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Seasonality and relative abundance of elasmobranchs near the northern boundary of a biogeographic break
Correspondence: [email protected]
Objectives
1. Identify spatial and seasonal patterns in elasmobranch species assemblage
2. Determine environmental factors driving community composition
Methods
aInstitute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill*Current: NOAA NMFS Office of Science and Technology, Silver Spring, MD
bDepartment of Biology, East Carolina University, Coastal Studies InstitutecDepartment of Applied Ecology, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University
Background
• Elasmobranchs use nearshore waters for foraging, reproduction, migration
• Community structure of elasmobranchs in coastal waters poorly understood
Grace Roskara*, James W. Morleyb, Jeffrey A. Buckelc
Survey Design and Gear:• Monthly bottom trawling: Nov.
2004 – April 2008• 2 transects: • Cape Lookout • Masonboro Inlet
• 0.5 to 8 km from shore• Otter trawl: 30 m wide
headrope
Onslow Bay is SW of Cape Hatteras, a major
biogeographic break
Species nTransect Season Sex x2 (p)
Cape Lookout Masonboro Inlet Winter Spring Summer Fall F MSpiny dogfish Squalus acanthias 6270 3666 2604 5058 7 1205 1750 235 1156.3 (< 0.001)Clearnose skate Raja eglanteria 5012 2895 2117 1194 1983 158 1677 1221 2226 293.02 (< 0.001)Smooth dogfish Mustelis canis 4376 3126 1250 940 2509 11 916 730 704 0.47141 (0.4923)Smooth butterfly ray Gymnura micrura 2114 1594 520 75 924 689 426 606 759 17.149 (< 0.001)Bullnose ray Myliobatis freminvillii 1007 432 575 510 15 482 398 355 2.4555 (0.1171)Atlantic sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae 828 395 433 133 660 35 303 343 2.4768 (0.1155)Hypanus spp. Hypanus spp. 764 514 250 2 355 266 141 288 351 6.2113 (0.01269)Atlantic stingray Hypanus sabinus 609 203 406 199 3 57 350 286 235 4.9923 (0.02546)Bonnethead Sphyrna tiburo 48 12 36 10 38 25 21 0.34783 (0.5553)Cownose ray Rhinoptera bonasus 36 25 11 1 27 2 6 22 6Spiny butterfly ray Gymnura altavela 32 30 2 6 26 16 7Blacknose shark Carcharhinus acronotus 24 8 16 3 21 15 9 1.50 (0.2207)Winter skate Leucoraja ocellata 10 8 2 9 1 6 3Roughtail stingray Dasyatis centroura 5 2 3 2 2 1 1 4Sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus 4 4 4 2 2Sand tiger Carcharhinus taurus 3 3 2 1 1 2Scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini 3 2 1 1 2 2 1Atlantic torpedo Tetronarce nobiliana 2 2 2 - 1
Atlantic angel shark Squatina dumeril 1 1 1 - -Common thresher shark Alopias vulpinus 1 1 1 - -
df SS MS Pseudo-F p PermutationsTransect 1 8644.7 8644.7 0.17271 0.853 970Season (Transect) 6 3.08E+05 51369 32.654 0.001 997Residuals 282 4.44E+05 1573.1Total 289 7.60E+05
Data analysis:• 2-factor nested
PERMANOVA• SIMPER analysis
identified influential species
• NMDS ordinations –seasonal & spatial differences• BIOENV: determine
environmental drivers
NMDS ordinations shows differences in elasmobranch communities between N vs. S Onslow Bay, NC during each season
Significant difference in species composition among seasons nested w/in transect (PERMANOVA)
Community composition
varied by season
20 species of elasmobranchs (N = 21,149) caught between Nov. 2004 - April 2008Elasmobranchs represent an important component of coastal assemblage
NMDS ordination shows distinct seasonal assemblages, with spring/fall representing transitional communities
Several species contributed to seasonal differences
Spiny dogfish Clearnose skate Smooth dogfish
Water temperature drives seasonality in elasmobranch community composition
Year-round sampling & large sample sizes
Provided high temporal resolution data needed to fully characterize
seasonal assemblages
Limited data on ecological role of small sharks, skates & rays in the
SE U.S.
These data will contribute to ecosystem-based management
efforts