Date of Award
Fall 2005
Document Type
Legacy Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Coastal Marine and Wetland Studies
Department
Coastal and Marine Systems Science
College
College of Science
First Advisor
Daniel C. Abel
Second Advisor
Mary Crowe
Third Advisor
Keith R. Walters
Additional Advisors
Dennis M. Allen
Abstract
Several Atlantic shark populations have experienced substantial declines since the early 1970s (NMFS 1993, Baum et al. 2003). The re-authorized Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) emphasizes the importance of understanding the life history and habitat requirements of vulnerable highly migratory species, including sharks, and provides a framework for fishery management plans (FMPs) that effectively tailor management policies towards species requirements (NMFS, 1996). The objectives of the present study, (1) to examine habitat partitioning of multiple shark species utilizing North Inlet during an entire nursery season and (2) to understand the effects of subtidal creek size and tidal phase on habitat selection by sharks in a potential nursery, are both consistent with the research priorities of the MSFCMA and important for management-based shark conservation.
Recommended Citation
Yednock, Bree KaraBeth, "Habitat Utilization by Multiple Shark Species in a Southeastern Salt Marsh Estuary" (2005). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 105.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/etd/105