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Determining effective acoustic array design for monitoring presence of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias in nearshore habitats

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Abstract

Inferences regarding animal presence from passive acoustic receiver arrays are driven by the spatial configuration of receivers. Large, dense arrays provide more information, but maintenance of multiple receivers is costly. Configuring acoustic receiver arrays to maximise coverage while minimising cost is therefore paramount. This study used data from a dense acoustic receiver array within a white shark Carcharodon carcharias nursery area on the east coast of Australia to assess how detection data of tagged white sharks in the area was affected by reducing the array size. Receivers were sub-sampled post hoc by simple random sampling, clustered random sampling, and sampling of the top performing receivers. Using the top performing receivers, array size could be reduced by 60% (10 out of 25 receivers) while still detecting a median of 100% of white sharks detected with the full array. With random and clustered sampling methods, a 40% reduction in array size (15 out of 25 receivers) detected a median of 100% of sharks. Reducing the array size by 60% using the top performing receivers resulted in a 35% decrease in the median number of detections per visit of the tagged sharks (67 out of 102.5 detections). In comparison, reducing the array by the same amount with random and clustered sampling methods resulted in a 57% decrease (44 out of 102.5 detections). The post hoc sampling methods used in this study are an empirical approach for optimising placement of limited receiver resources with broad application for establishing cost-effective monitoring.

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Data availability

The data analysed during the current study are available from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia (CSIRO), but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under licence for the current study, and so, the data are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of CSIRO.

Code availability

All coding was conducted in R, and relevant packages are noted in the methods section. The custom code used for sampling of the receivers is available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was undertaken for the Marine Biodiversity Hub, a collaborative partnership supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program (NESP). NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub partners include the University of Tasmania, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Geoscience Australia, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Museums Victoria, Charles Darwin University, the University of Western Australia, the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Department of the Environment and Energy. Barry Bruce (CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, retired) is thanked for his foresight in setting up this project, his perseverance, and his indomitable spirit. We also acknowledge the assistance provided by the NSW Department of Primary Industries staff, in particular, Christopher Gallen, Roger Laird, Peter Gibson, and Brett Louden. Kent Stannard (Tag for Life) has also been a constant supporter and invaluable member of the field work crew.

Funding

This work was jointly funded by the CSIRO and the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme NESP through the Marine Biodiversity Hub (Project A3: https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/project/project-a3-national-assessment-status-white-sharks). Sofia Gabriel was funded through the CSIRO‐UTAS Quantitative Marine Sciences PhD Program, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Quantitative Marine Science Program, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 49, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Sofia M. Gabriel

  2. CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO BOX 1538, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Sofia M. Gabriel, T. A. Patterson, J. P. Eveson & R. W. Bradford

  3. Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 49, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Sofia M. Gabriel & J. M. Semmens

  4. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries Research, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Taylors Beach, NSW, 2316, Australia

    D. Harasti

  5. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries Research, National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia

    P. A. Butcher

  6. Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia

    P. A. Butcher

  7. Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK

    J. L. Y. Spaet

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  1. Sofia M. Gabriel
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  2. T. A. Patterson
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  3. J. P. Eveson
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  5. D. Harasti
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  8. R. W. Bradford
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Contributions

Data collection was conducted by Russ Bradford, David Harasti, and Paul Butcher; Sofia Gabriel, Toby Patterson, Paige Eveson, and Russ Bradford conceived the study idea, conducted the data analyses, and wrote the manuscript, with assistance and commentary from Julia Spaet and Jayson Semmens.

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Correspondence to Sofia M. Gabriel.

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Ethical approval

ACEC 14/07; Scientific Collection permit P07/0099; Scientific Research Permit P01/0059(A); Marine Parks Research Permit P16/0145- 1.1 and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment (DPIPWE): AEC Permit 22/2015–16, and its predecessors; DPIPWE Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 Permit 15,008 (and previous derivations), DPIPWE Threatened Fauna for Scientific Purposes permit 14,239; Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries (VDPI) Research permit 10,006,912, VDPI Protected Aquatic Biota permit PA38. All tagging was carried out in accordance with the CSIRO Code of Practice for tagging marine animals, with protocols used approved by the Tasmanian DPIPWE Animal Ethics and NSW DPI Animal Care and Ethics Research Authority.

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Gabriel, S.M., Patterson, T.A., Eveson, J.P. et al. Determining effective acoustic array design for monitoring presence of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias in nearshore habitats. Mar Biol 168, 49 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03850-x

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