Bomb radiocarbon and tag-recapture dating of sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)

The sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) was the cornerstone species of western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico large coastal shark fisheries until 2008 when they were allocated to a research-only fishery. Despite decades of fishing on this species, important life history parameters, such as age and growth, have not been well known. Some validated age and growth information exists for sandbar shark, but more comprehensive life history information is needed. The complementary application of bomb radiocarbon and tag-recapture dating was used in this study to determine valid age-estimation criteria and longevity estimates for this species. These two methods indicated that current age interpretations based on counts of growth bands in vertebrae are accurate to 10 or 12 years. Beyond these years, we could not determine with certainty when such an underestimation of age begins; however, bomb radiocarbon and tag-recapture data indicated that large adult sharks were considerably older than the estimates derived from counts of growth bands. Three adult sandbar sharks were 20 to 26 years old based on bomb radiocarbon results and were a 5- to 11-year increase over the previous age estimates for these sharks. In support of these findings, the tag-recapture data provided results that were consistent with bomb radiocarbon dating and further supported a longevity that exceeds 30 years for this species

Movements of bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis) and greenspotted (S. chlorostictus) rockfishes in a Monterey submarine canyon: implications for the design of marine reserves

In August and September of 1997 and 1998, we used SCUBA techniques to surgically implant Vemco V16 series acoustic transmitters in 6 greenspotted rockfish (Sebastes chlorostictus) and 16 bocaccio (S. paucispinis) on the flank of Soquel Canyon in Monterey Bay, California. Fish were captured at depths of 100–200 m and reeled up to a depth of approximately 20 m, where a team of SCUBA divers anesthetized and surgically implanted acoustic transmitters in them. Tagged fish were released on the seafloor at the location of catch. An array of recording receivers on the seafloor enabled the tracking of horizontal and vertical fish movements for a three-month period. Greenspotted rockfish tagged in 1997 exhibited almost no vertical movement and showed limited horizontal movement. Two of these tagged fish spent more than 90% of the time in a 0.58-km2 area. Three other tagged greenspotted rockfish spent more than 60% of the time in a 1.6-km2 area but displayed frequent horizontal movements of at least 3 km. Bocaccio exhibited somewhat greater movements. Of the 16 bocaccio tagged in 1998, 10 spent less than 10% of the time in the approximately 12-km2 study area. One fish stayed in the study area for about 50% of the study time. Signals from the remaining 5 fish were recorded in the study area the entire time. Bocaccio frequently moved vertically 10–20 m and occasionally displayed vertical movements of 100 m or greater

Age validation of quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) using bomb radiocarbon

Rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) support one of the most economically important f isheries of the Pacific Northwest and it is essential for sustainable management that age estimation procedures be validated for these species. Atmospheric testing of thermonuclear devices during the 1950s and 1960s created a global radiocarbon (14C) signal in the ocean environment that scientists have identified as a useful tracer and chronological marker in natural systems. In this study, we first demonstrated that fewer samples are necessary for age validation using the bomb-generated 14C signal by emphasizing the utility of the time-specific marker created by the initial rise of bomb-14C. Second, the bomb-generated 14C signal retained in fish otoliths was used to validate the age and age estimation method of the quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) in the waters of southeast Alaska. Radiocarbon values from the first year’s growth of quillback rockfish otoliths were plotted against estimated birth year to produce a 14C time series spanning 1950 to 1985. The initial rise in bomb-14C from prebomb levels (~ –90‰) occurred in 1959 [±1 year] and 14C levels rose relatively rapidly to peak Δ14C values in 1967 (+105.4‰) and subsequently declined through the end of the time series in 1985 (+15.4‰). The agreement between the year of initial rise of 14C levels from the quillback rockfish time series and the chronology determined for the waters of southeast Alaska from yelloweye rockfish (S. ruberrimus) otoliths validated the aging method for the quillback rockfish. The concordance of the entire quillback rockfish 14C time series with the yelloweye rockfish time series demonstrated the effectiveness of this age validation technique, confirmed the longevity of the quillback rockfish up to a minimum of 43 years, and strongly confirms higher age estimates of u

Age and Growth of Spotted Sand Bass, Paralabrax maculatofasciatus, in Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico, with Age Validation using Otolith Edge Analysis

Spotted sand bass, Paralabrax maculatofasciatus, were collected from Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico covering as wide a size range as possible over four seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter). Age was estimated and growth parameters calculated from growth zones counted in transverse otolith sections. An otolith edge analysis indicated an opaque growth zone was deposited once per year during the summer, validating the annual periodicity. Spotted sand bass from this region are fast growing with a relatively short life span of up to 11 years. Growth differs from the disjunct Pacific coast population by having a higher growth rate and a shorter longevity

Radiometric validation of age, growth, and longevity for the blackgill rockfish (Sebastes melanostomus)

As nearshore fish populations decline, many commercial fishermen have shifted fishing effort to deeper continental slope habitats to target fishes for which biological information is limited. One such fishery that developed in the northeastern Pacific Ocean in the early 1980s was for the blackgill rockfish (Sebastes melanostomus), a deep-dwelling (300−800 m) species that congregates over rocky pinnacles, mainly from southern California to southern Oregon. Growth zone-derived age estimates from otolith thin sections were compared to ages obtained from the radioactive disequilibria of 210Pb, in relation to its parent, 226Ra, in otolith cores of blackgill rockfish. Age estimates were validated up to 41 years, and a strong pattern of agreement supported a longevity exceeding 90 years. Age and length data fitted to the von Bertalanffy growth function indicated that blackgill rockfish are slow-growing (k= 0.040 females, 0.068 males) and that females grow slower than males, but reach a greater length. Age at 50% maturity, derived from previously published length-at-maturity estimates, was 17 years for males and 21 years for females. The results of this study agree with general life history traits already recognized for many Sebastes species, such as long life, slow growth, and late age at maturation. These traits may undermine the sustainability of blackgill rockfish populations when heavy fishing pressure, such as that which occurred in the 1980s, is applied

Highly migratory shark fisheries research by the National Shark Research Consortium (NSRC), 2002-2007

The National Shark Research Consortium (NSRC) includes the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory, the Pacific Shark Research Center at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, the Shark Research Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida. The consortium objectives include shark-related research in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the U.S., education and scientific cooperation

The status of shark and ray fishery resources in the Gulf of California: applied research to improve management and conservation

Seasonal surveys were conducted during 1998–1999 in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa to determine the extent and activities of artisanal elasmobranch fisheries in the Gulf of California. One hundred and forty–seven fishing sites, or camps, were documented, the majority of which (n = 83) were located in Baja California Sur. Among camps with adequate fisheries information, the great majority (85.7%) targeted elasmobranchs during some part of the year. Most small, demersal sharks and rays were landed in mixed species fisheries that also targeted demersal teleosts, but large sharks were usually targeted in directed drift gillnet or, to a lesser extent, surface longline fisheries. Artisanal fishermen were highly opportunistic, and temporally switched targets depending on the local productivity of teleost, invertebrate, and elasmobranch fishery resources. Major fisheries for small sharks ( 1.5 m, “tiburón”) were minor components of artisanal elasmobranch fisheries in Sonora and Sinaloa, but were commonly targeted during summer and early autumn in Baja California and Baja California Sur. The pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) and silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) were most commonly landed in Baja California, whereas a diverse assemblage of pelagic and large coastal sharks was noted among Baja California Sur landings. Rays dominated summer landings in Baja California and Sinaloa, when elevated catch rates of the shovelnose guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus, 13.2 individuals/vessel/trip) and golden cownose ray (Rhinoptera steindachneri, 11.1 individuals/vesse/trip) primarily supported the respective fisheries. The Sonoran artisanal elasmobranch fishery was the most expansive recorded during this study, and rays (especially R. productus) dominated spring and summer landings in this state. Seasonal catch rates of small demersal sharks and rays were considerably greater in Sonora than in other surveyed states. Many tiburón populations (e.g., C. leucas, C. limbatus, C. obscurus, Galeocerdo cuvier) have likely been overfished, possibly shifting effort towards coastal populations of cazón and rays. Management recommendations, including conducting demographic analyses using available life history data, determining and protecting nursery areas, and enacting seasonal closures in areas of elasmobranch aggregation (e.g., reproduction, feeding), are proposed. Without effective, enforceable management to sustain or rebuild targeted elasmobranch populations in the Gulf of California, collapse of many fisheries is a likely outcome. (PDF contains 243 pages

El estado actual de los tiburones y rayas sujectos a explotación comercial en el Golfo de California: una investigación aplicada al mejoramiento de su manejo pesquero y conservación

Se realizaron prospecciones estacionales durante 1998–1999 en Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora y Sinaloa para determinar la dimensión y las actividades de las pesquerías artesanales de elasmobranquios dentro del Golfo de California. Ciento cuarenta y siete campamentos o sitios pesqueros fueron documentados, la mayoría de los cuales (n= 83) fueron localizados en Baja California Sur. Entre los campamentos con información pesquera adecuada, la gran mayoría (85.7%) pescaron elasmobranquios en algún momento del año. La mayoría de los pequeños tiburones y rayas demersales fueron capturados en pesquerías multiespecíficas, las cuales también tienen como objetivo teleósteos, pero los grandes tiburones fueron capturados generalmente por pesquerías de redes agalleras a la deriva dirigidas a ellos, o en menor grado, por pesquerías de palangre de superficie. Los pescadores artesanales presentaron un comportamiento altamente oportunístico y temporalmente cambiaban de especie objetivo dependiendo de la productividad de los recursos pesqueros locales de especies de escama, invertebrados y elasmobranquios. Las mayores pesquerías de pequeños tiburones (≤1.5 m, “cazón”) se documentaron en Baja California, Sonora, y Sinaloa durante la primavera y adicionalmente durante otoño e invierno en Sonora. Los tiburones del genero Mustelus (Mustelus spp) dominaron los desembarques de cazón en los estados norteños, mientras que los tiburones martillo juveniles (Sphyrna lewini) sostuvieron la pesquería en Sinaloa. Los grandes tiburones (> 1.5 m, “tiburón”) fueron componente menor de las pesquerías artesanales de elasmobranquios en Sonora y Sinaloa, pero comúnmente fueron capturados en verano y principios de otoño en Baja California y Baja California Sur. El tiburón zorro pelágico (Alopias pelagicus) y el tiburón piloto (Carcharhinus falciformis) fueron comúnmente desembarcados en Baja California, mientras que un diverso ensamble de tiburones pelágicos y grandes costeros fueron observados en los desembarques de Baja California Sur. Las rayas dominaron los desembarques en verano en Baja California y Sinaloa, sostenidas principalmente por elevadas tasas de captura de la guitarra común (Rhinobatos productus, 13.2 individuos/embarcación/viaje) y del tecolote (Rhinoptera steindachneri, 11.1 individuos/embarcación/viaje). La pesquería de rayas de Sonora fue la más extensamente documentada durante este estudio y las rayas (especialmente R. productus) dominaron los desembarques en primavera y verano en este estado. Las tasas de captura estacionales de pequeños tiburones demersales y rayas fueron considerablemente mayores en Sonora que en los otros estados prospectados. Numerosas poblaciones de tiburón (p. ej. C. leucas, C. limbatus, C. obscurus, Galeocerdo cuvier) han sido probablemente sobreexplotados, lo que posiblemente este causando un cambio en el esfuerzo hacia las poblaciones de cazón y rayas costeros. Se proponen recomendaciones de manejo, incluyendo conducir análisis demográficos empleando la información de historias de vida disponible, localizando y protegiendo áreas de crianza e implementando temporadas de veda estacional en las áreas de mayor concentración de elasmobranquios (p. ej. alimentación, reproducción). Sin un manejo pesquero efectivo, vigilado, para sostener o reconstruir las poblaciones de elasmobranquios sujetas a explotación comercial dentro del Golfo de California, el colapso de las pesquerías es un evento probable. (PDF contains 261 pages