Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea
Abstract Satellite-tracking of mature white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) has revealed open-ocean movements spanning months and covering tens of thousands of kilometers. But how are the energetic demands of these active apex predators met as they leave coastal areas with relatively high prey abund...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8366127654d7471eb009211e986c1640 2023-05-15T17:33:44+02:00 Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea Peter Gaube Camrin D. Braun Gareth L. Lawson Dennis J. McGillicuddy Alice Della Penna Gregory B. Skomal Chris Fischer Simon R. Thorrold 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25565-8 https://doaj.org/article/8366127654d7471eb009211e986c1640 EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25565-8 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-018-25565-8 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/8366127654d7471eb009211e986c1640 Scientific Reports, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2018) Medicine R Science Q article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25565-8 2022-12-31T09:20:28Z Abstract Satellite-tracking of mature white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) has revealed open-ocean movements spanning months and covering tens of thousands of kilometers. But how are the energetic demands of these active apex predators met as they leave coastal areas with relatively high prey abundance to swim across the open ocean through waters often characterized as biological deserts? Here we investigate mesoscale oceanographic variability encountered by two white sharks as they moved through the Gulf Stream region and Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the vicinity of the Gulf Stream, the two mature female white sharks exhibited extensive use of the interiors of clockwise-rotating anticyclonic eddies, characterized by positive (warm) temperature anomalies. One tagged white shark was also equipped with an archival tag that indicated this individual made frequent dives to nearly 1,000 m in anticyclones, where it was presumably foraging on mesopelagic prey. We propose that warm temperature anomalies in anticyclones make prey more accessible and energetically profitable to adult white sharks in the Gulf Stream region by reducing the physiological costs of thermoregulation in cold water. The results presented here provide valuable new insight into open ocean habitat use by mature, female white sharks that may be applicable to other large pelagic predators. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Scientific Reports 8 1 |
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Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q Peter Gaube Camrin D. Braun Gareth L. Lawson Dennis J. McGillicuddy Alice Della Penna Gregory B. Skomal Chris Fischer Simon R. Thorrold Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Abstract Satellite-tracking of mature white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) has revealed open-ocean movements spanning months and covering tens of thousands of kilometers. But how are the energetic demands of these active apex predators met as they leave coastal areas with relatively high prey abundance to swim across the open ocean through waters often characterized as biological deserts? Here we investigate mesoscale oceanographic variability encountered by two white sharks as they moved through the Gulf Stream region and Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the vicinity of the Gulf Stream, the two mature female white sharks exhibited extensive use of the interiors of clockwise-rotating anticyclonic eddies, characterized by positive (warm) temperature anomalies. One tagged white shark was also equipped with an archival tag that indicated this individual made frequent dives to nearly 1,000 m in anticyclones, where it was presumably foraging on mesopelagic prey. We propose that warm temperature anomalies in anticyclones make prey more accessible and energetically profitable to adult white sharks in the Gulf Stream region by reducing the physiological costs of thermoregulation in cold water. The results presented here provide valuable new insight into open ocean habitat use by mature, female white sharks that may be applicable to other large pelagic predators. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Peter Gaube Camrin D. Braun Gareth L. Lawson Dennis J. McGillicuddy Alice Della Penna Gregory B. Skomal Chris Fischer Simon R. Thorrold |
author_facet |
Peter Gaube Camrin D. Braun Gareth L. Lawson Dennis J. McGillicuddy Alice Della Penna Gregory B. Skomal Chris Fischer Simon R. Thorrold |
author_sort |
Peter Gaube |
title |
Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea |
title_short |
Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea |
title_full |
Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea |
title_fullStr |
Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea |
title_sort |
mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the gulf stream and sargasso sea |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25565-8 https://doaj.org/article/8366127654d7471eb009211e986c1640 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_source |
Scientific Reports, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2018) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25565-8 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-018-25565-8 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/8366127654d7471eb009211e986c1640 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25565-8 |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1766132337104388096 |