Seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide

Nearshore waters are utilized by elasmobranchs in various ways, including foraging, reproduction, and migration. Multiple elasmobranch species have been previously documented in the nearshore waters of North Carolina, USA, which has a biogeographic break at Cape Hatteras on the Atlantic coast. Howev...

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Main Authors: Roskar, Grace, Morley, James W., Buckel, Jeffrey A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.17615/7dm7-yh25
https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296?file=thumbnail
https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296
id ftcarolinadr:cdr.lib.unc.edu:kh04f165f
record_format openpolar
spelling ftcarolinadr:cdr.lib.unc.edu:kh04f165f 2024-09-15T18:41:56+00:00 Seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide Roskar, Grace Morley, James W. Buckel, Jeffrey A. 2024 https://doi.org/10.17615/7dm7-yh25 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296?file=thumbnail https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296 English eng Public Library of Science https://doi.org/10.17615/7dm7-yh25 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296?file=thumbnail https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296 PLOS ONE, 19(6) Seasons Sharks Skates and rays Ocean temperature Salinity Community structure Elasmobranchii Dogfish Article 2024 ftcarolinadr https://doi.org/10.17615/7dm7-yh25 2024-07-08T23:41:11Z Nearshore waters are utilized by elasmobranchs in various ways, including foraging, reproduction, and migration. Multiple elasmobranch species have been previously documented in the nearshore waters of North Carolina, USA, which has a biogeographic break at Cape Hatteras on the Atlantic coast. However, comprehensive understanding of the elasmobranch community in this region is still lacking. Monthly year-round trawling conducted along two ocean transects (near Cape Lookout and Masonboro Inlet in 5 to 18 m depth) in Onslow Bay, North Carolina provided the opportunity to examine the dynamics and seasonal patterns of this community using a multivariate approach, including permutational multivariate analysis of variance and nonparametric BIO-ENV analysis. From November 2004 to April 2008, 21,149 elasmobranchs comprised of 20 species were caught, dominated by spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and clearnose skate (Rostroraja eglanteria). All species exhibited seasonal variation in abundance, but several key species contributed the most to seasonal differences in species composition within each transect. Spiny dogfish was most abundant in the winter at both locations, comprised mainly of mature females. Although clearnose skate was caught in all seasons, the species was most abundant during the spring and fall. Atlantic sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) was one of the most abundant species in the summer, and two distinct size cohorts were documented. Temperature appeared to be the main abiotic factor driving the community assemblage. The extensive year-round sampling provided the ability to better understand the dramatic seasonal variation in species composition and provides new information on the relative abundance of several understudied elasmobranch species that may be of significant ecological importance. Our results underscore the importance of inner continental shelf waters as important elasmobranch habitat and provide baseline data to examine for future shifts in timing and community structure at the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias Carolina Digital Repository (UNC - University of North Carolina)
institution Open Polar
collection Carolina Digital Repository (UNC - University of North Carolina)
op_collection_id ftcarolinadr
language English
topic Seasons
Sharks
Skates and rays
Ocean temperature
Salinity
Community structure
Elasmobranchii
Dogfish
spellingShingle Seasons
Sharks
Skates and rays
Ocean temperature
Salinity
Community structure
Elasmobranchii
Dogfish
Roskar, Grace
Morley, James W.
Buckel, Jeffrey A.
Seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide
topic_facet Seasons
Sharks
Skates and rays
Ocean temperature
Salinity
Community structure
Elasmobranchii
Dogfish
description Nearshore waters are utilized by elasmobranchs in various ways, including foraging, reproduction, and migration. Multiple elasmobranch species have been previously documented in the nearshore waters of North Carolina, USA, which has a biogeographic break at Cape Hatteras on the Atlantic coast. However, comprehensive understanding of the elasmobranch community in this region is still lacking. Monthly year-round trawling conducted along two ocean transects (near Cape Lookout and Masonboro Inlet in 5 to 18 m depth) in Onslow Bay, North Carolina provided the opportunity to examine the dynamics and seasonal patterns of this community using a multivariate approach, including permutational multivariate analysis of variance and nonparametric BIO-ENV analysis. From November 2004 to April 2008, 21,149 elasmobranchs comprised of 20 species were caught, dominated by spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and clearnose skate (Rostroraja eglanteria). All species exhibited seasonal variation in abundance, but several key species contributed the most to seasonal differences in species composition within each transect. Spiny dogfish was most abundant in the winter at both locations, comprised mainly of mature females. Although clearnose skate was caught in all seasons, the species was most abundant during the spring and fall. Atlantic sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) was one of the most abundant species in the summer, and two distinct size cohorts were documented. Temperature appeared to be the main abiotic factor driving the community assemblage. The extensive year-round sampling provided the ability to better understand the dramatic seasonal variation in species composition and provides new information on the relative abundance of several understudied elasmobranch species that may be of significant ecological importance. Our results underscore the importance of inner continental shelf waters as important elasmobranch habitat and provide baseline data to examine for future shifts in timing and community structure at the ...
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Roskar, Grace
Morley, James W.
Buckel, Jeffrey A.
author_facet Roskar, Grace
Morley, James W.
Buckel, Jeffrey A.
author_sort Roskar, Grace
title Seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide
title_short Seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide
title_full Seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide
title_fullStr Seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide
title_full_unstemmed Seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide
title_sort seasonality and relative abundance within an elasmobranch assemblage near a major biogeographic divide
publisher Public Library of Science
publishDate 2024
url https://doi.org/10.17615/7dm7-yh25
https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296?file=thumbnail
https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296
genre spiny dogfish
Squalus acanthias
genre_facet spiny dogfish
Squalus acanthias
op_source PLOS ONE, 19(6)
op_relation https://doi.org/10.17615/7dm7-yh25
https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296?file=thumbnail
https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/z603r8296
op_doi https://doi.org/10.17615/7dm7-yh25
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