University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 7-29-2020 Movement ecology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus): Identifying tools, management considerations, and horizontal movement behaviours using multi-year acoustic telemetry Jena Elizabeth Edwards University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation Edwards, Jena Elizabeth, "Movement ecology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus): Identifying tools, management considerations, and horizontal movement behaviours using multi-year acoustic telemetry" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 8414. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/8414 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). Under this license, works must always be attributed to the copyright holder (original author), cannot be used for any commercial purposes, and may not be altered. Any other use would require the permission of the copyright holder. Students may inquire about withdrawing their dissertation and/or thesis from this database. For additional inquiries, please contact the repository administrator via email ([email protected]) or by telephone at 519-253-3000ext. 3208. Movement ecology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus): Identifying tools, management considerations, and horizontal movement behaviours using multi-year acoustic telemetry By Jena E. Edwards A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies through the Department of Integrative Biology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science at the University of Windsor Windsor, Ontario, Canada 2020 © 2020 Jena Edwards Movement ecology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus): Identifying tools, management considerations, and horizontal movement behaviours using multi-year acoustic telemetry By Jena E. Edwards APPROVED BY: ____________________________________________ C. Semeniuk Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research ______________________________________________ D. Higgs Department of Integrative Biology ______________________________________________ P. Karpowicz Department of Biomedical Sciences ______________________________________________ N.E. Hussey, Advisor Department of Integrative Biology May 1st, 2019 DECLARATION OF CO-AUTHORSHIP/PREVIOUS PUBLICATION I. Co-Authorship I hereby declare that this thesis incorporates material that is result of joint research which was undertaken under the supervision of Dr. Nigel Hussey in all cases. Two published reviews are included in the general Introduction, followed by unpublished co-authored manuscripts in Chapters 1 and 2. The first introductory review was co-authored by J.E. Edwards, E. Hiltz, F. Broell, P.G. Bushnell, S.E. Campana, J.S. Christiansen, B.M. Devine, J.J. Gallant, K.J. Hedges, M.A. MacNeil, B.C. McMeans, J. Nielsen, K. Præbel, G.B. Skomal, J.F. Steffensen, R.P. Walter, Y.Y. Watanabe, D.L. VanderZwaag and N.E. Hussey. For this manuscript, the author was responsible for contacting and coordinating the collaborating authors, as well as writing the Abstract, Introduction, Methods, and Movement Ecology section (alongside N.E Hussey), composing tables and figures, and conducting final edits. Co-authors contributed to the general outline (composed by E. Hiltz), wrote the remaining subsections, and provided additional edits for the overall submission. The second introductory review was co-authored by J.E. Edwards, J. Pratt, N. Tress, N.E. Hussey. Co-authors contributed to the main ideas as well as the original literature search and review of primary sources, while the author was responsible for conducting additional literature searches, reviewing sources, and writing the final manuscript. Revisions were conducted by N.E. Hussey. The unpublished manuscripts presented in Chapters 4 and 5 were co- authored by J.E. Edwards, K.J. Hedges, A.T. Fisk, and N.E. Hussey. In both cases, the author was responsible for providing the main ideas, data analysis and figure creation, interpretation, and writing the final manuscripts. Co-author contributions related primarily to the original experimental design and theoretical knowledge input, as well as hands-on contributions in the field components of the research. Additional guidance was provided by N.E. Hussey pertaining to the refinement of the study design and data analyses, as well as revision of all written contributions. I am aware of the University of Windsor Senate Policy on Authorship and I certify that I have properly acknowledged the contribution of other researchers to my thesis and have obtained written permission from each of the co-author(s) to include the above material(s) in my thesis. I certify that, with the above qualification, this thesis, and the research to which it refers, is the product of my own work. II. Declaration of Previous Publication iii This thesis includes two original papers that have been previously published/submitted for publication in peer reviewed journals, as follows: Chapter 2: Edwards, J.E., Hiltz, E., Broell, F., Bushnell, P.G., Campana, S.E., Christiansen, J.S., Devine, B.M., Gallant, J.J., Hedges, K.J., MacNeil, M.A., McMeans, B.C., Nielsen, J., Præbel, K., Skomal, G.B., Steffensen, J.F., Walter, R.P., Watanabe, Y.Y., VanderZwaag, D.L., and Hussey, N.E. (2019). Advancing research for the management of long-lived species: A case study on the Greenland shark. Frontiers in Marine Science. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00087. (Published) Chapter 3: Edwards, J.E., Pratt J., Tress, N., and Hussey, N.E. (2019). Thinking deeper: Uncovering the mysteries of animal movement in the deep sea. Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr.2019.02.006. (Published) I certify that I have obtained a written permission from the copyright owner(s) to include the above published material(s) in my thesis. I certify that the above material describes work completed during my registration as a graduate student at the University of Windsor. III. General I declare that, to the best of my knowledge, my thesis does not infringe upon anyone’s copyright nor violate any proprietary rights and that any ideas, techniques, quotations, or any other material from the work of other people included in my thesis, published or otherwise, are fully acknowledged in accordance with the standard referencing practices. Furthermore, to the extent that I have included copyrighted material that surpasses the bounds of fair dealing within the meaning of the Canada Copyright Act, I certify that I have obtained a written permission from the copyright owner(s) to include such material(s) in my thesis. I declare that this is a true copy of my thesis, including any final revisions, as approved by my thesis committee and the Graduate Studies office, and that this thesis has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other University or Institution. iv ABSTRACT Arctic ecosystems are highly seasonally dynamic, and as such, mobile Arctic species have adopted movement patterns that correspond to the occurrence of productivity hotspots. As polar regions continue to warm at an unprecedented rate, the predictable occurrence of these hotspots of may be reduced, resulting in dire consequences for long-lived or slow-adapting species. Effective marine management approaches will therefore rely on an understanding of the ability of Arctic predators to confer community stability by linking disparate food webs and by responding flexibly to environmental change. This thesis describes the use of static acoustic telemetry to examine the long-term movement patterns of a model mobile predator, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) within two distinct habitat types (coastal and offshore waters) and across multiple years (7 y). Movement records for 155 tagged Greenland sharks revealed strong seasonality in coastal and offshore residency driven by fluctuations in sea-ice cover, with evidence of site fidelity to specific sites (receivers) in both regions. Juvenile sharks remained in coastal regions for longer durations than subadults, however, no size- based spatial segregation was observed. At a localized scale, sharks used deep- water channels to direct movements between a coastal fjord system and offshore waters, where they exhibited transient behaviour near offshore moorings located outside of identified hotspot regions. Ultimately, this research provides novel insight into the long-term movement dynamics of this potentially vulnerable Arctic predator and will inform future management practices that promote the longevity of this species. v DEDICATION For their endless love, encouragement, and belief in my abilities, I dedicate this thesis to my parents, Vaughn and Mary Lee Edwards. Thank you for fostering in me a deep devotion to the sea and an undying curiosity in the alien world that lies within it. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Nigel Hussey for sending me off to the frigid Arctic seas where I learned how to survive the way only fishermen can and where I was fortunate enough to see some of the rarest beauties on this Earth. Thank you for sharing your contagious enthusiasm for science