Global tracking of shark movements, behaviour and ecology: a review of the renaissance years of satellite tagging studies, 2010–2020

Satellite telemetry as a tool in marine ecological research continues to adapt and grow and has become increasingly popular in recent years to study shark species on a global scale. A review of satellite tag application to shark research was published in 2010, provided insight to the advancements in satellite shark tagging, as well as highlighting areas for improvement. In the years since, satellite technology has continued to advance, creating smaller, longer lasting, and more innovative tags, capable of expanding the field. Here we review satellite shark tagging studies to identify early successes and areas for rethinking moving forward. Triple the amount of shark satellite tagging studies have been conducted during the decade from 2010 to 2020 than ever before, tracking double the number of species previously tagged. Satellite telemetry has offered increased capacity to unravel ecological questions including predator and prey interactions, migration patterns, habitat use, in addition to monitoring species for global assessments. However, <17% of the total reviewed studies directly produced results with management or conservation outcomes. Telemetry studies with defined goals and objectives produced the most relevant findings for shark conservation, most often in tandem with secondary metrics such as fishing overlap or management regimes. To leverage the power of telemetry for the benefit of shark species, it remains imperative to continue improvements to tag function and maximize the outputs of tagging efforts including increasing data sharing capacity and standardization across the field, as well as spatial and species coverage. Ultimately, this review offers a status report of shark satellite tagging and the ways in which the field can continue to progress.

conservation, habitat use, satellite telemetry, sharks, tracking, Habitat use, Tracking, Conservation, Satellite telemetry, Sharks

10.1016/j.jembe.2022.151841

0022-0981

Renshaw, Samantha

1f463040-9c9c-4e0f-9c2d-b88f1620de72

Hammerschlag, Neil

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Gallagher, Austin J.

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Lubitz, Nicolas

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Sims, David W.

7234b444-25e2-4bd5-8348-a1c142d0cf81

March 2023

Renshaw, Samantha

1f463040-9c9c-4e0f-9c2d-b88f1620de72

Hammerschlag, Neil

2050fa5a-2b86-4050-a1bb-7ac4d70362da

Gallagher, Austin J.

2bcf0596-d1dc-4d10-829c-0d9156189bd1

Lubitz, Nicolas

a26df9c8-728e-40e3-9318-ce5ab02de97c

Sims, David W.

7234b444-25e2-4bd5-8348-a1c142d0cf81

Renshaw, Samantha, Hammerschlag, Neil, Gallagher, Austin J., Lubitz, Nicolas and Sims, David W. (2023) Global tracking of shark movements, behaviour and ecology: a review of the renaissance years of satellite tagging studies, 2010–2020. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 560, [151841]. (doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2022.151841).

Record type: Review

Abstract

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Renshaw-etal_Shark-Satellite-Tag-Review_JEMBE2023 - Accepted Manuscript

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Accepted/In Press date: 18 November 2022

e-pub ahead of print date: 3 January 2023

Published date: March 2023

Additional Information: Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Cassidy Walker and Sarah Hughes for the support throughout the writing process and for providing feedback on sections they read. Further, the guidance of the Marine Affairs faculty at Dalhousie University is greatly appreciated. Finally, to Fred Whoriskey whose continued mentorship and trust was paramount to this publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2022

Keywords: conservation, habitat use, satellite telemetry, sharks, tracking, Habitat use, Tracking, Conservation, Satellite telemetry, Sharks