Multi-channel feeding by migratory sharks in a fluvial-dominated estuary

Abstract

Rivers can transport a substantial amount of allochthonous nutrients into coastal marine ecosystems. These nutrients are a significant contributor to estuarine productivity, resulting in increased fishery production. However, for migratory marine predators, the importance of nutrients from fluvial-dominated estuaries is unclear. We used carbon (δ 13C) and sulfur (δ 34S) stable isotope mixing models to identify the contribution of prey sources in fluvial-dominated estuarine habitat relative to nearby seagrass and offshore reef habitats to five species of migratory shark: finetooth shark Carcharhinus isodon, blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus, bull shark Carcharhinus leucas, Atlantic sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, and bonnethead shark Sphyrna tiburo. We explored how the contribution of these sources varied as a function of shark length. Sharks generally exhibited a strong reliance on prey from fluvial-estuarine energy channels, with the youngest individuals displaying the highest reliance relative to larger individuals. Models suggested that sharks rely increasingly on nutrient sources from nearby seagrass or offshore reef habitats with age, potentially acting as vectors of nutrient transport across systems. These findings illustrate the importance of a fluvial-dominated estuarine system to migratory marine predators and suggest that these individuals may connect inshore and offshore food-webs. Estuarine systems with high fluvial-influence offer important nutrient subsidies for migratory species, which can transport that energy to adjacent, nutrient-limited systems. Changes to river-flow regimes could disrupt the channeling of nutrients to coastal marine systems, affecting migratory predator populations and their role in transporting these nutrients across the seascape.