Basking sharks of the Arctic Circle: year-long, high-resolution tracking data reveal wide thermal range and prey-driven vertical movements across habitats

Klöcker, CA, Bjelland, O, Ferter, K, Arostegui, MC, Braun, CD, Da Costa, I, Cidade, T, Queiroz, N, Sims, DW and Junge, C 2025 Basking sharks of the Arctic Circle: year-long, high-resolution tracking data reveal wide thermal range and prey-driven vertical movements across habitats. Animal Biotelemetry, 13 (15). 10.1186/s40317-025-00407-3

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Abstract/Summary

sub-zero temperatures, extending the known thermal tolerance of the species. High-resolution time series data from recovered PSATs enabled the use of advanced signal processing and gradient-based filtering techniques to investigate vertical movement patterns in relation to the physical and biological environment. In oceanic habitats, elevated use of the mesopelagic was observed together with diel vertical migration, whereas in shelf areas depth-use patterns were confined by topography and more variable, reflective of more dynamic hydrographic conditions and prey distributions. With zooplankton distributions being structured by ambient light, density gradients, and local topography, the alignment of frequented depths with isolumes, mixed layer depths, bathymetric contours, and bioluminescence events suggests these sharks actively track prey layers across diverse habitats. Conclusions Recorded eurythermy and behavioural plasticity suggest C. maximus to be well-adapted to dynamic ocean conditions. These traits may be critical for responding to the rapid climate-driven changes in the abiotic and biotic environments in high-latitudes, providing insights into how these endangered filter-feeders might navigate shifting ecosystems

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Additional Keywords:	satellite telemetry, DVM, zooplankton, thermal niche, bioluminescence, isolume, wavelet analysis, elasmobranchs, lamniformes
Subjects:	Ecology and Environment Marine Sciences
Divisions:	Marine Biological Association of the UK > Ocean Biology
Depositing User:	Ms Kristina Hixon
Date made live:	16 May 2025 09:19
Last Modified:	16 May 2025 09:19
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/10417

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