Document of bibliographic reference 368809

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Small coastal marine protected areas offer recurring, seasonal protection to the common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca)

Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a crucial tool in safeguarding marine biodiversity. However, elasmobranchs are often not the primary protection target of MPAs, and their contribution to protect these species remains to be better understood. In this study we examine the movement patterns of common stingrays in the Professor Luiz Saldanha marine park, a Portuguese temperate coastal MPA. Using acoustic telemetry, we tagged 31 common stingrays and analyzed their spatial and temporal distribution within the MPA and adjacent areas using a long-term data set. Our findings indicate that this species exhibits seasonal site fidelity, with greater presence during the colder months and reduced presence during warmer months. Space use areas did not exceed the size of the fully protected area, and nocturnal and crepuscular activity was significantly higher than during daytime. Additionally, we observed that most individuals seasonally migrated between this MPA and the nearby Sado estuary, likely to reproduce in the latter. These results demonstrate the site fidelity of common stingrays to an area within the marine park, however the protection provided is only seasonal. Seasonal protection of the movement corridor between the marine park and the estuary would improve the management of this species.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001104017000001

Bibliographic citation

Kraft, S.; Winkler, A.C.; Abecasis, D. (2023). Small coastal marine protected areas offer recurring, seasonal protection to the common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca). Ocean Coast. Manag. 246: 106891. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106891

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true