Pollinator phylogenies

Network-level phylogenies for pollinators in the 54 interaction networks analyzed

Plant phylogenies

Network-level phylogenies for the plants in the 54 pollination networks analyzed

Pollination networks

54 plant-pollinator networks analyzed in the study. These networks are versions of those available on the Web of Life database. They differ in that unidentified species have been removed and species' names have been updated

Whale shark economics: a valuation of wildlife tourism in South Ari Atoll, Maldives

Whale sharks attract large numbers of tourists, divers and snorkelers each year to South Ari Atoll in the Republic of Maldives. Yet without information regarding the use and economic extent of the attraction, it is difficult to prioritize conservation or implement effective management plans. We used empirical recreational data and generalized mixed statistical models to conduct the first economic valuation (with direct spend as the primary proxy) of whale shark tourism in Maldives. We estimated that direct expenditures for whale shark focused tourism in the South Ari Marine Protected Area for 2012 and 2013 accounted for US$7.6 and$9.4 million respectively. These expenditures are based on an estimate of 72,000–78,000 tourists who are involved in whale shark excursions annually. That substantial amount of income to resort owners and operators, and tourism businesses in a relatively small area highlights the need to implement regulations and management that safeguard the sustainability of the industry through ensuring guest satisfaction and whale shark conservation

Acoustic Monitoring of Blast Fishing: Pilot Study - Dar es Salaam

<p><strong>Technical report: WWF Tanzania Country Office - Marine Programme</strong></p> <p>Blast fishing is illegal fishing method according to Fisheries Act (2003) due to its negative impact especially on coral reefs. The method is widely used and it is a serious problem along the coast of Tanzania mainland. The most affected area is Dar es Salaam, where existing regulations are not effectively enforced to address the problem. Inadequate data on the frequency of occurrence and distribution of blast activity prevent effective control measures.</p> <p>Using Digital Spectrogram Long-Term Acoustic Recorders (DSG), we performed two deployments. One was a two-day long deployment to identify the acoustic characteristics of blasts, and the second was a two- month long deployment to monitor blast activity off Dar es Salaam coast.</p> <p>In the blast identification phase we deployed one DSG over two days on Milliards Bank recording sound at 80 kHz, we analysed the acoustic characteristics of 45 underwater explosions to identify and characterize blasts used during illegal fishing operations. We developed a neural- network that semi-automatically identifies explosion-like recordings. Ninety-five percent of the explosion-like events identified by the neural network are attributable to blast fishing, while the other five percent were other unidentified transient signals.</p> <p>During the monitoring phase two DSGs were deployed, however we were able to retrieve only one of them. Weather, currents, and possibly vandalism might be the causes for the loss. The retrieved DSG was deployed on Mbudya patches between 15 April and 30 May, 2014 recording at a sampling frequency of 40kHz during five minutes every ten minutes between 0600 and 1800 hrs. Using this additional data the neural network improved its classification accuracy to 98%. We estimate an average of 19 blasts per day during daytime off Mbudya, with most of the blasts occurring in the morning before 1300 hrs.</p> <p>To avoid further loss of instruments, we recommend the use of acoustic releases in further deployments. However care must be taken to avoid potential problems caused by biofouling as well as preventing interference from noise near the DSGs caused by floats and moving elements part of the release.</p> <p>In order to better understand blast fishing patterns as well as factors influencing underwater noise production we also recommend recording environmental variables related to weather and currents.</p> <p>This work represents the first steps of a potential future monitoring program off the Tanzanian coast. We provide methods and recommendations for future monitoring of blast fishing</p> <p> </p

Interaction data, phylogenies, and analysis code for paco

Data on the Mendoza pollination network analysed with paco. Phylogenies of both plants and pollinators as well as their interaction network are included. There is also an R script for the analyses. Please note that the interaction network was originally published by Arroyo, M. T. K., Primack, R. B. & Armesto, J. J. (Community studies in pollination ecology in the high temperate Andes of central Chile. I. Pollination mechanisms and altitudinal variation, 1982). The version here has been cleaned to remove unidentified species and to confirm species names are correct

Data from: Acoustic telemetry reveals cryptic residency of whale sharks

Although whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) have been documented to move thousands of kilometres, they are most frequently observed at a few predictable seasonal aggregation sites. The absence of sharks at the surface during visual surveys has led to the assumption that sharks disperse to places unknown during the long ‘off-seasons’ at most of these locations. Here we compare 2 years of R. typus visual sighting records from Mafia Island in Tanzania to concurrent acoustic telemetry of tagged individuals. Sightings revealed a clear seasonal pattern with a peak between October and February and no sharks observed at other times. By contrast, acoustic telemetry demonstrated year-round residency of R. typus. The sharks use a different habitat in the off-season, swimming deeper and further away from shore, presumably in response to prey distributions. This behavioural change reduces the sharks' visibility, giving the false impression that they have left the area. We demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, year-round residency of unprovisioned, individual R. typus at an aggregation site, and highlight the importance of using multiple techniques to study the movement ecology of marine megafauna

Data from: Acoustic telemetry reveals cryptic residency of whale sharks

Although whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) have been documented to move thousands of kilometres, they are most frequently observed at a few predictable seasonal aggregation sites. The absence of sharks at the surface during visual surveys has led to the assumption that sharks disperse to places unknown during the long ‘off-seasons’ at most of these locations. Here we compare 2 years of R. typus visual sighting records from Mafia Island in Tanzania to concurrent acoustic telemetry of tagged individuals. Sightings revealed a clear seasonal pattern with a peak between October and February and no sharks observed at other times. By contrast, acoustic telemetry demonstrated year-round residency of R. typus. The sharks use a different habitat in the off-season, swimming deeper and further away from shore, presumably in response to prey distributions. This behavioural change reduces the sharks' visibility, giving the false impression that they have left the area. We demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, year-round residency of unprovisioned, individual R. typus at an aggregation site, and highlight the importance of using multiple techniques to study the movement ecology of marine megafauna

Searching hours

Visual effort. Number of searching hours per 2-week perio

Individuals' swimming depth and distance from shore

Mean swimming depth and distance from shore per individual per 2-week perio