Resolving Migratory Connectivity of Basking Sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in the Western Atlantic Ocean: Integrating Novel Geochemical Tracers with Satellite Archival Tags

解决西大西洋姥鲨（Cetorhinus maximus）的迁徙连通性：将新型地球化学示踪剂与卫星档案标签相结合

• 批准号: 0825148
• 负责人: Simon Thorrold
• 金额: $ 85.68万
• 依托单位: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-01 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0825148&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Resolving; Migratory; Connectivity; Basking; Sharks

Animal migrations represent one of nature's most spectacular and yet mysterious phenomena. Movement patterns also have considerable biological significance, determining gene flow among geographically separated populations over ecological time scales and migratory connectivity among populations over ecological time. Unfortunately studies of migration in ocean ecosystems have lagged behind those in terrestrial environments due to the logistic constraints associated with tracking aquatic animals that may travel vast distances in an opaque 3-dimensional environment. Recent research using electronic tags have, however, revealed remarkable basin scale migrations in large pelagic fishes. Nonetheless, limited by size and battery life, artificial tags cannot yet provide lifetime migration histories of long-lived species. The investigators therefore will combine electronic archival tags and natural isotope markers in vertebrae to examine dispersal and migratory connectivity of basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The project will build on preliminary archival tag data that has shown basking sharks moving from Cape Cod Bay to waters off the coast of Brazil. The results will provide insights relevant to conservation efforts directed at the world's second largest fish species that is globally distributed but listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as vulnerable due to overfishing throughout its range.Stable isotopes have been used successfully to trace migratory connectivity in birds and to examine natal homing in teleost fishes. The investigators hope to transform the field by analyzing carbon and nitrogen isotopes in specific organic compounds isolated from vertebral samples to examine lifetime movement patterns of basking sharks. They will avoid confounding movement and a change in diet by analyzing essential and non-essential amino acids that differ in the degree of trophic fractionation for C and N isotopes. Results from pop-up archival tags will be combined with a meta-analysis of plankton carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the North Atlantic Ocean and used to generate predicted stable isotope profiles that will then be tested against observed patterns in the basking shark vertebrae. Fisheries and conservation biologists have come to the realization that many of the biological and physical processes that underlie population dynamics of marine-capture fish species have important spatial aspects. The investigators will develop and apply tools that will provide unique estimates of dispersal and migratory connectivity in a large pelagic shark. The tools will be readily applicable to other large pelagics that make basin-scale migrations and particularly those that take advantage of high primary and secondary productivity in high latitudes during summer months.The research will support the PhD studies of a PhD student in the Department of Fisheries Oceanography at UMASS Dartmouth. The investigators will actively recruit under-represented students applying to WHOI's summer student fellowship program to work on the project. Finally, they will address K-12 education by way of a unique collaboration between WHOI and Numedeon Inc. who have developed a dynamic online learning community (Whyville) for students ages 8-15. The PIs will work with the education experts at Whyville to develop an online activity that will lead students to better understand the process of scientific research as well as explore specific concepts related to fish migration and this research. Finally, fieldwork conducted during the study will be documented for dissemination to the public through the web, television, and other media by one of the world's leading underwater filmmakers.

动物迁移是自然界最壮观，但神秘的现象之一。运动模式也具有相当大的生物学意义，确定了在生态时间尺度上地理分离的人群之间的基因流，并且在生态时间内人群之间的迁移连通性。不幸的是，由于与跟踪可能在不透明的3维环境中走着很远的水生动物相关的后勤约束，海洋生态系统中的迁移研究落后于陆地环境。然而，使用电子标签的最新研究表明，大型上层鱼类的盆地量表迁移显着。但是，受尺寸和电池寿命的限制，人造标签还不能提供长寿物种的终生迁移历史。因此，研究人员将结合椎骨中的电子档案标签和天然同位素标记，以检查北大西洋西部的Basking Sharks（Cetorhinus Maximus）的分散和迁移连通性。该项目将建立在初步的档案标签数据的基础上，该数据表明，从鳕鱼角湾搬到巴西海岸附近的水域。结果将提供与针对全球第二大鱼类的保护工作相关的见解，该物种是全球分布但在IUCN红色的受威胁物种清单上列出的，因为由于其在其整个范围内过度捕捞而易受侵蚀，已成功地使用了稳定的同位素。研究人员希望通过分析从椎骨样品分离的特定有机化合物中的碳和氮同位素来改变田间，以检查basking鲨的寿命运动模式。他们将通过分析C和N同位素的营养分级程度不同的必需氨基酸和非必需氨基酸来避免混淆运动和饮食变化。弹出档案标签的结果将与北大西洋的浮游碳和氮同位素的荟萃分析结合使用，并用于产生预测的稳定同位素剖面，然后将对篮子鲨鱼椎骨中观察到的模式进行测试。渔业和保护生物学家已经意识到，海洋捕获鱼类种群动态基础的许多生物和物理过程都具有重要的空间方面。调查人员将开发和应用工具，以提供大型上层鲨鱼中分散和迁移连通性的独特估计。这些工具将很容易适用于其他大型上层典型的迁移，尤其是那些在夏季，在高纬度地区利用高级和次要生产力的迁移​​。该研究将支持UMASS DARTMOSE DARTMOUSH DARTMOSH渔业海洋学的博士学位研究的博士学位研究。调查人员将积极招募申请WHOI夏季学生奖学金计划的代表性不足的学生来从事该项目。最后，他们将通过Whoi和Numedeon Inc.之间的独特合作来解决K-12教育，他们为8-15岁的学生开发了一个动态的在线学习社区（Whyville）。 PI将与Whyville的教育专家合作开发在线活动，这将使学生更好地了解科学研究的过程，并探索与鱼类迁移和这项研究有关的特定概念。最后，在研究期间进行的实地调查将记录在世界领先的水下电影制片人之一通过网络，电视和其他媒体向公众传播。