Abstract
The seasonal occurrence of cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) within North Carolina’s estuarine and coastal waters was examined from aerial surveys conducted during 2004–2006. Generalized linear models were used to assess the influence of several variables (month, year, habitat type, sea surface temperature, and turbidity) on predicted counts of cownose rays. The spatial distributions of rays were compared by season, and differences in group size were tested as a function of season and habitat. Cownose ray data associated with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) fishery independent gill net sampling program in Pamlico Sound was also examined as a function of season and year, and compared with aerial observations. Rays immigrated into the region in mid-spring (April), dispersed throughout the estuary in the summer (June–August), and emigrated by late autumn (November). Predicted counts were highest in the spring (April, May) and autumn (September–November) for coastal habitats and highest in the summer for estuarine habitats. Predicted counts were also higher in the coastal region than estuarine and higher when sea surface temperatures were above average. Comparison of group size by habitat type revealed substantially larger group sizes in the coastal habitat than the estuarine. In addition, for the estuary, spring surveys had larger group sizes than summer surveys; for the coastal habitat, autumn group sizes were significantly larger than spring or summer group sizes. The NCDMF gill net sampling surveys indicated similar trends in monthly migration patterns as well as increased ray abundance in 2008 and 2009 compared with 2003–2007. These results suggest that North Carolina’s waters serve as important habitat during the seasonal migration of cownose rays, as well as during the summer when the species may utilize the estuarine region as a nursery and/or for foraging.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the pilots (G. Ambrose, L. Gibbs, J. Meagher, C. Hinkley, M. Honeycutt, and P. Platt), and observers (J. Altman, T. Bean, D. Blackwood, R. Clayton, W. Cluse, B. Daniels, J. Dyble, R. Ferguson, W. Gainey, M. Godfrey, L. Goshe, L. Grimes, G. Haught, S. Huntsman, E. Jugovich, S. Kubis, B. Luna, B. Price, C. Price, B. Rogers, and C. TenBrink) who dedicated their time and help with this project. Thanks is also due to E. Davenport for his analysis of the sea surface temperature data. J. Smith, J. Braun-McNeill, R. Chesire, A. Hohn, and N. Hall provided valuable comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. Two anonymous reviewers, Co-Editor-in-Chief J. Cloern, and Associate Editor E. Houde provided much appreciated advice and specific recommendations that greatly improved this manuscript. Funding was provided by The US Department of the Navy, MCAS Cherry Point, and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The NMFS does not approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or material mentioned in this publication. Aerial surveys were conducted under NMFS Scientific Research Permit No. 1260.
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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12237-010-9361-7
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Goodman, M.A., Conn, P.B. & Fitzpatrick, E. Seasonal Occurrence of Cownose Rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) in North Carolina’s Estuarine and Coastal Waters. Estuaries and Coasts 34, 640–651 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-010-9355-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-010-9355-5