Predation on planted and wild bay scallops (Argopecten irradians irradians) by busyconine whelks: studies of behavior incorporating acoustic telemetry - Peeref (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Trophic ecology shapes spatial ecology of two sympatric predators, the great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)

Nicolas Lubitz, Katya Abrantes, Kevin Crook, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Andrew Chin, Marcus Sheaves, Richard Fitzpatrick, Ana Barbosa Martins, Stacy Bierwagen, Ingo B. Miller, Adam Barnett

Summary: Information on how the trophic ecology of predators shapes their movement patterns and space-use is fundamental to understanding ecological processes. Researchers conducted a study on the great hammerhead shark to investigate the relationship between prey preference and availability with movement and home ranges. The results showed that the species exhibited limited dispersal and small home ranges due to their specialization in feeding on stingrays. The study also compared the findings to the bull shark, which relied on pelagic food webs. The specialized foraging behavior of the great hammerhead shark indicates its role as an apex predator in shallow, inshore habitats.

Article Mathematics, Applied

A parabolic-quasilinear predator-prey model under pursuit-evasion dynamics

Bruno Telch

Summary: This paper proves the global solvability of a class of parabolic-quasilinear systems that model the interaction between predators and prey. The results extend previous research and contribute to the field.

Article Environmental Sciences

Differential effects of warming and acidification on chemosensory transmission and detection may strengthen non-consumptive effects of blue crab predators (Callinectes sapidus) on mud crab prey (Panopeus herbstii)

Alex M. Draper, Marc J. Weissburg

Summary: This study found that global warming and ocean acidification have effects on the transmission and detection of predator cues, as well as the response of prey, with warming potentially having a greater impact on community dynamics.

Article Environmental Sciences

Foraging movements of humpback whales relate to the lateral and vertical distribution of capelin in the Barents Sea

Emma F. Vogel, Stine Skalmerud, Martin Biuw, Marie-Anne Blanchet, Lars Kleivane, Georg Skaret, Nils Oien, Audun Rikardsen

Summary: This study analysed satellite tag data from ten humpback whales in the Barents Sea to investigate how their movement and dive patterns are influenced by the distribution of capelin. The results showed that regions with high capelin density are important foraging grounds for humpback whales, emphasizing the key role of capelin in the marine ecosystem of the Barents Sea.

Article Ecology

Defining the danger zone: critical snow properties for predator-prey interactions

Benjamin K. Sullender, Calum X. Cunningham, Jessica D. Lundquist, Laura R. Prugh

Summary: Snowpack dynamics have a significant impact on wildlife movement ecology and predator-prey interactions. Specific properties of the snow, such as density and depth, influence how animals move through the snow and their vulnerability to predation. Researchers quantified the relationship between snow variables and sink depths of predators and prey in Alaska and Washington, USA. They found that near-surface snow density was the strongest predictor of sink depth across species. These findings can help predict the effects of future changes in snow density on predator-prey relationships.

Review Fisheries

Making the most of aquatic animal tracking: a review of complementary methods to bolster acoustic telemetry

J. K. Matley, N. Klinard, S. M. Larocque, M. F. McLean, J. W. Brownscombe, G. D. Raby, V. M. Nguyen, A. P. Barbosa Martins

Summary: Tracking the movements of aquatic animals is crucial for understanding movement ecology and its interactions with human activities. Different underwater tracking tools have limitations, and complementary methods are often used to address these limitations. This review evaluates the combination of acoustic telemetry and complementary methods, and finds that using additional methods helps expand the breadth of research questions in movement ecology.

Article Ecology

Identifying latent behavioural states in animal movement with M4, a nonparametric Bayesian method

Joshua A. Cullen, Caroline L. Poli, Robert J. Fletcher, Denis Valle

Summary: This passage discusses the use of telemetry and biologging devices to understand animal movement, and introduces a new nonparametric Bayesian framework (M4) for more accurately estimating behavioral states. The framework outperforms other methods in accuracy and performance, especially when data is generated from less commonly considered distributions.

Article Ecology

Acoustic and archival technologies join forces: A combination tag

Jolien Goossens, Mathieu Woillez, Arnault LeBris, Pieterjan Verhelst, Tom Moens, Els Torreele, Jan Reubens

Summary: Technological advances are crucial for maximizing the information potential of electronic tagging studies. Acoustic tags provide location data when animals are within range, while archival tags offer continuous sensor measurements for trajectory inference. In this study, a newly developed acoustic data storage tag (ADST) was used on 154 fish to investigate the potential of this combination tag. Results showed that ADSTs with both acoustic and archival data provided valuable information on fish movement patterns and improved the accuracy of daily position estimates. These findings highlight the importance of combining acoustic and archival tagging technologies in tracking aquatic species.

Article Biology

Top predator restricts the niche breadth of prey: effects of assisted colonization of Tasmanian devils on a widespread omnivorous prey

Vincent P. Scoleri, Janeane Ingram, Christopher N. Johnson, Menna E. Jones

Summary: This study investigates the impact of predation by Tasmanian devils on the abundance, habitat use, and temporal activity of the common brushtail possum. The introduction of devils to Maria Island in 2012 resulted in high mortality of possums in grasslands, but those with access to trees had a higher survival probability. The abundance of possums declined across the entire island, with disappearance from grasslands and decline in drier forests. However, wet forests, which provide better refuge from devils, maintained stable possum populations.-possums remained unchanged at a control site on the adjacent Tasmanian mainland.

Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Consistent diel activity patterns of forest mammals among tropical regions

Andrea F. Vallejo-Vargas, Douglas Sheil, Asuncion Semper-Pascual, Lydia Beaudrot, Jorge A. Ahumada, Emmanuel Akampurira, Robert Bitariho, Santiago Espinosa, Vittoria Estienne, Patrick A. Jansen, Charles Kayijamahe, Emanuel H. Martin, Marcela Guimaraes Moreira Lima, Badru Mugerwa, Francesco Rovero, Julia Salvador, Fernanda Santos, Wilson Roberto Spironello, Eustrate Uzabaho, Richard Bischof

Summary: This study examines the diel activity patterns of tropical mammals in protected forests across different biogeographic regions. The findings suggest that the activity of herbivores and insectivores is constrained by thermoregulation, while the activity of carnivores is influenced by bottom-up processes and the activity of small omnivores and insectivores is regulated by top-down processes. Overall, diel activity in tropical mammal communities is shaped by similar processes and constraints, reflecting body mass and trophic guilds.

Article Ecology

The allometry of locomotion

Carl S. Cloyed, John M. Grady, Van M. Savage, Josef C. Uyeda, Anthony I. Dell

Summary: Organismal locomotion plays a critical role in ecological interactions and community dynamics, with larger organisms being faster but less maneuverable than smaller ones. Routine and maximum speeds scale with body size to 0.20 and 0.17 powers respectively, plateauing at higher body masses.

Article Ecology

Predator-prey landscapes of large sharks and game fishes in the Florida Keys

Lucas P. Griffin, Grace A. Casselberry, Susan K. Lowerre-Barbieri, Alejandro Acosta, Aaron J. Adams, Steven J. Cooke, Alex Filous, Claudia Friess, Tristan L. Guttridge, Neil Hammerschlag, Vital Heim, Danielle Morley, Mitchell J. Rider, Gregory B. Skomal, Matthew J. Smukall, Andy J. Danylchuk, Jacob W. Brownscombe

Summary: Interspecific interactions play a vital role in shaping wildlife populations and communities. However, there are limited assessments of such interactions, especially in aquatic systems over broad spatial and temporal scales. This study used acoustic telemetry to investigate the predator-prey dynamics between Atlantic tarpon and permit and two predator sharks, great hammerhead and bull sharks, in the coastal region of the Florida Keys over a 3-year period. The results show heterogeneous predation risk and elevated encounter rates at specific locations and times.

Review Ecology

A standardised framework for the design and application of fine-scale acoustic tracking studies in aquatic environments

Danielle L. Orrell, Dale Webber, Nigel E. Hussey

Summary: Fine-scale tracking technology has improved our understanding of aquatic animal behavior by accurately tracking their movements. However, factors that affect the accuracy and introduce error in fine-scale positioning systems have not been fully understood. In this study, we provide a framework to identify sources of error and optimize system design, and present a real-world case study to demonstrate the usefulness of this framework.

Article Environmental Sciences

Multi-year acoustic tracking reveals transient movements, recurring hotspots, and apparent seasonality in the coastal-offshore presence of Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus)

Jena E. Edwards, Kevin J. Hedges, Steven T. Kessel, Nigel E. Hussey

Summary: This study examined the movements of Greenland sharks in coastal fjords and offshore waters using seven years of acoustic telemetry data. It found repetitive patterns in seasonal movements and inshore-offshore connectivity, highlighting the importance of understanding the seasonal distribution of mobile Arctic consumers and informing fisheries management.

Article Biology

Running away or running to? Do prey make decisions solely based on the landscape of fear or do they also include stimuli from a landscape of safety?

Rebecca N. MacKay, Tyler C. Wood, Paul A. Moore

Summary: The study reveals that crayfish utilize both safety cues and fear cues to relocate themselves when responding to alarm signals in order to navigate their environment.

Article Environmental Sciences

Geographic-Specific Capture-Recapture Models Reveal Contrasting Migration and Survival Rates of Adult Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus)

Justin J. Bopp, Matthew Sclafani, David R. Smith, Kim McKown, Rachel Sysak, Robert M. Cerrato

Article Zoology

Ontogenetic resource use and trophic dynamics of endangered juvenileTachypleus tridentatusamong diversified nursery habitats in the northern Beibu Gulf, China

Kit Yue Kwan, Justin Bopp, Shuyan Huang, Qiao Chen, Chun-Chieh Wang, Xueping Wang, Wenquan Zhen, Junhua Zhu, Xing Huang

Summary: The study found that the juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus, is an ecological generalist and primarily relies on sedimentary organic matter and seagrass resources for energy, with a shift towards benthic macroinvertebrate grazers with age. Juvenile horseshoe crabs of varying sizes occupy similar trophic positions in the food web, with slight shifts as they grow. The availability of resources and ontogenetic diet shifts strongly influence the trophic dynamics of horseshoe crabs, emphasizing the importance of considering age in habitat conservation measures.

Article Environmental Sciences

The relationships between spawning horseshoe crabs and egg densities: Recommendations for the assessment of populations and habitat suitability

Mark L. Botton, Christina P. Colon, Matthew Sclafani, Robert E. Loveland, Susan Elbin, Kaitlyn Parkins

Summary: The study found that deep sediment samples had significantly higher densities of horseshoe crab eggs compared to surface sediment samples, and only about 10% of the variability in surface egg density was explained by deep egg density. The spawning indices in Jamaica Bay did not accurately predict deep or surface egg densities.

Article Ecology

Telemetry reveals migratory drivers and disparate space use across seasons and age-groups in American horseshoe crabs

Justin J. Bopp, Matthew Sclafani, Michael G. Frisk, Kim McKown, Catherine Ziegler-Fede, David R. Smith, Robert M. Cerrato

Summary: This study focused on migration patterns and space use of American horseshoe crabs, revealing differences in migration rates, seasonal connectivity, and residency between juveniles and adults. Results indicated that adult horseshoe crabs tended to migrate between Moriches Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, while juveniles were more likely to stay within the bay. Furthermore, the interaction of photoperiod and temperature influenced migration timing, and sex-specific differences in space use and connectivity were minimal across seasons.

Article Environmental Sciences

Contrasting Trophic Niche and Resource Use Dynamics Across Multiple American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) Populations and Age Groups

Justin Bopp, Jill A. Olin, Matthew Sclafani, Bradley Peterson, Michael G. Frisk, Robert M. Cerrato

Summary: Horseshoe crabs show variability in migratory patterns and resource use dynamics across ontogeny, sex, seasons, and spatially distinct populations. They mainly rely on sedimentary organic matter as a source of nutrition, but there are differences in resource use between sexes. Adult and juvenile horseshoe crabs have low trophic niche overlap, likely due to differences in migratory patterns and size constraints. Juvenile horseshoe crabs show no seasonal differences in resource use, indicating limited dispersal. Adult crabs from different populations exhibit spatial differences in resource use, reflecting their migratory strategies.