of a giant zooplanktivore, the leatherback turtle. Journal of Marine systems, 81, 225-234.
16. Fowler, S.L. (2005) Cetorhinus maximus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 September 2014.
17. Franks, P.J.S. (1992a) Phytoplankton blooms at fronts: patterns, scales, and physical forcing mechanisms. Reviews in Aquatic Sciences, 6, 121-137.
18. Franks, P.J.S. (1992b) Sink or swim: accumulation of biomass at fronts. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 82, 1-12.
19. Genin, A., Jaffe, J.S., Reef, R., Richter, C. & Franks, P.J.S. (2005) Swimming against the flow: a mechanism of zooplankton aggregation. Science, 308, 860-862.
20. Godø, O.R., Samuelsen, A., Macaulay, G.J., Patel, R., Hjøllo, S.S., Horne, J. et al. (2012) Mesoscale eddies are oases for higher trophic marine life. PLoS ONE, 7, e30161.
21. Hays, G.C., Hobson, V.J., Metcalfe, J.D., Righton, D. & Sims, D.W. (2006) Flexible foraging movements of leatherback turtles across the North Atlantic Ocean. Ecology, 87, 2647-2656.
22. Heithaus, M.R., Hamilton, I.M., Wirsing, A.J. & Dill, L.M. (2006) Validation of a randomization procedure to assess animal habitat preferences: microhabitat use of tiger sharks in a seagrass ecosystem. Journal of Animal Ecology, 75, 666-676.
23. Humphries, N.E., Queiroz, N., Dyer, J.R., Pade, N.G., Musyl, M.K., Schaefer, K.M. et al. (2010) Environmental context explains Lévy and Brownian movement patterns of marine predators. Nature, 465, 1066-1069.
24. Humphries, N.E., Weimerskirch, H., Queiroz, N., Southall, E.J. & Sims, D.W. (2012) Foraging success of biological Lévy flights recorded in situ. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109, 7169-7174.
25. Irvine, L.M., Mate, B.R., Winsor, M.H., Palacios, D.M., Bograd, S.J., Costa, D.P. et al. (2014) Spatial and temporal occurrence of blue whales off the U.S. West Coast, with implications for management. PLoS ONE, 9, e102959.
26. Jones, A.R., Hosegood, P., Wynn, R.B., De Boer, M.N., Butler-Cowdry, S. & Embling, C.B. (2014) Fine-scale hydrodynamics influence the spatio-temporal distribution of harbour porpoises at a coastal hotspot. Progress in Oceanography, 128, 30-48.
27. Kahru, M., Di Lorenzo, E., Manzano-Sarabia, M. & Mitchell, B.G. (2012) Spatial and temporal statistics of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll fronts in the California Current. Journal of Plankton Research, 34, 749-760.
28. Le Fevre, J. (1986) Aspects of the biology of frontal systems. Advances in Marine Biology, 23, 164-299.
29. Leeney, R.H., Witt, M.J., Broderick, A.C., Buchanan, J., Jarvis, D.S., Richardson, P.B. et al. (2012) Marine megavertebrates of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly: relative abundance and distribution. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 92, 1823-1833.
30. Miller, P. (2009) Composite front maps for improved visibility of dynamic sea-surface features on cloudy SeaWiFS and AVHRR data. Journal of Marine systems, 78, 327-336.
31. Miller, P.I. & Christodoulou, S. (2014) Frequent locations of ocean fronts as an indicator of pelagic diversity: application to marine protected areas and renewables. Marine Policy, 45, 318-329.
32. Miller, P.I., Scales, K.L., Ingram, S.N., Southall, E. & Sims, D.W. (2015) Data from: Basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus and oceanographic fronts: quantifying associations in the north-east Atlantic. Dryad Digital Repository, doi:10.5061/dryad.d0h7s.
33. Morato, T., Hoyle, S.D., Allain, V. & Nicol, S.J. (2010) Seamounts are hotspots of pelagic biodiversity in the open ocean. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107, 9707-9711.
34. Pade, N.G., Queiroz, N., Humphries, N.E., Witt, M.J., Jones, C.S., Noble, L.R. et al. (2009) First results from satellite-linked archival tagging of porbeagle shark, Lamna nasus: area fidelity, wider-scale movements and plasticity in diel depth changes. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 370, 64-74.
35. Patrick, S., Bearhop, S., Grémillet, D., Lescroël, A., Grecian, W.J., Bodey, T.W. et al. (2014) Individual differences in searching behaviour and spatial foraging consistency in a central place marine predator. Oikos, 123, 33-40.
36. Paxton, C.G.M., Scott-Hayward, L.A.S. & Rexstad, E. (2014) Review of available statistical approaches to help identify Marine Protected Areas for cetaceans and basking shark. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 573.
37. Pingree, R. & Griffiths, D. (1978) Tidal fronts on the shelf seas around the British Isles. Journal of Geophysical Research, 83, 4615-4622.
38. Pingree, R.D., Pugh, P.R., Holligan, P.M. & Forster, G.R. (1975) Summer phytoplankton blooms and red tides along tidal fronts in the approaches to the English channel. Nature, 258, 672-677.
39. Podestá, G.P., Browder, J.A. & Hoey, J.J. (1993) Exploring the association between swordfish catch rates and thermal fronts on U.S. longline grounds in the western North Atlantic. Continental Shelf Research, 13, 253-277.
40. Priede, I. & Miller, P. (2009) A basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) tracked by satellite together with simultaneous remote sensing II: new analysis reveals orientation to a thermal front. Fisheries Research, 95, 370-372.
41. Queiroz, N., Humphries, N.E., Noble, L.R., Santos, A.M. & Sims, D.W. (2012) Spatial dynamics and expanded vertical niche of blue sharks in oceanographic fronts reveal habitat targets for conservation. PLoS ONE, 7, e32374.
42. Robinson, P.W., Costa, D.P., Crocker, D.E., Gallo-Reynoso, J.P., Champagne, C.D., Fowler, M.A. et al. (2012) Foraging behavior and success of a mesopelagic predator in the northeast Pacific Ocean: insights from a data-rich species, the northern elephant seal. PLoS ONE, 7, e36728.
43. Scales, K.L., Miller, P.I., Embling, C.B., Ingram, S.N., Pirotta, E. & Votier, S.C. (2014a) Mesoscale fronts as foraging habitats: composite front mapping reveals oceanographic drivers of habitat use for a pelagic seabird. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 11, 20140679.
44. Scales, K.L., Miller, P.I., Hawkes, L.A., Ingram, S.N., Sims, D.W. & Votier, S.C. (2014b) On the Front Line: frontal zones as priority at-sea conservation areas for mobile marine vertebrates. Journal of Applied Ecology, 51, 1575-1583.
45. Scales, K.L., Miller, P.I., Varo-Cruz, N., Hodgson, D.J., Hawkes, L.A. & Godley, B.J. (2015) Do oceanic loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta associate with oceanographic fronts? Evidence from the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 519, 195-207.
46. Schick, R., Goldstein, J. & Lutcavage, M. (2004) Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) distribution in relation to sea surface temperature fronts in the Gulf of Maine (1994-96). Fisheries Oceanography, 13, 225-238.
47. Seki, M.P., Polovina, J.J., Kobayashi, D.R., Bidigare, R.R. & Mitchum, G.T. (2002) An oceanographic characterization of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) longline fishing grounds in the springtime subtropical north Pacific. Fisheries Oceanography, 11, 251-266.
48. Shanks, A.L., Largier, J., Brink, L., Brubaker, J. & Hooff, R. (2000) Demonstration of the onshore transport of larval invertebrates by the shoreward movement of an upwelling front. Limnology and Oceanography, 45, 230-236.
49. Siders, Z.A., Westgate, A.J., Johnston, D.W., Murison, L.D. & Koopman, H.N. (2013) Seasonal variation in the spatial distribution of basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. PLoS ONE, 8, e82074.
50. Simpson, J.H. & Sharples, J. (2012) Introduction to the Physical and Biological Oceanography of Shelf Seas. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
51. Sims, D.W. (1999) Threshold foraging behaviour of basking sharks on zooplankton: life on an energetic knife-edge? Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 266, 1437-1443.
52. Sims, D.W. (2008) Sieving a living: a review of the biology, ecology and conservation status of the plankton-feeding basking shark Cetorhinus maximus. Advances in Marine Biology, 54, 171-220.
53. Sims, D.W., Fox, A.M. & Merrett, D.A. (1997) Basking shark occurrence off south-west England in relation to zooplankton abundance. Journal of Fish Biology, 51, 436-440.
54. Sims, D.W. & Merrett, D.A. (1997) Determination of zooplankton characteristics in the presence of surface feeding basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 158, 297-302.
55. Sims, D.W. & Quayle, V.A. (1998) Selective foraging behaviour of basking sharks on zooplankton in a small-scale front. Nature, 393, 460-464.
56. Sims, D.W. & Southall, E.J. (2002) Occurrence of ocean sunfish, Mola mola near fronts in the western English Channel. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 82, 927-928.
57. Sims, D.W., Southall, E.J., Quayle, V.A. & Fox, A.M. (2000) Annual social behaviour of basking sharks associated with coastal front areas. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 267, 1897-1904.
58. Sims, D.W., Southall, E.J., Richardson, A.J., Reid, P.C. & Metcalfe, J.D. (2003) Seasonal movements and behaviour of basking sharks from archival tagging: no evidence of winter hibernation. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 248, 187-196.
59. Sims, D.W., Southall, E.J., Tarling, G.A. & Metcalfe, J.D. (2005) Habitat-specific normal and reverse diel vertical migration in the plankton-feeding basking shark. Journal of Animal Ecology, 74, 755-761.
60. Sims, D.W., Witt, M.J., Richardson, A.J., Southall, E.J. & Metcalfe, J.D. (2006) Encounter success of free-ranging marine predator movements across a dynamic prey landscape. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 273, 1195-1201.
61. Sims, D.W., Southall, E.J., Humphries, N.E., Hays, G.C., Bradshaw, C.J.A., Pitchford, J.W. et al. (2008) Scaling laws of marine predator search behaviour. Nature, 451, 1098-1102.
62. Sims, D.W., Queiroz, N., Humphries, N.E., Lima, F.P. & Hays, G.C. (2009) Long-term GPS tracking of ocean sunfish Mola mola offers a new direction in fish monitoring. PLoS ONE, 4, e7351.
63. Sims, D.W., Humphries, N.E., Bradford, R.W. & Bruce, B.D. (2012) Lévy flight and Brownian search patterns of a free-ranging predator reflect different prey field characteristics. Journal of Animal Ecology, 81, 432-442.
64. Skomal, G.B., Zeeman, S.I., Chisholm, J.H., Summers, E.L., Walsh, H.J., McMahon, K.W. et al. (2009) Transequatorial migrations by basking sharks in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Current Biology, 19, 1019-1022.
65. Smith, S., Jones, B., Atkinson, L. & Brink, K. (1986) Zooplankton in the upwelling fronts off Pt. Conception, California. Elsevier Oceanography Series, 42, 195-213.
66. Southall, E.J., Sims, D., Metcalfe, J.D., Doyle, J.I., Fanshaw, S., Lacey, C. et al. (2005) Spatial distribution patterns of basking sharks on the European shelf: preliminary comparison of satellite-tag geolocation, survey and public sightings data. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 85, 1083-1088.
67. Southall, E.J., Sims, D.W., Witt, M.J. & Metcalfe, J.D. (2006) Seasonal space-use estimates of basking sharks in relation to protection and political-economic zones in the north-east Atlantic. Biological Conservation, 132, 33-39.
68. Stevens, J.D. (2007) Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) biology and ecology: a review of the primary literature. Fisheries Research, 84, 4-9.
69. Viswanathan, G., Buldyrev, S.V., Havlin, S., Da Luz, M., Raposo, E. & Stanley, H.E. (1999) Optimizing the success of random searches. Nature, 401, 911-914.
70. Warton, D. & Aarts, G. (2013) Advancing our thinking in presence-only and used-available analysis. Journal of Animal Ecology, 82, 1125-1134.
71. Weimerskirch, H. (2007) Are seabirds foraging for unpredictable resources? Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 54, 211-223.
72. Witt, M.J., Hardy, T., Johnson, L., McClellan, C.M., Pikesley, S.K., Ranger, S. et al. (2012) Basking sharks in the northeast Atlantic: spatio-temporal trends from sightings in UK waters. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 459, 121-134.
73. Zuur, A., Hilbe, J.M. & Ieno, E.N. (2013) A Beginner's Guide to GLM and GLMM with R: A Frequentist and Bayesian Perspective for Ecologists. Highland Statistics Ltd., Newburgh, UK.