Residency, habitat use and sexual segregation of white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias in False Bay, South Africa.

ABSTRACT: White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are threatened apex predators and identification of their critical habitats and how these are used are essential to ensuring improved local and ultimately global white shark protection. In this study we investigated habitat use by white sharks in False Bay, South Africa, using acoustic telemetry. 56 sharks (39 female, 17 male), ranging in size from 1.7-5 m TL, were tagged with acoustic transmitters and monitored on an array of 30 receivers for 975 days. To investigate the effects of season, sex and size on habitat use we used a generalized linear mixed effects model. Tagged sharks were detected in the Bay in all months and across all years, but their use of the Bay varied significantly with the season and the sex of the shark. In autumn and winter male

SUBMITTER: Kock A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3557240 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature