Drivers of spatial behaviour of the endangered undulate skate, Raja undulata

Abstract

Spatial ecology and behaviour of a species are essential to assess its vulnerability to environmental and anthropogenic stressors and consequently to develop eJcient management strategies. Elasmobranchs, as k-strategy species, are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, especially in coastal areas where they are subject to a broad range of anthropogenic stressors. It has been shown that species-speciOc knowledge is crucial to successfully implement conservation and management measures, especially for species that are subject to overexploitation and where rapidly changing environmental conditions present an additional challenge. Yet, species-speciOc conservation management has proven to be challenging, due to insuJcient information on their biology and ecology. In our study we used a VPS acoustic telemetry array to identify biological drivers for presence, space use and activity of the endangered undulate skate, Raja undulata, within a marine protected area (MPA) in the southern Galician coast (NW Spain) and to assess the effect of temperature on their movement and behaviour. Movement and behaviour were mainly driven by diel and seasonal patterns. Skates used more space and were more active during night-time as compared to daytime. Their presence in the study area peaked during summer and sea temperature had only a negligible effect on activity. Our work represents an important contribution to the understanding of the ecology of this endangered, yet commercially important elasmobranch species in Europe and provides insights for management and conservation strategies.