New depth records and novel feeding observations of three elasmobranchs species in the Eastern Red Sea

Frontiers in Marine Science

Marine Science

Collin Williams¹  Sofia Frappi¹  Carlos M. Duarte¹  Paul Marshall²  Mohammed Qurban³  Nicolas Pilcher³  Mattie Rodrigue⁴  Vincent Pieribone⁴ 

[1] Marine Science Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia;Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia;Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia;NEOM Nature Reserve, NEOM, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia;The Centre of Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia;National Center for Wildlife, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;OceanX, New York, NY, United States;

关键词: Red Sea;    biological observations;    discoveries;    coastal ecosystems;    deep-sea observations;    extension range;    elasmobranchs;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmars.2023.1270257

 received in 2023-07-31, accepted in 2023-09-19,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Understanding the vertical distribution of elasmobranch species and associated ecological dynamics can be a crucial component of developing effective conservation strategies, particularly in light of their global population decline. Previous studies have primarily focused on horizontal extent and movement patterns of elasmobranchs, with limited knowledge about their vertical distribution. This knowledge gap stems from limited access to technological advancements and reliance on surface data from fisheries operations. Today, advancements in observing platforms such as electronic tracking, remotely operated vehicles and submersibles, and reductions in costs for drop cameras and BRUVs, allow for direct observation of animals at great depths, facilitating improved understanding of their ecological and trophic niches. This study reports new global depth records for three elasmobranch species observed in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea (Carcharhinus altimus, Rhinobatos punctifer, Iago omanensis), also presenting ethological evidence on Iago omanensis feeding behavior. Our findings have significant implications for conservation strategies and the development of targeted conservation measures. The provisioning of data on new depth ranges allows places like NEOM to better manage and protect deep sea habitats, due to the presence of species occurring at those depths.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Frappi, Williams, Pilcher, Rodrigue, Marshall, Pieribone, Qurban and Duarte