Hooking injury, physiological status and short-term mortality of juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion bevirostris) following catch-and-release recreational angling

Sport fishing for sharks, including fishing with the intent to release, is becoming more prevalent within the recreational angling community. Common targ

Ontogenetic patterns in resource use dynamics of bonefish (Albula vulpes) in the Bahamas

We used stable isotope analysis to examine ontogenetic patterns in the resource use dynamics of bonefish (Albula vulpes) collected from two locations (Banks and Atlantic) within the coastal waters of Eleuthera, The Bahamas. A marked shift in δ13C signatures between leptocephali and juveniles reflected a rapid change in resource use, likely from pelagic to alternate neritic sources of primary production. Ontogenetic shifts in habitat use were observed across bonefish from both sides of Eleuthera, but direction of the isotopic shifts varied. Bonefish from the Atlantic side demonstrated an enrichment in 13C with size, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for individuals captured from the Banks. Differences are likely to be explained by the variability of primary production sources, which dominate each side of the island (i.e., more reliance on seagrass with ontogeny on the Atlantic side, versus a shift to macroalgal-dominated foodwebs with growth on the Banks side). Enrichment in 15N with body size was observed for bo

Environmental drivers of habitat use by a marine fish on a heterogeneous and dynamic reef flat

Intertidal and subtidal zones consist of heterogeneous habitats and dynamic environmental conditions, providing diverse options for fish to take advantage of marine resources. We explored how various environmental factors affected habitat use of an ecologically and economically important tropical marine fish, bonefish (Albula vulpes), on a fringing reef flat in Culebra, Puerto Rico, using a fine-scale acoustic telemetry positioning system. Machine learning algorithms and Bayesian inference via integrated nested Laplace approximation indicated diel period was the most important predictor of bonefish habitat use; bonefish occupied seagrass and mixed bottom (seagrass, macroalgae, sand) habitats most often at night, a deep-water soft sediment lagoon during the day,

Bonefish in South Florida: status, threats and research needs

Bonefish (Albula vulpes) support a world-renowned fishery in South Florida, USA. However, fishing guides and anglers have been reporting significant declines in bonefish angling quality over that past three decades. In the absence of any long-term bonefish stock and ecosystem assessments, the cause of this decline in the fishery is unclear. Here we summarize our current knowledge of bonefish ecology in Florida and discuss potential causes of fishery decline. Reductions and alterations in freshwater flows from the Everglades have caused major changes in bonefish habitat, including acute (anoxic conditions) and chronic (ch