Presentation Abstract
Examination of species-environment relationships that determine broad-scale distribution patterns is a key focus of ecological research. Characterizing animal-habitat associations in the marine environment is particularly challenging given the opacity of the ocean, and addressing this question in marine systems has consequently lagged behind terrestrial systems. In this project, we have leveraged existing data on locations of a large marine predator, the Sixgill Shark, Hexanchus griseus, and linked that with the PNNL’s Salish Sea Model over the domain of shark movement in Puget Sound, Washington state. Twenty-nine Sixgill sharks were tracked from 2005-2009 across 130 hydrophone receivers with tags that reported not only individual presence but also depth. Temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen data were sampled from those locations and depths to generate a species distribution model for Sixgill sharks in the Puget Sound ecosystem. This study generated two key findings. First, the models indicate that sharks inhabit areas with higher salinity and exhibit temperature associations within Puget Sound that suggest a narrower behavioral preference than physiological limitations. Second, despite its course resolution and presence/absence character, passive telemetry data performs well in resolving species distribution models. Such results can be used to produce large scale, 3D maps of suitable habitat for marine species. Results establish that these acoustic technologies, when paired with sufficient environmental data, can extend analytical approaches common to terrestrial systems to the management and conservation of marine organisms.
Session Title
Modeling Change in the Transboundary Salish Sea
Keywords
Modeling, Salish Sea model, Telemetry
Conference Track
SSE15: Data and Information Management
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE15-153
Start Date
5-4-2018 2:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2018 2:45 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Hexanchidae--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Sharks--Behavior--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Fishes--Dispersal--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Underwater acoustic telemetry--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Acoustic models
Geographic Coverage
Puget Sound (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Big Sharks in the Salish Sea: combining passive acoustics with the Salish Sea model to predict Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus) presence
Examination of species-environment relationships that determine broad-scale distribution patterns is a key focus of ecological research. Characterizing animal-habitat associations in the marine environment is particularly challenging given the opacity of the ocean, and addressing this question in marine systems has consequently lagged behind terrestrial systems. In this project, we have leveraged existing data on locations of a large marine predator, the Sixgill Shark, Hexanchus griseus, and linked that with the PNNL’s Salish Sea Model over the domain of shark movement in Puget Sound, Washington state. Twenty-nine Sixgill sharks were tracked from 2005-2009 across 130 hydrophone receivers with tags that reported not only individual presence but also depth. Temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen data were sampled from those locations and depths to generate a species distribution model for Sixgill sharks in the Puget Sound ecosystem. This study generated two key findings. First, the models indicate that sharks inhabit areas with higher salinity and exhibit temperature associations within Puget Sound that suggest a narrower behavioral preference than physiological limitations. Second, despite its course resolution and presence/absence character, passive telemetry data performs well in resolving species distribution models. Such results can be used to produce large scale, 3D maps of suitable habitat for marine species. Results establish that these acoustic technologies, when paired with sufficient environmental data, can extend analytical approaches common to terrestrial systems to the management and conservation of marine organisms.
