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040 _aEC-PaCDF
_bspa
_cEC-PaCDF
041 _aeng
082 0 4 _a597.3
_223
100 1 _aAcuña-Marrero, David.
_92208
_eautor
245 1 0 _aWhale shark (Rhincodon typus) seasonal presence, residence time and habitat use at Darwin Island, Galapagos Marine Reserve /
_cDavid Acuña-Marrero ... [et al.].
260 3 _c2014.
300 _a:1-22 p.
520 0 _aThe life history of the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), including its reproductive ecology, still remains largely unknown. Here, we present results from the first whale shark population study around Darwin Island, Galapagos Marine Reserve. Following a diversified approach we characterized seasonal occurrence, population structure and size, and described habitat use of whale sharks based on fine scale movements around the island. Whale shark presence at Darwin Island was negatively correlated with Sea Surface Temperature (SST), with highest abundance corresponding to a cool season between July and December over six years of monitoring. From 2011 to 2013 we photo-identified 82 whale sharks ranging from 4 to 13.1 m Total Length (TL). Size distribution was bimodal, with a great majority (91.5%) of adult female individuals averaging 11.35 m±0.12 m (TL±SE), all but one showing signs of a potential pregnancy. Population dynamics models for apparently pregnant sharks estimated the presence of 3.76±0.90 (mean ± SE) sharks in the study area per day with an individual residence time of 2.09±0.51 (mean ± SE) days. Movement patterns analysis of four apparently pregnant individuals tracked with acoustic tags at Darwin Island revealed an intense use of Darwin's Arch, where no feeding or specific behavior has been recorded, together with periodic excursions around the island's vicinity. Sharks showed a preference for intermediate depths (20–30 m) with occasional dives mostly to mid-water, remaining the majority of their time at water temperatures between 24–25°C. All of our results point to Darwin Island as an important stopover in a migration, possibly with reproductive purposes, rather than an aggregation site. Current studies carried out in this area to investigate regional scale movement patterns may provide essential information about possible pupping grounds for this enigmatic species.
546 _aInglés
653 _aWhale shark
653 _aTiburón ballena
653 _aRhincodon typus
653 _aSeasonal presence
653 _aPresencia de temporada
653 _aResidence time
653 _aTiempo de residencia
653 _aHabitat use
653 _aUso de habitad
653 _aDarwin Island
653 _aIsla Darwin
653 _aGalapagos Marine Reserve
653 _aReserva Marina de Galápagos
700 1 _aJiménez, Jesús.
_eautor
700 1 _aSmith, Franz.
_eautor
700 1 _aDoherty, Paul.
_eautor
700 1 _aHearn, Alex.
_9398
_eautor
700 1 _aGreen, Jonathan.
_eautor
700 1 _aParedes, Jules.
_eautor
700 1 _aSalinas de León, Pelayo.
_95359
_eautor
773 0 _tPlos One,
_gVol. 9, No.12, (2014), p. 1-22.
856 4 0 _uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0115946
942 _2ddc
_cARTICLE
999 _c12699
_d12699