Top

Biodiversity and Conservation

Published in:

05-11-2022 | Original Paper

Novel insights into coastal site affinity and habitat connectivity of a benthic stingray with implications for management

Authors: Chantel Elston, Paul D. Cowley, Taryn S. Murray, Matthew C. Parkinson

Published in: Biodiversity and Conservation | Issue 1/2023

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

The blue stingray Dasyatis chrysonota is an important and endemic coastal inhabitant of southern African coastal waters however, it is listed as Near Threatened with declining populations. Understanding it’s spatial ecology in the context of current Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is vital to not only inform population dynamics and ecological roles, but to determine whether currently zoned MPAs can provide sufficient protection to this species. Twenty-seven individuals were monitored using the Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP—a nation-wide collaborative network of acoustic receivers) for up to 4.5 years. Individuals displayed site affinity to defined regions of the coast, with the majority of detections for most individuals being recorded in the shallow bay/coastal shelf they were tagged in. However, important movement corridors linking different habitats were also identified (inshore vs offshore and coastal bay vs coastal shelf habitats). This habitat use varied monthly and was influenced by temperature, with individuals displaying restricted movements to the shallow bay habitat in summer when deeper waters were much colder. The large collaborative nature of the ATAP allowed for the monitoring of a benthic ray across large spatial scales for the first time, challenging preconceived notions that small undulatory batoids cannot travel large distances (many individuals were found to travel up to 200 km). Insights can also assist in local management of this species, and highlight that current MPA zonation may not be sufficient to protect blue stingrays from further population declines.

previous article Roads and water availability influence the occurrence of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in secondary habitat: a multiscale approach

next article Mini Safe Havens for population recovery and reintroductions ‘beyond-the-fence’

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Available only for authorised users

Adams KR, Fetterplace LC, Davis AR et al. (2018) Sharks, rays and abortion: the prevalence of capture-induced parturition in elasmobranchs. Biol Conserv 217(October 2017):11–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.10.010CrossRef

Ajemian MJ, Powers SP (2014) Towed-float satellite telemetry tracks large-scale movement and habitat connectivity of myliobatid stingrays. Environ Biol Fishes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0296-xCrossRef

Armstrong AJ, Armstrong AO, McGregor F et al. (2020) Satellite tagging and photographic identification reveal connectivity between two UNESCO World Heritage Areas for reef manta rays. Front Mar Sci 7(September):1–18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00725CrossRef

Bassos-Hull K, Wilkinson KA, Hull PT et al. (2014) Life history and seasonal occurrence of the spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus narinari, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Environ Biol Fishes 97(9):1039–1056. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0294-zCrossRef

Beck M, Heck K, Able K et al. (2001) The identification, conservation, and management of estuarine and marine nurseries for fish and invertebrates. Bioscience 51(8):633–641CrossRef

Block BA, Holbrook CM, Simmons SE et al. (2016) Toward a national animal telemetry network for aquatic observations in the United States. Anim Biotelemetry 4(1):4–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-015-0092-1CrossRef

Boggio-Pasqua A, Flam AL, Marshall AD (2019) Spotting the “small eyes”: using photo-ID methodology to study a wild population of smalleye stingrays (Megatrygon microps) in southern Mozambique. PeerJ 7:1–20. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7110CrossRef

Braun CD, Skomal GB, Thorrold SR et al. (2015) Movements of the reef manta ray (Manta alfredi) in the Red Sea using satellite and acoustic telemetry. Mar Biol 162(12):2351–2362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-015-2760-3CrossRef

Brinton C, Curran M (2017) Tidal and diel movement patterns of the Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina) along a stream-order gradient. Mar Freshw Res 68(9):1716–1725CrossRef

Brooks J, Chapman J, Barkley A et al. (2019) Biotelemetry informing management: case studies exploring successful integration of biotelemetry data into fisheries and habitat management. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 76(7):1238–1252CrossRef

Campbell HA, Watts ME, Dwyer RG et al. (2012) V-Track: software for analysing and visualising animal movement from acoustic telemetry detections. Mar Freshw Res 63:815–820CrossRef

Cerutti-Pereyra F, Thums M, Austin CM et al. (2014) Restricted movements of juvenile rays in the lagoon of Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia—evidence for the existence of a nursery. Environ Biol Fishes 97(4):371–383. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-013-0158-yCrossRef

Chapman DD, Feldheim KA, Papastamatiou YP et al. (2015) There and back again: a review of residency and return migrations in sharks, with implications for population structure and management. Ann Rev Mar Sci 7(1):547–570. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010814-015730CrossRef

Collins AB, Heupel MR, Motta PJ (2007) Residence and movement patterns of cownose rays Rhinoptera bonasus within a south-west Florida estuary. J Fish Biol 71(4):1159–1178. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01590.xCrossRef

Cowley PD (1997) Age and growth of the blue stingray Dasyatis chrysonota from the South-Eastern Cape coast of South Africa. S Afr J Mar Sci 18(1):31–38. https://doi.org/10.2989/025776197784161054CrossRef

Cowley PD, Bennett RH, Childs AR et al. (2017) Reflection on the first five years of South Africa’s Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP): status, challenges and opportunities. Afr J Mar Sci 39(4):363–372. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2017.1399927CrossRef

Currie JC, Thorson JT, Sink KJ et al. (2019) A novel approach to assess distribution trends from fisheries survey data. Fish Res 214:98–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2019.02.004CrossRef

Dale JJ, Drazen JC, Holland KN (2013) Stingray life history trade-offs associated with nursery habitat use inferred from a bioenergetics model. Mar Biol 160(12):3181–3192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2305-6CrossRef

Davy LE, Simpfendorfer CA, Heupel MR (2015) Movement patterns and habitat use of juvenile mangrove whiprays (Himantura granulata). Mar Freshw Res 66(6):481. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF14028CrossRef

da Silva C, Booth AJ, Dudley SFJ et al. (2015) The current status and management of South Africa’s chondrichthyan fisheries. Afr J Mar Sci 2338(September 2017):232–248. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2015.1044471CrossRef

DeGroot BC, Bassos-Hull K, Wilkinson KA et al. (2021) Variable migration patterns of whitespotted eagle rays Aetobatus narinari along Florida’s coastlines. Mar Biol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03821-2CrossRef

DiGirolamo AL, Gruber SH, Pomory C et al. (2012) Diel temperature patterns of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris in a shallow-water nursery. J Fish Biol 80(5):1436–1448. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03263.xCrossRef

Doherty PD, Baxter JM, Godley BJ et al. (2017) Testing the boundaries?: Seasonal residency and inter-annual site fi delity of basking sharks in a proposed Marine Protected Area. Biol Conserv 209:68–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.01.018CrossRef

Dulvy NK, Pacoureau N, Rigby CL et al. (2021) Overfishing drives over one-third of all sharks and rays toward a global extinction crisis. Curr Biol 31(21):4773-4787.e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.062CrossRef

Ebert DA, Cowley PD (2003) Diet, feeding behaviour and habitat utilisation of the blue stingray Dasyatis chrysonota (Smith, 1828) in South African waters. Mar Freshw Res 54:957–965CrossRef

Ebert DA, Cowley PD (2008) Reproduction and embryonic development of the blue stingray, Dasyatis chrysonota, in southern African waters. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 89(04):809. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315408002907CrossRef

Elston C, Cowley PD, von Brandis RG et al. (2020) Dietary niche differentiation in a mesopredatory dasyatid assemblage. Mar Biol 167(7):89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03695-wCrossRef

Elston C, Cowley PD, Brandis RGV et al. (2021) Residency and habitat use patterns by sympatric stingrays at a remote atoll in the Western Indian Ocean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 662:97–114. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13632CrossRef

Fangue NA, Bennett WA (2003) Thermal tolerance responses of laboratory acclimated and seasonally acclimatized Atlantic stingray. Dasyatis Sabina. Copeia 2:315–325CrossRef

Flowers KI, Ajemian MJ, Bassos-Hull K et al. (2016) A review of batoid philopatry, with implications for future research and population management. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 562:251–261. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11963CrossRef

Flowers KI, Heithaus MR, Papastamatiou YP (2020) Buried in the sand: uncovering the ecological roles and importance of rays. Fish Fish. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12508CrossRef

Frisk MG, Shipley ON, Martinez CM et al. (2019) First observations of long-distance migration in a large skate species, the winter skate: implications for population connectivity, ecosystem dynamics, and management. Mar Coast Fish 11:202–212. https://doi.org/10.1002/mcf2.10070CrossRef

Gillespie CS (2015) Fitting heavy tailed distributions: the powerlaw package. J Stat Softw 64(2):1–16. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v064.i02CrossRef

Goschen W, Schumann E (2011) The physical oceanographic processes of Algoa Bay, with emphasis on the western coastal region. Tech. Rep. April, South African Environmental Observation Network. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1823.3767

Griffin LP, Brownscombe JW, Adams AJ et al. (2018) Keeping up with the Silver King: using cooperative acoustic telemetry networks to quantify the movements of Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) in the coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Fish Res 205(April):65–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2018.04.008CrossRef

Hammerschlag N, Sulikowski J (2011) Killing for conservation: the need for alternatives to lethal sampling of apex predatory sharks. Endanger Species Res 14(2):135–140. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00354CrossRef

Hight BV, Lowe CG (2007) Elevated body temperatures of adult female leopard sharks, Triakis semifasciata, while aggregating in shallow nearshore embayments: evidence for behavioral thermoregulation? J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 352(1):114–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2007.07.021CrossRef

Hopkins TE, Cech JJ (2003) The influence of environmental variables on the distribution and abundance of three elasmobranchs in Tomales Bay, California. Environ Biol Fishes 66:279–291. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023907121605CrossRef

Jacoby DM, Ferretti F, Freeman R et al. (2020) Shark movement strategies influence poaching risk and can guide enforcement decisions in a large, remote marine protected area. J Appl Ecol. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13654CrossRef

Jaine FR, Couturier LI, Weeks SJ et al. (2012) When giants turn up: sighting trends, environmental influences and habitat use of the manta ray Manta alfredi at a coral reef. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046170CrossRef

Jordaan G, Mann B (2021) ORI-cooperative fish tagging project: summary of the tag and recapture data for the blue stingray (Dasyatis chrysonota) caught along the South African coastline : 2010–2021. Tech. Rep. December 2021, Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban

Last P, Naylor G, Séret B, et al. (eds) (2016) Rays of the world. CSIRO

Lowerre-Barbieri SK, Friess C, Griffin LP et al. (2021) Movescapes and eco-evolutionary movement strategies in marine fish: assessing a connectivity hotspot. Fish Fish 22(6):1321–1344. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12589CrossRef

Matich P, Heithaus MR (2015) Individual variation in ontogenetic niche shifts in habitat use and movement patterns of a large estuarine predator (Carcharhinus leucas). Oecologia 178(2):347–359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-015-3253-2CrossRef

Murray TS, Cowley PD, Bennett RH et al. (2018) Fish on the move: connectivity of an estuary-dependent fishery species evaluated using a large-scale acoustic telemetry array. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 75(11):2038–2052CrossRef

Ogburn MB, Bangley CW, Aguilar R et al. (2018) Migratory connectivity and philopatry of cownose rays Rhinoptera bonasus along the Atlantic coast, USA. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 602:197–211. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12686CrossRef

Pollom R, Bennett R, Da Silva C et al. (2020) Dasyatis chrysonota. Tech. rep, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

R Core Team (2020) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. https://www.r-project.org/

Ramsden S, Cotton CF, Curran MC (2016) Using acoustic telemetry to assess patterns in the seasonal residency of the Atlantic stingray Dasyatis sabina. Environ Biol Fishes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-016-0498-5CrossRef

Sink K, van~der Bank MG, Majiedt P, et al. (2019) South African national biodiversity assessment 2018 technical report volume 4: Marine realm. Tech. rep., South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

Steckenreuter A, Hoenner X, Huveneers C et al. (2017) Optimising the design of large-scale acoustic telemetry curtains. Mar Freshw Res 68(8):1403–1413. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF16126CrossRef

Taylor MD, Babcock RC, Simpfendorfer CA et al. (2017) Where technology meets ecology: acoustic telemetry in contemporary Australian aquatic research and management. Mar Freshw Res 68(8):1397–1402. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF17054CrossRef

Turpie JK, Beckley LE, Katua SM (2000) Biogeography and the selection of priority areas for conservation of South African coastal fishes. Biol Conserv 92(1):59–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(99)00063-4CrossRef

Vaudo JJ, Lowe CG (2006) Movement patterns of the round stingray Urobatis halleri (Cooper) near a thermal outfall. J Fish Biol 68(6):1756–1766. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-1112.2006.01054.xCrossRef

Title: Novel insights into coastal site affinity and habitat connectivity of a benthic stingray with implications for management
Authors: Chantel Elston
Paul D. Cowley
Taryn S. Murray
Matthew C. Parkinson
Publication date: 05-11-2022
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Biodiversity and Conservation / Issue 1/2023
Print ISSN: 0960-3115
Electronic ISSN: 1572-9710
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02494-7

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Technik"

Other articles of this Issue 1/2023

Roads and water availability influence the occurrence of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in secondary habitat: a multiscale approach

Mini Safe Havens for population recovery and reintroductions ‘beyond-the-fence’

Automatic recorders monitor wolves at rendezvous sites: do wolves adjust howling to live near humans?

Including biological diversity in natural capital accounts for marine biodiversity conservation and human well-being

Land use changes and bird diversity in subtropical forests: urban development as the underlying factor

Factors affecting the availability of data on East African wildlife: the monitoring needs of conservationists are not being met