Study site: Cape Rose Flats, Shark Bay, Western Australia.

<p>The inset shows the location of the Cape Rose Flats within Shark Bay. The study site was divided into six transects representing nearshore (black), sand (grey), and patchy (white) microhabitats. Black circles represent the location of temperature data loggers.</p

Percentage (sample size) of resting giant shovelnose ray (<i>Glaucostegus typus</i>), reticulate whipray (<i>Himantura uarnak</i>), and pink whipray (<i>H. fai</i>) for each season and microhabitat.

<p>Percentage (sample size) of resting giant shovelnose ray (<i>Glaucostegus typus</i>), reticulate whipray (<i>Himantura uarnak</i>), and pink whipray (<i>H. fai</i>) for each season and microhabitat.</p

Matrix of predicted probabilities of giant shovelnose ray (<i>Glaucostegus typus</i>) occurrence per microhabitat for selected temperatures and tidal heights.

<p>Matrix of predicted probabilities of giant shovelnose ray (<i>Glaucostegus typus</i>) occurrence per microhabitat for selected temperatures and tidal heights.</p

Ray densities.

<p>Bubble chart of giant shovelnose ray (<i>Glaucostegus typus</i>) (A) and whipray (<i>Himantura uarnak</i> and <i>H. fai</i>) (B) densities with tidal height, water temperature, and microhabitat. Bubble widths are relative to the maximum density observed for each species group (giant shovelnose ray: 22.67 rays ha⁻¹, whipray: 4.67 rays ha⁻¹). Dots represent transects in which no rays were observed.</p

Matrix of predicted probabilities of whipray (<i>Himantura uarnak</i> and <i>H. fai</i>) occurrence per microhabitat for selected temperatures and tidal heights.

<p>Matrix of predicted probabilities of whipray (<i>Himantura uarnak</i> and <i>H. fai</i>) occurrence per microhabitat for selected temperatures and tidal heights.</p

Sandflat temperatures.

<p>Seasonal temperatures (mean±standard error) per microhabitat for the time period between 23 April 2007 and 14 October 2007. Bars with different letters are significantly different at <i>P</i><0.01.</p

Microhabitat temperature differences.

<p>Histogram of temperature differences between nearshore and midflats (A) and nearshore and offshore (B) areas of Cape Rose Flats between 23 April 2007 and 14 October 2007. Negative temperature differences indicate nearshore areas were cooler and positive values indicate nearshore areas were warmer. All recorded temperature values were used for the construction of the histograms.</p

Box plots comparing times to attack by kelp greenling and copper rockfish in the absence of the model predator (‘no predator’ treatment).

<p>Because mesopredator densities varied by species and reef, times were multiplied by local density as a weighting factor.</p

Map of the study area. Black circles represent study reefs (labelled in italics).

<p>Map of the study area. Black circles represent study reefs (labelled in italics).</p

Box plots comparing the probabilities that different species of mesopredators will (A) inspect or (B) attack tethered prey during experimental treatments.

<p>Numbers above boxes in panel A indicate sample sizes (i.e., number of reefs in which the treatment was replicated and the particular species was present); these same numbers apply to panel B. Boxes enclose the median (centerline) and 25th and 75^th percentiles (boundaries of the box); line caps indicate 10th and 90th percentiles.</p