Influence of oceanographic and atmospheric parameters on whale shark Rhincodon typus abundance in Bahía de La Paz, Mexico

Résumé fourni par la source

Juvenile whale sharks Rhincodon typus aggregate annually from October to May in Bahía de La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, significantly benefiting the local tourism industry. The drivers behind the distribution and aggregation of this highly migratory species are poorly understood but might be influenced by oceanographic and atmospheric parameters such as water temperature, productivity, or extreme phenomena. This study examined the impact of various environmental factors on the relative abundance of whale sharks, estimated over 15 yr using photo-identification techniques and analysed with generalised additive models (GAMs). Our findings indicate that sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll a (chl a ), and the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) significantly affect whale shark abundance. Higher SSTs positively influenced whale shark presence, aligning with their preference for warmer waters, while chl a showed a complex relationship with abundance. Interestingly, both El Niño and La Niña events affected whale shark aggregations, suggesting that multiple environmental factors contribute to their occurrence. These findings enhance our understanding of the complex interplay of environmental factors driving whale shark aggregations, and provide valuable insights for developing more effective management and conservation strategies for the species in the Gulf of California amid global climate change.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.