Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems最新文献

{"title":"DNA Metabarcoding Reveals the Dietary Composition for Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and Asian Small-Clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus) in Malaysia","authors":"Nursyuhada Othman,&nbsp;Kaviarasu Munian,&nbsp;Hidayah Haris,&nbsp;Nur Hartini Sariyati,&nbsp;Nurfatiha Akmal Fawwazah Abdullah-Fauzi,&nbsp;Mohd Lokman Ilham-Norhakim,&nbsp;Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan,&nbsp;Nor Rahman Aifat,&nbsp;Pazil Abdul-Patah,&nbsp;Hiroshi Sasaki,&nbsp;Daisuke Waku,&nbsp;Md Nor Shukor,&nbsp;Badrul Munir Md-Zain,&nbsp;Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff","doi":"10.1002/aqc.4263","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4263","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The declining population of otter species in Malaysia, including the Asian small-clawed otter (<i>Aonyx cinereus</i>), smooth-coated otter (<i>Lutrogale perspicillata</i>) and hairy-nosed otter (<i>Lutra sumatrana</i>), is primarily attributed to habitat changes. Understanding the ecological aspects of otters, including their diets, is crucial for formulating effective conservation management strategies. To address this knowledge gap, we employed Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) as an alternative approach to enhance our understanding of the species' food chain. Specifically, this study investigated the diets of Asian small-clawed otters and smooth-coated otters by analysing an ~130 bp segment of the Cytochrome <i>b</i> (Cyt<i>b</i>) gene using Illumina Miniseq platform. The analysis successfully generated 572,311 reads, identifying four families, nine genera and 11 food species consumed by both otter species. Smooth-coated otters primarily consumed fish (96%) and frogs (4%), whereas Asian small-clawed otters exclusively fed on fish (100%), with the genus <i>Esomus</i> being the predominant fish genus found in the spraints. The diversity analysis of their diets revealed significant differences between two species (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). As a result, DNA metabarcoding provides a reliable method for verifying otter dietary information and can serve as a valuable tool in assessing fish diversity, thus contributing significantly to the management and conservation of otter populations, particularly in Malaysia.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142561727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Invasion Dynamics of the Alien Amphibian Xenopus laevis in France: Perspectives for Management","authors":"Alain Pagano,&nbsp;Clément Harmange,&nbsp;Mariastella Rappoccio,&nbsp;Tatiana Colchen,&nbsp;Gabriel Combet,&nbsp;Philippe Chouteau,&nbsp;Damien Picard,&nbsp;Eléonore Moreau,&nbsp;Marco Bartoli,&nbsp;Olivier Pays","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Invasive alien species (IAS) are recognised as pervasive drivers of global environmental change and pose significant threats to socio-ecosystems worldwide. Although much attention is focused on prevalent IAS, the oversight of species that are still contained and approaching critical invasion thresholds raises concern. In this context, scientific support to implement effective and spatially informed management strategies is critically needed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our study focuses on the African clawed frog, <i>Xenopus laevis</i>, a concerning IAS projected to undergo a substantial expansion in Europe.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials &amp; Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using a comprehensive analysis of three distinct datasets, our study aimed to document newly colonised sites and provide an up-to-date overview of the current distribution and invasion dynamics of <i>X. laevis</i> in France.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our results revealed recent colonisation of new sites within the established range of the species and the continuous progression of the invasion front at a rate of 1.2 km per year. This annual progression currently translates to an expansion of approximately 400 km² per year in the predicted distribution range of the species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Emphasising the urgent need for proactive management, we recommend measures encompassing prevention, early detection and rapid responses to invasion, delineated across three strategic zoning levels.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Immediate and coordinated efforts are imperative to anticipate and mitigate the considerable socio-environmental impacts associated with this species in the future.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.70000","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142555388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Just Add Water and Stir: An Artificial Suburban Lake Develops Into an Important Moulting Site for Large-Bodied Herbivorous Wildfowl","authors":"Kevin Kuhlmann Clausen,&nbsp;Per Nissen Grøn,&nbsp;Henning Lykke Larsen,&nbsp;Preben Clausen,&nbsp;Anthony David Fox","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Egø Engsø is an artificial Danish suburban lake created in 2006, primarily for nutrient retention and flood control. Expanding submerged macrophyte cover (dominated by Stoneworts <i>Chara</i> spp. and Pondweeds <i>Potamogeton</i> spp.) attracted moulting concentrations of 600 mute swans <i>Cygnus olor</i>, 1100 greylag geese <i>Anser anser</i> and 280 Canada geese <i>Branta canadensis</i>. These unexpected additions to the avifauna benefit from reliable food supplies and effective protection from recreational disturbance on and near the water surface. Egø Engsø is a model of enabling intense human activity at a waterbird moulting site, and confirming appropriate planning can accommodate multiple functional objectives following wetland creation.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.70002","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142525023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Methods for Estimating Lake Volume, Mean Depth, and Maximum Depth in European Standard EN 16039:2011 Are Flawed and Should Not Be Used","authors":"David Seekell,&nbsp;Cristian Gudasz","doi":"10.1002/aqc.4260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4260","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The European Standard EN 16039:2011 provides guidelines for assessing lake hydromorphology within the Water Framework Directive and includes methods for estimating volume, mean depth, and maximum depth based on statistical models applied to data from topographic maps. We tested the predictive accuracy of these models using independently collected bathymetric data from 35 Swedish lakes. The models had no predictive power, and the maximum depth predictions were inversely correlated with the observed values. The mean absolute percent error was 46% for volume and mean depth, and 85% for maximum depth. The models are flawed and should not be used.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.4260","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142447511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Update on the Conservation Status Assessment of two Endangered Freshwater Mussel Species in Bavaria, Germany","authors":"Andreas H. Dobler,&nbsp;Philipp Hoos,&nbsp;Juergen Geist","doi":"10.1002/aqc.4261","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4261","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The two highly endangered European mussel species <i>Margaritifera margaritifera</i> and <i>Unio crassus</i> are target species of conservation. Based on a recently completed systematic state-wide monitoring of each 22 <i>M. margaritifera</i> and 22 <i>U. crassus</i> streams in Bavaria, Germany, we present an update on population trends, conservation status, habitat quality and threats for both species. Populations status and habitat quality varied strongly between <i>M. margaritifera</i> and <i>U. crassus</i> streams, but there was also great variability within each of those groups. The population decline of <i>M. margaritifera</i> has continued, albeit higher proportions of juveniles originating from artificial breeding programmes have been established in some streams. Habitat quality often did not match known requirements as evident from poor stream bed quality, lack of hosts and elevated nutrient levels. In contrast, <i>U. crassus</i> populations showed a better status, with an increase in population size over all sampled streams. Successful recruitment was indicated by high proportions of juveniles. However, no mussels older than 16 years were found, probably due to predation and structural stream maintenance measures. Climate change effects, such as extreme droughts, affected both species. This study demonstrates different needs in conservation management for both species. Although mitigation of drought effects is commonly needed for both species, tackling host fish management and direct threats such as predation should be prioritized in <i>U. crassus</i>, whereas restoration of prime habitat quality and intact catchments is key to enable natural recruitment and sustainable populations of <i>M. margaritifera</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.4261","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142443456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the Presence of Interspecific Hybrids Among Piaractus mesopotamicus, Piaractus brachypomus and Colossoma macropomum in the Upper Paraná River Using Genetic Markers","authors":"Lidiany Doreto Cavalcanti,&nbsp;Lara Darice Lima,&nbsp;Juliana Rosa Carrijo-Mauad,&nbsp;Márcia Regina Russo,&nbsp;Alessandra Valéria de Oliveira,&nbsp;Ricardo Massato Takemoto","doi":"10.1002/aqc.4262","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4262","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Fish hybridization is common in aquaculture worldwide, including in Brazil, with cross-breeding between species of the genera <i>Piaractus</i> and <i>Colossoma</i> taking the lead. However, little is known about the genetic damage caused by hybrids that escape into natural environments. In the upper Paraná River region, hybrid fishes are overproduced; therefore, the use of molecular techniques for their monitoring and identification is necessary. This study aimed to detect the presence of possible hybridization between <i>Piaractus</i> and <i>Colossoma</i> in the upper Paraná River using the molecular markers cytochrome <i>c</i> oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and α-tropomyosin (TROP). Fragments from 53 fish samples were analysed, and 41 samples were considered hybrids, with 12 confirmed pure, six as <i>Piaractus mesopotamicus</i> (pacu) and six as <i>Piaractus brachypomus</i> (pirapitinga). This is the first record of <i>P. brachypomus</i>, which is an invasive species in this basin, while <i>Colossoma macropomum</i> has not been observed. Molecular markers efficiently detected hybrids in the Ivinhema and Paraná rivers. The results showed a predominance of hybrid specimens from <i>P. mesopotamicus</i> × <i>P. brachypomus</i>. Our study suggests that more restrictions on hybridization and better supervision of fish farms are needed to prevent the escape of hybrids and the consequent ecological and genetic damage to native populations. We warn of the risk of a decline in the population of <i>P. mesopotamicus</i>, as this species is of great importance for fishing and maintaining the ecosystem.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142429834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the Diet of the Elusive North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) in Florida Using Faecal DNA Metabarcoding","authors":"Judith Bakker,&nbsp;Maurits P. M. van Zinnicq Bergmann,&nbsp;Megan Stolen,&nbsp;Jeremy J. Kiszka","doi":"10.1002/aqc.4257","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4257","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>North American river otters (<i>Lontra canadensis</i>) are semiaquatic mammals distributed throughout the North American continent. They are generalist carnivores with a high potential to affect community structure and dynamics. However, habitat degradation and ecosystem changes have the potential to impact their trophic interactions. Therefore, investigating their diet is critical to understand how anthropogenic disturbances can affect their ecological roles, particularly in the urbanised ecosystems in Florida, where such diet information is currently unavailable. Due to their elusive nature, direct observation of feeding events is a major challenge. Here, we have applied DNA metabarcoding of faecal matter (fDNA), opportunistically collected from river otters killed by road traffic in eastern Florida. Two mitochondrial markers were used to identify prey species' DNA—one for fish and one for vertebrates. A total of 23 unique exact sequence variants (ESVs) were identified, the majority belonging not only to teleosts but also to amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The prey species identified are known dietary resources for river otters and the recovered dietary profiles provided independently by the fish and vertebrate assays were similar. Among the identified teleost prey, three fish species are considered invasive. Here, we show that when sufficient reference sequences are available, fDNA metabarcoding provides high prey species resolution. The collection and metabarcoding of faecal samples is particularly advantageous for scaling diet studies, both geographically and longitudinally, highlighting the potential of fDNA metabarcoding for the investigation of the diet of predators. This can provide foundational information on the organisation of ecological networks, which is vital for implementing successful ecosystem-based conservation management.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142359993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cryptic Diversity of Mediterranean Neogoniolithon (Corallinales, Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta)","authors":"Dino Angelo E. Ramos,&nbsp;Jesús Del Río,&nbsp;Julio Peñas,&nbsp;Viviana Peña,&nbsp;Juan C. Braga","doi":"10.1002/aqc.4255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4255","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Neogoniolithon</i> is a widespread genus of non-geniculate coralline algae in the Mediterranean Sea. Three vaguely differentiated species have been reported in the region. This study examined the diversity of <i>Neogoniolithon</i> in the Mediterranean by inferring phylogenies using <i>psb</i>A and COI-5P markers, applying delimitation algorithms and comparing morpho-anatomies of putative species. In contrast to previous reports, 13 species were delimited from the Mediterranean in two distant clades. Initial observations suggested that tetrasporangial conceptacle size might be used to separate the two clades. Only three species showed fruticose morphologies. Further morpho-anatomical differentiation was difficult. One species included Mediterranean, Pacific and Atlantic samples, while three other species occurred in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. The global tree revealed that most species were geographically restricted. Crypticity in multiple lineages implied a much higher diversity than currently reported, even lacking samples from the eastern Mediterranean. Only sequence data can be used to identify these cryptic lineages. High endemism emphasizes the importance of conservation of coralline algal bioconstructions to prevent extinctions. The presence of cryptic diversity also invites a reassessment of the knowledge on species distributions that are important in conservation planning and management.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.4255","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142359991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Not Everyone Likes Manatees: Fishers' Perceptions Unveil Opportunities and Challenges for Manatee Conservation in the Swamp Complex of Ayapel, Colombia","authors":"María Mercedes Ordoñez-Nieto,&nbsp;Nataly Casteblanco-Martinez,&nbsp;Karick Jotty-Arroyo","doi":"10.1002/aqc.4258","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4258","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Greater Caribbean manatees <i>Trichechus manatus manatus</i> face complex conservation challenges throughout their distribution range, many of which are associated with human factors; and in consequence, the subspecies is considered Endangered (EN) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Human-related threats as hunting for meat consumption, collisions with boats, entanglement in fishing nets, pollution and loss of habitat put the Greater Caribbean manatee at risk in Colombia. Studies aiming to describe traditional knowledge and local perceptions provide information that can be useful to design local manatee conservation programmes. We analyse the fishers' perceptions regarding manatees in Ayapel, Córdoba. One hundred semi-structured interviews were conducted, focusing on personal data, fishing practices, perceptions and knowledge about the manatees. According to the interviews, bycatch is the greatest threat to manatees (56%), followed by pollution (16%), whereas boat collisions (12%), hunting (11%) and drought (5%) are lower ranking threats. Our results demonstrated that participants have a good understanding of manatee biology and ecology. However, a human–manatee conflict was evidenced, as 39% of fishers consider that manatees negatively impact fishing by competition for the fishing resources and/or by damaging fishing gear. We recommend strengthening awareness about the importance of manatee to guarantee an optimal management of this subspecies and its habitat. Fishers should be directly involved in the formulation of management and conservation plans for the subspecies, as their knowledge becomes critical to understanding and mitigating the risks to manatee populations. This work has a clear application to understand the human factor in manatee recovery not only in our study area but also in other locations where manatees share habitat with people, particularly in marginalized human communities.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142359990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Baseline assessment of the coastal elasmobranch fauna of Eastern Cabo Verde, West Africa","authors":"Zeddy T. A. Seymour,&nbsp;Ze Luis Monteiro,&nbsp;Angelito Monteiro,&nbsp;Ivy E. Baremore,&nbsp;Francesco Garzon,&nbsp;Rachel T. Graham","doi":"10.1002/aqc.4206","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4206","url":null,"abstract":"<p>An increasing onus on elasmobranch management by regional bodies has been hindered by a lack of data on abundance, distribution and fisheries, especially in data-poor areas like the eastern Atlantic Ocean. From 2015 through 2017, 204 baited remote underwater videos (BRUV) were deployed in Cabo Verde around the eastern islands of Sal, Boavista and Maio and the remote offshore reef João Valente to establish a baseline of elasmobranch abundance. Over 200 hours of footage revealed 215 individual elasmobranchs, spanning 14 species from 6 taxonomic families. The abundance of elasmobranchs was highest in Maio, the island with the smallest human population, followed by Boavista and Sal. Smaller-bodied meso-predatory species such as the common smoothhound (<i>Mustelus mustelus</i>) and the Atlantic weasel shark (<i>Paragaleus pectoralis</i>) constituted the majority of observations in Maio and Boavista. Inversely, <i>Carcharhinus</i> spp. were observed in considerably greater abundance in Sal, and there was notably lower abundance of small-bodied sharks at sites with high large-bodied Carcharhinid abundance. Species richness was consistent with abundance estimates across islands, with Boavista and Sal recording the highest species diversity, followed by Maio. Results suggest that amongst Cabo Verde's eastern islands, there exists a high relative diversity and abundance of coastal elasmobranchs compared to populations in West Africa. Nonetheless, there is evidence of exploitation of higher trophic levels species. This trend is most notable in the decreasing abundance of Carcharhinids with increasing proximity to the capital city Praia, suggesting that fishing efforts from the capital are negatively affecting the abundance of large-bodied, higher-trophic predators.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142328499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}