a comparison of spatial and movement patterns between sympatric predators bull sharks (carcharhinus leucas) and atlantic tarpon (megalops atlanticus)同域的捕食者之间的空间和运动模式的比较牛鲨(carcharhinus莱夫卡斯岛)和大西洋大海鲢(megalops atlanticus).pdfVIP

A Comparison of Spatial and Movement Patterns between Sympatric Predators: Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) and Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) 1,2,3 1 4 1 Neil Hammerschlag *, Jiangang Luo , Duncan J. Irschick , Jerald S. Ault 1 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America, 2 Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America, 3 RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America, 4 Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America Abstract Background: Predators can impact ecosystems through trophic cascades such that differential patterns in habitat use can lead to spatiotemporal variation in top down forcing on community dynamics. Thus, improved understanding of predator movements is important for evaluating the potential ecosystem effects of their declines. Methodology/Principal Findings: We satellite-tagged an apex predator (bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas) and a sympatric mesopredator (Atlantic tarpon, Megalops atlanticus) in southern Florida waters to describe their habitat use, abundance and movement patterns. We asked four questions: (1) How do the seasonal abundance patterns of bull sharks and tarpon compare? (2) How do the movement patterns of bull sharks and tarpon compare, and what proportion of time do their respective primary ranges overlap? (3) Do tarpon movement patterns (e.g., straight versus convoluted paths) and/or their rates of movement (ROM) differ in areas of low versus high bull shark abundance? and (4) Can any general conclusions be reached concerning whether tarpon may