Differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: Implications for conservation
Batoids, distributed from shallow to abyssal depths, are considerably vulnerable to anthropogenic threats. Data deficiencies on the distribution patterns of batoids, however, challenge their effective management and conservation. In this study, we took advantage of the particular geological and geom...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
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John Wiley and Sons Inc.
2021
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8668743/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34938467 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8290 |
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author | Tuya, Fernando Aguilar, Ricardo Espino, Fernando Bosch, Nestor E. Meyers, Eva K. M. Jiménez‐Alvarado, David Castro, Jose J. Otero‐Ferrer, Francisco Haroun, Ricardo |
author_facet | Tuya, Fernando Aguilar, Ricardo Espino, Fernando Bosch, Nestor E. Meyers, Eva K. M. Jiménez‐Alvarado, David Castro, Jose J. Otero‐Ferrer, Francisco Haroun, Ricardo |
author_sort | Tuya, Fernando |
collection | PubMed |
description | Batoids, distributed from shallow to abyssal depths, are considerably vulnerable to anthropogenic threats. Data deficiencies on the distribution patterns of batoids, however, challenge their effective management and conservation. In this study, we took advantage of the particular geological and geomorphological configuration of the Canary Islands, across an east‐to‐west gradient in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, to assess whether patterns in the occurrence and abundance of batoids varied between groups of islands (western, central, and eastern). Data were collected from shallow (<40 m, via underwater visual counts and by a local community science program) and deep waters (60–700 m, via ROV deployments). Eleven species of batoids, assessed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, were registered, including three “Critically Endangered” (Aetomylaeus bovinus, Dipturus batis, and Myliobatis aquila), three “Endangered” (Gymnura altavela, Mobula mobular, and Rostroraja alba), two “Vulnerable” (Dasyatis pastinaca and Raja maderenseis), and two “Data Deficient” (Taeniurops grabata and Torpedo marmorata). Also, a “Least Concern” species (Bathytoshia lata) was observed. Overall, batoids were ~1 to 2 orders of magnitude more abundant in the central and eastern islands, relative to the western islands. This pattern was consistent among the three sources of data and for both shallow and deep waters. This study, therefore, shows differences in the abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago, likely related to varying insular shelf area, availability of habitats, and proximity to the nearby continental (African) mass. Large variation in population abundances among islands suggests that “whole” archipelago management strategies are unlikely to provide adequate conservation. Instead, management plans should be adjusted individually per island and complemented with focused research to fill data gaps on the spatial use and movements of these iconic species. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-8668743 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2021 |
publisher | John Wiley and Sons Inc. |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-86687432021-12-21 Differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: Implications for conservation Tuya, Fernando Aguilar, Ricardo Espino, Fernando Bosch, Nestor E. Meyers, Eva K. M. Jiménez‐Alvarado, David Castro, Jose J. Otero‐Ferrer, Francisco Haroun, Ricardo Ecol Evol Research Articles Batoids, distributed from shallow to abyssal depths, are considerably vulnerable to anthropogenic threats. Data deficiencies on the distribution patterns of batoids, however, challenge their effective management and conservation. In this study, we took advantage of the particular geological and geomorphological configuration of the Canary Islands, across an east‐to‐west gradient in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, to assess whether patterns in the occurrence and abundance of batoids varied between groups of islands (western, central, and eastern). Data were collected from shallow (<40 m, via underwater visual counts and by a local community science program) and deep waters (60–700 m, via ROV deployments). Eleven species of batoids, assessed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, were registered, including three “Critically Endangered” (Aetomylaeus bovinus, Dipturus batis, and Myliobatis aquila), three “Endangered” (Gymnura altavela, Mobula mobular, and Rostroraja alba), two “Vulnerable” (Dasyatis pastinaca and Raja maderenseis), and two “Data Deficient” (Taeniurops grabata and Torpedo marmorata). Also, a “Least Concern” species (Bathytoshia lata) was observed. Overall, batoids were ~1 to 2 orders of magnitude more abundant in the central and eastern islands, relative to the western islands. This pattern was consistent among the three sources of data and for both shallow and deep waters. This study, therefore, shows differences in the abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago, likely related to varying insular shelf area, availability of habitats, and proximity to the nearby continental (African) mass. Large variation in population abundances among islands suggests that “whole” archipelago management strategies are unlikely to provide adequate conservation. Instead, management plans should be adjusted individually per island and complemented with focused research to fill data gaps on the spatial use and movements of these iconic species. John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2021-11-18 /pmc/articles/PMC8668743/ /pubmed/34938467 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8290 Text en © 2021 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
spellingShingle | Research Articles Tuya, Fernando Aguilar, Ricardo Espino, Fernando Bosch, Nestor E. Meyers, Eva K. M. Jiménez‐Alvarado, David Castro, Jose J. Otero‐Ferrer, Francisco Haroun, Ricardo Differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: Implications for conservation |
title | Differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: Implications for conservation |
title_full | Differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: Implications for conservation |
title_fullStr | Differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: Implications for conservation |
title_full_unstemmed | Differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: Implications for conservation |
title_short | Differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: Implications for conservation |
title_sort | differences in the occurrence and abundance of batoids across an oceanic archipelago using complementary data sources: implications for conservation |
topic | Research Articles |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8668743/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34938467 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8290 |
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