ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1515-3440
Current Organisations
Northeastern University
,
University of Miami
,
Beneath the Waves
,
Loyola University Maryland
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Publications
Apex predatory sharks and crocodiles simultaneously scavenge a whale carcass
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-03-2018
Redefining provisioning in marine wildlife tourism
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-06-2021
Estimated life-history traits and movements of the Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) in The Bahamas based on tag-recapture data
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-04-2022
Diving into the vertical dimension of elasmobranch movement ecology.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 19-08-2022
Abstract: Knowledge of the three-dimensional movement patterns of elasmobranchs is vital to understand their ecological roles and exposure to anthropogenic pressures. To date, comparative studies among species at global scales have mostly focused on horizontal movements. Our study addresses the knowledge gap of vertical movements by compiling the first global synthesis of vertical habitat use by elasmobranchs from data obtained by deployment of 989 biotelemetry tags on 38 elasmobranch species. Elasmobranchs displayed high intra- and interspecific variability in vertical movement patterns. Substantial vertical overlap was observed for many epipelagic elasmobranchs, indicating an increased likelihood to display spatial overlap, biologically interact, and share similar risk to anthropogenic threats that vary on a vertical gradient. We highlight the critical next steps toward incorporating vertical movement into global management and monitoring strategies for elasmobranchs, emphasizing the need to address geographic and taxonomic biases in deployments and to concurrently consider both horizontal and vertical movements.
Energetic connectivity of diverse elasmobranch populations – implications for ecological resilience
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 12-04-2023
Abstract: Understanding the factors shaping patterns of ecological resilience is critical for mitigating the loss of global bio ersity. Throughout aquatic environments, highly mobile predators are thought to serve as important vectors of energy between ecosystems thereby promoting stability and resilience. However, the role these predators play in connecting food webs and promoting energy flow remains poorly understood in most contexts. Using carbon and nitrogen isotopes, we quantified the use of several prey resource pools (small oceanic forage, large oceanics, coral reef, and seagrass) by 17 species of elasmobranch fishes ( n = 351 in iduals) in The Bahamas to determine their functional ersity and roles as ecosystem links. We observed remarkable functional ersity across species and identified four major groups responsible for connecting discrete regions of the seascape. Elasmobranchs were responsible for promoting energetic connectivity between neritic, oceanic and deep-sea ecosystems. Our findings illustrate how mobile predators promote ecosystem connectivity, underscoring their functional significance and role in supporting ecological resilience. More broadly, strong predator conservation efforts in developing island nations, such as The Bahamas, are likely to yield ecological benefits that enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems to combat imminent threats such as habitat degradation and climate change.
Tiger sharks support the characterization of the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-022-33926-1
Abstract: Seagrass conservation is critical for mitigating climate change due to the large stocks of carbon they sequester in the seafloor. However, effective conservation and its potential to provide nature-based solutions to climate change is hindered by major uncertainties regarding seagrass extent and distribution. Here, we describe the characterization of the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem, located in The Bahamas. We integrate existing spatial estimates with an updated empirical remote sensing product and perform extensive ground-truthing of seafloor with 2,542 er surveys across remote sensing tiles. We also leverage seafloor assessments and movement data obtained from instrument-equipped tiger sharks, which have strong fidelity to seagrass ecosystems, to augment and further validate predictions. We report a consensus area of at least 66,000 km 2 and up to 92,000 km 2 of seagrass habitat across The Bahamas Banks. Sediment core analysis of stored organic carbon further confirmed the global relevance of the blue carbon stock in this ecosystem. Data from tiger sharks proved important in supporting mapping and ground-truthing remote sensing estimates. This work provides evidence of major knowledge gaps in the ocean ecosystem, the benefits in partnering with marine animals to address these gaps, and underscores support for rapid protection of oceanic carbon sinks.
Related Organisations
Related Funding Activities
No related grants have been discovered for Austin Gallagher.