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Advances in the aquatic sciences
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Shark and ray community structure in a turbid, nearshore coral reef habitat

Arthur Yon https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6230-972X A B C E , Mark G. Meekan A B , Samantha Andrzejaczek A D , Sarah Martinez A B C and Conrad W. Speed A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia (MO96), 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

B Global FinPrint Project, The University of Western Australia (MO96), 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

C Université de La Réunion, UMR 9220 ENTROPIE (Université de La Réunion/IRD/CNRS), 15 Avenue René Cassin, CS 92003, F-97744 Saint Denis Cedex 09, La Réunion, France.

D Ocean Graduate School and UWA Oceans Institute, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: yon.arthur@gmail.com

Marine and Freshwater Research 71(9) 1194-1204 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF19301
Submitted: 6 September 2019  Accepted: 28 November 2019   Published: 11 February 2020

Abstract

The coastline of northern Australia may be a refuge for elasmobranchs threatened or extirpated from much of their former ranges across South-East Asia. In this study, we used baited remote underwater video stations to survey the abundance, size and assemblage of elasmobranchs in the Cobourg Marine Park in northern Australia. Two sites were sampled inside the park and one site was sampled outside the park, covering two management zones: open and partially protected. During the austral summer, 85 individuals of 12 species of elasmobranch were observed over 12 days. No significant differences were observed among sites in either size or abundance for common species. Videos were dominated by Carcharhinus melanopterus (relative abundance ± s.d., 0.29 ± 0.90 h–1), Nebrius ferrugineus (0.03 ± 0.24 h–1) and Urogymnus granulatus (0.08 ± 0.28 h–1), which comprised >81% of all individuals. Environmental variables had no measurable effect on the abundance of elasmobranchs. The abundance and diversity of elasmobranchs in Cobourg Marine Park is high compared with other similar turbid, inshore areas of northern Australia. The large number of juveniles observed in our surveys also suggests the possibility of a nursery area.

Additional keywords: baited remote underwater video stations, blacktip reef sharks, BRUVS, Cobourg Peninsula, fisheries, marine protected area, MPA, Northern Territory.


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