Transcript Shark Behavioral Ecology

MOVEMENT ECOLOGY
OF APEX PREDATORY
SHARKS
By: Dr. Neil Hammerschlag
Why Study Movement?
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Ecological & Evolutionary Processes are linked to movement
Understanding movement  management & Conservation
strategies
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Restoring degraded habitats
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Preventing spread of
invasive species
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Protecting wildlife
Shark satellite tagging
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Recent advances in satellite tagging and tracking are allowing
scientists to “spy” into the secret lives of marine animals
We are currently using satellite tags to track the movements of shark
species in the subtropical Atlantic
The goal of this work is to understand the migratory routes and
residency patterns of these sharks to identify “hot spots” in place
and time that are critical for mating, giving birth and feeding as well
as locations where these animals are vulnerable to destructive fishing
By characterizing and identifying these hot spots, we can help supply
policy makers with the data they need to implement effective
management strategies that will improve conservation for these
species.
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http://vimeo.com/43678265
Possible Questions
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What is the distribution of the 3 sharks? How do they
differ?
Are their movements correlated with any environmental
conditions (sea-surface temperature, chlorophyll
content)?
What types of habitats do they use (e.g. reef, seagrass,
open-ocean)? How would you characterize their ecotype (e.g. coastal, semi-costal, pelagic)?
Could there movements be related to diet?
Possible Questions
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What jurisdictions do they inhabit or move through
(e.g. Florida waters, international waters, marine
protected areas)?
To what extent is shark habitat use divided among
different marine protected and political-economic
zones?
What areas are sharks most vulnerable to fishing?
Real time data
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Excel database for satellite tagged sharks
 Bull
shark, tiger, hammerhead shark
 Excel worksheet for each individual of each species
 Size – Sex - Date – Latitude - Longitude
Resources
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Online curriculum - http://rjd.miami.edu/education/highschool-curriculum
FL Natural History Museum – Education – Biological Profiles
Google Earth
NOAA Spatial registry
http://egisws02.nos.noaa.gov/cmspgisdataregistry/
MPA Atlas - http://www.mpatlas.org/
NOAA Data tools http://cmsp.noaa.gov/datatools/index.html
Global shipping lane http://geocommons.com/maps/5254
Bahamas
Mercury Toxicity
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As apex marine predators, sharks are susceptible to mercury contamination through
bioavailability and bioaccumulation of mercury via natural food web cycles.
Mercury exists in the environment in many forms from natural elemental mercury
(Hg) to toxic methyl mercury (MeHg). Some of this mercury is naturally occurring
while some is derived as waste from anthropogenic sources such as power plants,
incinerators, and industrial plants. Bacteria can convert total mercury into the toxic
form of MeHg, which is then available to the food chain.
By examining mercury concentration in sharks, a top-down approach, we may learn
about mercury contamination through the entire food web. We will also learn about
contamination in certain species of shark, and what that means to the individual
animal. Not only are sharks at risk to mercury contamination but humans consuming
shark meat are also at risk to contamination, exhibited by standardized human
health advisories and thresholds.
This may be useful when considering human health advisories, such as the Federal
Drug Administration’s 1.0 μg/g (ww) action level for human health concerns.
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http://vimeo.com/45969895
Possible Questions
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Which species is at most risk to mercury contamination?
How do mercury levels relate to human health thresholds?
What does mercury contamination mean to sharks?
Does size of shark and its mercury level relate to size of
prey item?
Can mercury affect overall shark populations?
Can total length be used as an estimator of muscle mercury
(per species)?
What is the source of mercury in southern Florida?
Do species that eat the same prey items accumulate similar
levels of mercury in their muscle tissue?
Real time data
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Excel database for Mercury in Sharks
 Excel
worksheet for 500 samples
 Size – Species - Sex - Date – Latitude – Longitude –
Mercury Concentration Hg & MeHg
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Project description & meta-data
Resources
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Online curriculum http://rjd.miami.edu/assets/pdfs/learning-tools/highschool/MODULE%205%20Management,%20Conservat
ion,%20Research%20and%20Actions%20%20SECTION%203%20Mercury%20Toxicity%20Data.
pdf
NIH — Mercury
EPA — Pollutants
WHO — Mercury
MercuryPoison.com — Seafood Consumption
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http://vimeo.com/27639411