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...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.17615/7dm7-yh25 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/articles/kh04f165f |
| Summary: | 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 ... |
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