title: Repeated, long-distance migrations by a philopatric predator targeting highly contrasting ecosystems.
abstract: Long-distance movements of animals are an important driver of population spatial dynamics and determine the extent of overlap with area-focused human activities, such as fishing. Despite global concerns of declining shark populations, a major limitation in assessments of population trends or spatial management options is the lack of information on their long-term migratory behaviour. For a large marine predator, the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier, we show from individuals satellite-tracked for multiple years (up to 1101 days) that adult males undertake annually repeated, round-trip migrations of over 7,500 km in the northwest Atlantic. Notably, these migrations occurred between the highly disparate ecosystems of Caribbean coral reef regions in winter and high latitude oceanic areas in summer, with strong, repeated philopatry to specific overwintering insular habitat. Partial migration also occurred, with smaller, immature individuals displaying reduced migration propensity. Foraging may be a putative motivation for these oceanic migrations, with summer behaviour showing higher path tortuosity at the oceanic range extremes. The predictable migratory patterns and use of highly divergent ecosystems shown by male tiger sharks appear broadly similar to migrations seen in birds, reptiles and mammals, and highlight opportunities for dynamic spatial management and conservation measures of highly mobile sharks.
authors.affiliation: 1] The Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, Florida 33004, United States of America [2] Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK [3] Danah Divers, Marine Research Facility, PO Box 10646, Jeddah, 21443, Saudi Arabia [4] University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, UK.
authors.forename: James S E
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lea
authors.affiliation: 1] The Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, Florida 33004, United States of America [2] Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America.
authors.forename: Bradley M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Wetherbee
authors.affiliation: 1] Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK [2] CIBIO - Universidade do Porto, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-668 Vairão, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Bermuda Shark Project, Bermuda.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Burnie
authors.affiliation: Bermuda Shark Project, Bermuda.
authors.forename: Choy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aming
authors.affiliation: 1] Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK [2] CIBIO - Universidade do Porto, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-668 Vairão, Portugal [3] Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK.
authors.forename: Lara L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: 1] Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK [2] Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, CSIC, Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208, Vigo, Spain [3] CETMAR, Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208, Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: Gonzalo R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Mucientes
authors.affiliation: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK.
authors.forename: Nicolas E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Humphries
authors.affiliation: The Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, Florida 33004, United States of America.
authors.forename: Guy M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: 1] Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK [2] Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK [3] Centre for Biological Sciences, Building 85, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.affiliation: The Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, Florida 33004, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mahmood S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shivji
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology; D012754:Sharks / Q000502:physiology*