Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35484613›Full record

ArticleMovement ecology2022

Home sweet home: spatiotemporal distribution and site fidelity of the reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) in Dungonab Bay, Sudan.

Anna M Knochel, Nigel E Hussey, Steven T Kessel, Camrin D Braun, Jesse E M Cochran, Graham Hill, Rebecca Klaus, Tarik Checkchak, Nasereldin M Elamin El Hassen, Mohammed Younnis and 1 more

Erratum issuedOpen access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Movement ecology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Anna M KnochelRed Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. anna.knochel@kaust.edu.sa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7396-4586
Nigel E HusseyDepartment of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada.
Steven T KesselEquipe Cousteau, Paris, France.
Camrin D BraunBiology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA.
Jesse E M CochranRed Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Graham HillThe Deep Aquarium, Hull, UK.
Rebecca KlausEquipe Cousteau, Paris, France.
Tarik CheckchakEquipe Cousteau, Paris, France.
Nasereldin M Elamin El HassenWildlife Conservation General Administration, Port Sudan, Sudan.
Mohammed YounnisEquipe Cousteau, Paris, France.
Michael L BerumenRed Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology · SAShedd Aquarium · USUniversity of Windsor · CAWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution · US

Funding

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Baseline FundingThe Darwin Initiative 21-019The Deep Aquarium 00176
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundReef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) populations along the Northeastern African coastline are poorly studied. Identifying critical habitats for this species is essential for future research and conservation efforts. Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island National Park (DMNP), a component of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sudan, hosts the largest known M. alfredi aggregation in the Red Sea.

methodsA total of 19 individuals were tagged using surgically implanted acoustic tags and tracked within DMNP on an array of 15 strategically placed acoustic receivers in addition to two offshore receivers. Two of these acoustically monitored M. alfredi were also equipped with satellite linked archival tags and one individual was fitted with a satellite transmitting tag. Together, these data are used to describe approximately two years of residency and seasonal shifts in habitat use.

resultsTagged individuals were detected within the array on 96% of monitored days and recorded an average residence index of 0.39 across all receivers. Detections were recorded throughout the year, though some individuals were absent from the receiver array for weeks or months at a time, and generalized additive mixed models showed a clear seasonal pattern in presence with the highest probabilities of detection occurring in boreal fall. The models indicated that M. alfredi presence was highly correlated with increasing chlorophyll-a levels and weakly correlated with the full moon. Modeled biological factors, including sex and wingspan, had no influence on animal presence. Despite the high residency suggested by acoustic telemetry, satellite tag data and offshore acoustic detections in Sanganeb Atoll and Suedi Pass recorded individuals moving up to 125 km from the Bay. However, all these individuals were subsequently detected in the Bay, suggesting a strong degree of site fidelity at this location.

conclusionsThe current study adds to growing evidence that M. alfredi are highly resident and site-attached to coastal bays and lagoons but display seasonal shifts in habitat use that are likely driven by resource availability. This information can be used to assist in managing and supporting sustainable ecotourism within the DMNP, part of a recently designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Indexed as

Acoustic telemetryConservationMobula alfrediMovement ecologyRed SeaSudan

Identifiers

PMID35484613
PMCPMC9052681
OpenAlexW4225129457

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.