Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:35:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-01-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:05:57Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 garla_rc_dr_rcla.pdf: 1566045 bytes, checksum: 33a6e91849d61d578c9d020171e589af (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O presente trabalho visa gerar informações básicas sobre a ecologia e a situação populacional do tubarão-cabeça-de-cesto Carcharhinus perezi, lambarú Ginglymostoma cirratum e tubarão-limão Negaprion brevirostris no Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha, com ênfase na primeira, por ser numericamente dominante. Utilizou-se a combinação de técnicas de marcação e recaptura e de telemetria ultra-sônica para fornecer informações sobre: estrutura populacional, distribuição espacial dos tubarões e de suas áreas de berçário, época de parto, padrões de movimentação e de utilização do hábitat. Amostras de sangue foram analisadas para caracterização sorológica das espécies. Foi implantado um programa de conscientização e educação sobre a necessidade de conservação dos tubarões, e realizou-se um curso de capacitação em Educação Ambiental para os professores do ensino médio e fundamental. A plataforma insular do arquipélago é utilizada como área de parto e de crescimento de jovens pelas três espécies de tubarões. Carcharhinus perezi apresenta maior segregação espacial por tamanho. Não ocorre segregação espacial em Ginglymostoma cirratum e Negaprion brevirostris pois foram observados indivíduos neonatos, jovens e adultos freqüentando a região próxima à linha costeira do arquipélago. Os tubarões utilizam com menor freqüência o trecho da Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) do arquipélago, o que possivelmente está relacionado à intensificação da utilização humana e a indícios de empobrecimento biológico da região nos últimos anos. O monitoramento por telemetria mostra que: os tubarões jovens são residentes em trechos específicos do arquipélago; eles podem ser ativos a qualquer horário do dia, mas os maiores espaços de atividade e deslocamentos ocorrem à noite; aparentemente não existem variações sazonais... / The aim of the present study is to provide basic data on the ecology and population status of the reef-shark Carcharhinus perezi, nurse-shark Ginglymostoma cirratum and lemon-shark Negaprion brevirostris at Fernando de Noronha archipelago, with special reference to Carcharhinus perezi, due to its numerical dominance. A combination of mark and recapture and ultrasonic telemetry methods were used to gather data on: the population structure, spatial distribution of the sharks, location of the nursery grounds, parturition time, patterns of movement and habitat use. Blood samples were analyzed for a serological characterization of the species. An educational program was established to increase the community awareness about shark conservation, and a capacitating course on Environmental Education was offered to teachers of the local school. The archipelago s insular shelf is used as a parturition and growing ground for young sharks of the three species. Carcharhinus perezi shows size segregation. Size segregation was not observed in Ginglymostoma cirratum and Negaprion brevirostris, and neonate, young and adult sharks of these species were observed to frequent shallow waters of the archipelago. Sharks rarely frequent the archipelago s Environmental Protection Area (EPA), which is probably related to an intensification of human use and evidences of biological impoverishment of this site in recent years. The telemetry monitoring shows that: the young sharks are resident and present site fidelity to specific portions of the archipelago; they may be active at any time of the day, but the larger activity spaces and excursions occur at night; apparently there is no seasonal variation in activity spaces and habitat use; and larger sharks have more extensive activity spaces. The main problems for the management and conservation of the sharks are:... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Anecdotal evidence suggested that immature lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) occur at the Chandeleur Islands in southeastern Louisiana. From May 2009 to August 2011, the Nekton Research Laboratory at the University of New Orleans regularly sampled habitats at the Chandeleur Islands to confirm the presence of immature individuals of this species. During these efforts, 147 immature lemon sharks (neonates, young-of-the-year, and juveniles) were collected. Each shark was PIT tagged and a tissue sample was taken for genetic analyses. Sizes ranged from 56 – 177 cm total length. Sharks showed a preference for sandy substrate and smaller individuals showed significant preference for shallow waters. Collection data for N. brevirostris were obtained from various locations around the Gulf of Mexico for comparison. Based on a review of current literature, collection data, and microsatellite analysis it was possible to classify the Chandeleur Islands as an elasmobranch nursery ground under the definition presented by Huepel et al. (2007). Current literature and high densities of N. brevirostris suggests that the Chandeleur Islands are the only area in the northern Gulf of Mexico where neonatal and YOY lemon sharks have been recorded. Results from a combination of SPOT 5 satellite tags, PIT tags, and FLOY tags show that immature N. brevirostris at the Chandeleur Islands remain in the vicinity of the islands for several months. The abundance of juvenile sharks across years provides evidence of continuous use of these islands as a pupping area. Genetic analysis supports this information with 7 of 15 mothers returning across years. The combination of this information indicates that the Chandeleur Islands are the northern- and western-most documented nursery ground for this species. Special care should be given to this habitat as CPUE for N. brevirostris decreased significantly during this research following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and subsequent oil prevention measures. Genetic research indicates a high level of inbreeding and genetic separation between the Chandeleur Islands population and other known populations in Florida, Belize, and the Bahamas.