Parameter estimates for the best supported state dependence lemon shark residency model. Parameter estimates are also provided for time series modeling for which to compare to state-dependence approach.

<p>Parameter estimates for the best supported state dependence lemon shark residency model. Parameter estimates are also provided for time series modeling for which to compare to state-dependence approach.</p

Distribution of available water temperature at Cape Canaveral and associated percentage of lemon shark detections.

<p>Water temperature was derived from daily means recorded December 2008 through December 2011.</p

Regional-Scale Migrations and Habitat Use of Juvenile Lemon Sharks (<i>Negaprion brevirostris</i>) in the US South Atlantic

<div><p>Resolving the geographic extent and timing of coastal shark migrations, as well as their environmental cues, is essential for refining shark management strategies in anticipation of increasing anthropogenic stressors to coastal ecosystems. We employed a regional-scale passive acoustic telemetry array encompassing 300 km of the east Florida coast to assess what factors influence site fidelity of juvenile lemon sharks (<i>Negaprion brevirostris</i>) to an exposed coastal nursery at Cape Canaveral, and to document the timing and rate of their seasonal migrations. Movements of 54 juvenile lemon sharks were monitored for three years with individuals tracked for up to 751 days. While most sharks demonstrated site fidelity to the Cape Canaveral region December through February under typical winter water temperatures, historically extreme declines in ocean temperature were accompanied by rapid and often temporary, southward displacements of up to 190 km along the Florida east coast. From late February through April each year, most sharks initiated a northward migration at speeds of up to 64 km day⁻¹ with several individuals then detected in compatible estuarine telemetry arrays in Georgia and South Carolina up to 472 km from release locations. Nineteen sharks returned for a second or even third consecutive winter, thus demonstrating strong seasonal philopatry to the Cape Canaveral region. The long distance movements and habitat associations of immature lemon sharks along the US southeast coast contrast sharply with the natal site fidelity observed in this species at other sites in the western Atlantic Ocean. These findings validate the existing multi-state management strategies now in place. Results also affirm the value of collaborative passive arrays for resolving seasonal movements and habitat preferences of migratory coastal shark species not easily studied with other tagging techniques.</p></div

Using DNA Barcoding to Assess Caribbean Reef Fish Biodiversity: Expanding Taxonomic and Geographic Coverage

<div><p>This paper represents a DNA barcode data release for 3,400 specimens representing 521 species of fishes from 6 areas across the Caribbean and western central Atlantic regions (FAO Region 31). Merged with our prior published data, the combined efforts result in 3,964 specimens representing 572 species of marine fishes and constitute one of the most comprehensive DNA barcoding “coverages” for a region reported to date. The barcode data are providing new insights into Caribbean shorefish diversity, allowing for more and more accurate DNA-based identifications of larvae, juveniles, and unknown specimens. Examples are given correcting previous work that was erroneous due to database incompleteness.</p> </div

BOLD-generated accumulation curves for specimens in this study.

<p>BOLD-generated accumulation curves for specimens in this study.</p

Ten best supported models from the 72 <i>a priori</i> models relating environmental and individual covariates to daily detection probability (DDP) of lemon sharks at Cape Canaveral.

<p>All models include state dependence variables (e.g., 1 day lag) to account for any effects of serial autocorrelation, and a random effect for shark and the month by Year. ¹minimum AIC_c  = 4117.04.</p

Port Canaveral study area.

A) Regional study area including telemetry receivers in the Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry Array. B) Port Canaveral Study Area. C) Middle Basin and Poseidon Wharf where pile driving occurred (darker shaded region represents marine waters). Original figure adapted for reuse with permission of Springer from: The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II. Volume 875 of the series Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology pp 479–487. Residency of Reef Fish During Pile Driving Within a Shallow Pierside Environment. Joseph D. Iafrate, Stephanie L. Watwood, Eric A. Reyier, Matthew Gilchrest, Steven E. Crocker. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016. Figure was created using ArcGIS® software by Esri. ArcGIS® and ArcMap™ are the intellectual property of Esri and are used herein under license. Copyright © Esri. All rights reserved.</p

Date and water temperature (°C) associated with lemon sharks passing by Ponce de Leon Inlet during annual migrations.

<p>Instances where sharks made forays to/past Ponce Inlet but quickly returned to Canaveral (n = 2) are excluded. *Burial of two receivers in fall 2011 limited the ability to detect south-migrating lemon sharks passing by this area.</p

Distribution of lemon shark detections by receiver row and by hour of day

<p>. Nearshore receivers were located 250 m from the beach while offshore receivers were 1250 m from the beach.</p

Passive acoustic tracking of lemon sharks in the US South Atlantic region.

<p><b>A)</b> Overall study region including locations of all lemon shark acoustic detections (green circles) and historic angler recaptures (red circles) from sharks released at Cape Canaveral. B) Map of the full FACT Array including all passive acoustic receivers (yellow dots). C) Close-up of the Canaveral Array including locations of two important lemon shark aggregation sites. Nearshore receivers are numbered 1–3 which correspond to the year of the study they were deployed.</p