Predictions of southern migration timing in coastal sharks under future ocean warming

Abstract

Projected redistribution of marine species due to ocean warming may undermine current conservation efforts. Yet, there have been few studies on how ocean warming may alter migration timing. Across 5 years of acoustic telemetry data (2018–2022), we determined environmental drivers of southward migration timing for 6 migratory shark species from summer habitats in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. We then forecasted how migratory timing from 3 regions, between the New England shelf and Mid-Atlantic Bight, would respond under future sea surface temperatures (SSTs). Photoperiod and SST were strong predictors of southern migration in sharks, but the strength of these effects varied latitudinally. Overall, we found delayed departure dates from summer habitats under future elevated SSTs, indicating prolonged residency in northern habitats (median = ∼12 days). Sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) exhibited the largest delay in the onset of southern migrations (median = 29 days), whereas sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) and white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) exhibited the smallest delay (median = 1 day). Delays in migration timing of coastal shark species may alter local ecosystem dynamics and challenge current management strategies. These findings illustrate the utility of collaborative data-sharing networks to expand understanding of broadscale animal movements and contribute to effective species management under a changing climate.

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