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Shark research and data collection program : progress on the age and growth of the shortfin mako in the Atlantic Ocean

Publication . Coelho, Rui; Carlson, John; Natanson, Lisa; Rosa, Daniela; Mas, Federico; Mathers, Alyssa; Domingo, Andrés; Santos, Miguel

This paper presents an update of the age and growth study within the ICCAT Shark Research and Data Collection Program (SRDCP), including the current development status and plans for the 2nd phase of the project. There are currently 469 vertebrae samples (205 females, 257 males and 7 specimens with unidentified sex) collected and processed from both the North and Southern hemispheres. The sample distribution is much more complete in the north, while in the south at this stage there are only samples from the equatorial region. The size range of the samples varies from 52 cm to 366 cm FL. The next steps of this projects is proposing a workshop on age reading and growth in order to prepare a reference set of vertebrae that can be used as a guideline for the readings of the remaining sample, and also discuss aspects of age validation and band deposition periodicity. The final results will be presented to the SCRS sharks working group in 2017, in order to contribute to the 2017 shortfin mako stock assessment.

2017Journal article

Open access

Progress report for SRDCP on the Atlantic-wide study on the age and growth of shortfin mako shark

Publication . Rosa, Daniela; Mas, Federico; Mathers, Alyssa; Natanson, Lisa J.; Domingo, Andrés; Carlson, John; Coelho, Rui

The ICCAT Shark Research and Data Collection Program (SRDCP) aims to develop and coordinate science and science-related activities needed to support provision of sound scientific advice for the conservation and management of pelagic sharks in the Atlantic. This Program was developed in 2013-2014 by the Sharks Species Group, and framed within the 2015-2020 SCRS Strategic Plan. Within this Program, a specific study on the age and growth of shortfin mako in the Atlantic was developed, with the purpose of contributing to the 2017 ICCAT SMA stock assessment. In the paper, we provide an update of the project, including preliminary growth models for the North Atlantic Ocean.

2017Working paper

Open access

Age and growth of shortfin mako in the South Atlantic

Publication . Rosa, Daniela; Mas, Federico; Mathers, Alyssa; Natanson, Lisa J.; Carlson, John; Coelho, Rui

The shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus (Lamnidae), is regularly caught as by-catch in pelagic longline fisheries and is among the most vulnerable sharks to this fishery. The age and growth of I. oxyrinchus was studied along a wide South Atlantic region. Data from 332 specimens ranging in size from 90 to 330 cm fork length (FL) for females and 81 to 250 cm FL for males were analysed. Growth models were fitted using the von Bertalanffy growth equation re-parameterised to calculate L0, instead of t0, and a modification of this equation using the known size at birth. The von Bertalanffy growth equation with fixed L0 (size at birth = 63 cm FL) with resulting growth parameters of Linf = 218.5 cm FL, k = 0.170 year-1 for males and Linf = 263.1 cm FL, k = 0.112 year-1 for females, seemed to underestimate maximum length for this species, while overestimating k. Given the poorly estimated parameters we cannot, to this point, recommend the use of the South Atlantic growth curves.

2018Journal article

Open access