Horizontal and vertical movement ecology of the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus Longimanus) in French Polynesia
Burkhardt, K.; Papastamatiou, Y.P.; Seybald, P.; Pere, O.; Ramage, J.L.; Tiarii, I.; Tixier, T.; Heitaurari, O.; Lecours, V. (2025). Horizontal and vertical movement ecology of the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus Longimanus) in French Polynesia. Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 172(2): 33. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-025-04598-4
In: Marine Biology: International Journal on Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters. Springer: Heidelberg; Berlin. ISSN 0025-3162; e-ISSN 1432-1793, more
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| Keyword |
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| Author keywords |
Satellite telemetry · Shark sanctuary · Pelagic · Behavioral states |
| Authors | | Top |
- Burkhardt, K.
- Papastamatiou, Y.P.
- Seybald, P.
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- Pere, O.
- Ramage, J.L.
- Tiarii, I.
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- Tixier, T.
- Heitaurari, O.
- Lecours, V.
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| Abstract |
The oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is globally understudied with major data deficits despite its global distribution. We present horizontal and vertical movement data by investigating habitat use of seven mature oceanic whitetip sharks equipped with fin-mounted satellite (SPOT/SPLASH) tags off of Moorea, French Polynesia. Sharks moved net distances ranging from 1,625 to 7,885 km over periods of 83 to 286 days at liberty. A total area of 1,467,157 km2 was utilized by the sharks, spanning three exclusive economic zones (French Polynesia, Kiribati, and Cook Islands) and unmanaged international waters. A core area of 176,635 km2 was identified within the Society Islands. Application of a two-state Hidden Markov Model differentiated movement along each individual track between a transient behavioral state (66% of movement) and an area-restricted searching behavioral state (34% of movement), revealing sharks tended to switch to residential behavior when associated with islands, seamounts, or bathymetric ridges. Thermal barriers, particularly sea surface temperatures of less than 26 °C, limit horizontal movement. Additional evidence of site fidelity for the largely oceanic species was observed with five of seven tagged sharks returning to Moorea during the study. Vertical movements reached a maximum depth of 270 m with 97% of their time spent at a depth shallower than 130 m. This study provides the first description of habitat use of C. longimanus in the South Pacific, contributing to the collective global knowledge of an enigmatic species as well as providing insight into its effective management in French Polynesia, a designated shark sanctuary. |
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