Using temporally explicit habitat suitability models to infer the migratory pattern of a large mobile shark

Abstract

Conservation and management measures for large mobile sharks are more effective when information on migratory patterns and environmental cues are known. In the absence of long-term monitoring data or tracking programs, available information is based on occasional catch or sighting records from a variety of sources, usually constrained in space and time. This study demonstrates the utility of developing temporally explicit habitat suitability (HS) models to infer the migratory pattern of large mobile sharks. Bimonthly presence-only HS models (MaxEnt algorithm) were developed for the broadnose sevengill shark (Notorynchus cepedianus) in the southwest Atlantic based on an exhaustive collection of data records and ecologically relevant predictors. The six final models showed good predictive power and were evaluated with independent data. A migratory pattern characterized by two main displacements was inferred from the models. We show that HS models can be applied as a no-cost, desk-based alternative to infer broadscale movements of large mobile sharks. This methodology is relevant as an important first step toward informing management plans in data-poor and financially limited regions or regions under urgent conservation need.