A global perspective on the trophic geography of sharks

Bird, C.S. (Christopher S.); Veríssimo, A. (Ana); Magozzi, S. (Sarah); Abrantes, K.G. (Kátya G.); Aguilar, A. (Alex); Al-Reasi, H. (Hassan); Barnett, A. (Adam); Bethea, D.M. (Dana M.); Biais, G. (Gérard); Borrell, A. (Asunción); Bouchoucha, M. (Marc); Boyle, M. (Mariah); Brooks, E.J. (Edward J.); Brunnschweiler, J. (Juerg); Bustamante, P. (Paco); Carlisle, A. (Aaron); Catarino, D. (Diana); Caut S., (Stéphane); Cherel, Y. (Yves); Chouvelon, T. (Tiphaine); Churchill, D. (Diana); Ciancio, J. (Javier); Claes, J. (Julien); Colaço, A. (Ana); Courtney, D.L. (Dean L.); Cresson, P. (Pierre); Daly, R. (Ryan); De-Necker, L. (Leigh); Endo, T. (Tetsuya); Figueiredo, I. (Ivone); Frisch, A.J. (Ashley J.); Hansen, J.H. (Joan Holst); Heithaus, M. (Michael); Hussey, N.E. (Nigel E.); Iitembu, J. (Johannes); Juanes, F. (Francis); Kinney, M.J. (Michael J.); Kiszka, J.J. (Jeremy J.); Klarian, S.A. (Sebastian A.); Kopp, D. (Dorothée); Leaf, R. (Robert); Li, Y. (Yunkai); Lorrain, A. (Anne); Madigan, D.J. (Daniel J.); Maljković, A. (Aleksandra); Malpica-Cruz, L. (Luis); Matich, P. (Philip); Meekan, M.G. (Mark G.); Ménard, F. (Frédéric); Menezes, G.M. (Gui M.); Munroe, A.E.M. (Samantha E. M.); Newman, M.C. (Michael C.); Papastamatiou, Y.P. (Yannis P.); Pethybridge, H. (Heidi); Plumlee, (Jeffrey D.); Polo-Silva, C. (Carlos); Quaeck-Davies, K. (Katie); Raoult, V. (Vincent); Reum, J. (Jonathan); Torres-Rojas, .E. (Yassir Eden); Shiffman, D.S. (David S.); Shipley, O.N. (Oliver N.); Speed, C.W. (Conrad W.); Staudinger, M.D. (Michelle D); Teffer, A.K. (Amy K.); Tilley, A. (Alexander); Valls-Mir, M. (María); Vaudo, (Jeremy J.); Wai T.C., (Tak-Cheung); Wells, R.J.D. (R. J. David); Wyatt, A.S.J. (Alex S. J.); Yool, A. (Andrew); Trueman, C.N. (Clive N.)

doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0432-z

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Identifiers

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10508/11370

ESSN: 2397-334X

DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0432-z

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Date

2018-02

Type

article

Keywords

sharks
trophic geography
predators
food web
stable isotopes

Abstract

Sharks are a diverse group of mobile predators that forage across varied spatial scales and have the potential to influence food web dynamics. The ecological consequences of recent declines in shark biomass may extend across broader geographic ranges if shark taxa display common behavioural traits. By tracking the original site of photosynthetic fixation of carbon atoms that were ultimately assimilated into muscle tissues of 5,394 sharks from 114 species, we identify globally consistent biogeographic traits in trophic interactions between sharks found in different habitats. We show that populations of shelf-dwelling sharks derive a substantial proportion of their carbon from regional pelagic sources, but contain individuals that forage within additional isotopically diverse local food webs, such as those supported by terrestrial plant sources, benthic production and macrophytes. In contrast, oceanic sharks seem to use carbon derived from between 30° and 50° of latitude. Global-scale ...

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