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Spatiotemporal distribution of great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias, Linnaeus 1758) along Italian coasts:

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Abstract

The Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias, Linnaeus 1758), is an apex predator living in almost all the seas of the world, preferring cold-temperate and temperate waters among the 8 and the 25°C. The Great White Shark occurs in both inshore and offshore waters. Known bathymetric range is from just below the surface to just above the bottom down to a depth of at least 1300 m. It is nevertheless present with important populations in only eight areas of the globe: California and Baja California, Mexico, central Chile, New England, Mediterranean Sea, Western South Africa, southern Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The biology and ecology of this shark is still quite misunderstood and it is one of the three elasmobranch species included in CITES Appendix II. It is listed as globally vulnerable in the IUCN red list. This work presents data concerning the spatiotemporal pattern of distribution of great white shark along Italian coasts, collected by international LEM programme database and other contributions. 128 records are reported, from 19th to 21st century. The data analysis includes size, weight and distribution information. Many records come from Sicily, Calabria, Tuscany and Sardinia coasts. The number of records regarding newborns (size between 80 and 155 cm length) is also interesting: it represents about 10% of the total records. Keywords: white shark, Italy 54
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... There are currently a few hotspots in which this predator is relatively abundant: California (Chapple et al., 2011) and Mexico (Hoyos-Padilla et al., 2016) in the Northeast Pacific; United States in the Northwest Atlantic (Klimley and Anderson, 1996); South Africa throughout the coastline into the Mozambiquan Channel (Kock et al., 2022); Australia (Bruce and Bradford, 2012), and New Zealand (Francis et al., 2015). In Japan (Christiansen et al., 2014), in the Mediterranean Sea (Micarelli et al., 2011;Micarelli and Sperone, 2016;Moro et al., 2020), and in Central Chile (from Punta Angamos to Punta Lavapie) (Martin, 2003), the abundance of this predator is quite low compared to the other areas. Notably, WS is one of the 48 species of sharks that has been observed in Italian waters (Vacchi and Serena, 2010;Serena et al., 2021). ...
... The WS population of the Mediterranean Sea is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List, due to a 52-96% decline of its population (Moro et al., 2020). Micarelli et al. (2011) showed that in Italian waters 42.2% of the sightings are located along the coasts of Sicily and 39.0% along the coasts of Sardinia, Calabria, Tuscany, and Liguria. The average total length (TL) of sharks observed in Italian waters was 395.70 ±155.72 cm (Micarelli et al., 2011). ...
... Micarelli et al. (2011) showed that in Italian waters 42.2% of the sightings are located along the coasts of Sicily and 39.0% along the coasts of Sardinia, Calabria, Tuscany, and Liguria. The average total length (TL) of sharks observed in Italian waters was 395.70 ±155.72 cm (Micarelli et al., 2011). According to Fergusson (1996), although the WS is essentially rare in the Mediterranean Sea, this area should be classified as one of the global centers of reproduction and abundance for the species. ...
Research
Full-text available
Described in the present report are documented attempts to tag and sample the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), along Italian coasts in the Mediterranean Sea, which took place near the Lampedusa Island in the lower Tyrrhenian Channel of Sicily, off the coast of Rimini in the Adriatic Sea, and of Civitavecchia in the central Tyrrhenian Sea. The project, activated in 2015, was aimed at tagging and sampling specimens of the white shark in order to collect data useful to implement conservation strategies in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite four tagging attempts made in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022 with 288 total hours of baiting activity and the use of 1030 kg of chum, no white sharks or any other shark species were sighted. Sažetak: POKUŠAJI LOCIRANJA I UZORKOVANJA VELIKE BIJELE PSINE, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE), UZ TALIJANSKU OBALU U SREDOZEMNOM MORU. U radu su dokumentirani pokušaji označavanja i uzorkovanja velike bijele psine Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) uz talijansku obalu u Sredozemnom moru. Istraživanje je obavljeno na području oko otoka Lampeduze, u sicilijanskom kanalu u južnom Tirenskom moru, ispred Riminija u Jadranskom moru te kod Civitavecchije u centralnom Tirenskom moru. Projekt, koji je započeo 2015. godine, bio je usmjeren na označavanje i uzorkovanje primjeraka velike bijele psine s ciljem prikupljanja podataka važnih za implementaciju mjera za očuvanje populacije ove vrste u Sredozemnom moru. Unatoč četiri pokušaja označavanja obavljena 2017., 2018., 2021. i 2022. godine, u ukupnom trajanju od 288 sati primamljivanja uz pomoć mamca te 1030 kg mamca, ni jedan primjerak velike bijele psine, ni drugih vrsta morskih pasa, nije primijećen.
... There are currently a few hotspots in which this predator is relatively abundant: California (Chapple et al., 2011) and Mexico (Hoyos-Padilla et al., 2016) in the Northeast Pacific; United States in the Northwest Atlantic (Klimley and Anderson, 1996); South Africa throughout the coastline into the Mozambiquan Channel (Kock et al., 2022); Australia (Bruce and Bradford, 2012), and New Zealand (Francis et al., 2015). In Japan (Christiansen et al., 2014), in the Mediterranean Sea (Micarelli et al., 2011;Micarelli and Sperone, 2016;Moro et al., 2020), and in Central Chile (from Punta Angamos to Punta Lavapie) (Martin, 2003), the abundance of this predator is quite low compared to the other areas. Notably, WS is one of the 48 species of sharks that has been observed in Italian waters (Vacchi and Serena, 2010;Serena et al., 2021). ...
... The WS population of the Mediterranean Sea is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List, due to a 52-96% decline of its population (Moro et al., 2020). Micarelli et al. (2011) showed that in Italian waters 42.2% of the sightings are located along the coasts of Sicily and 39.0% along the coasts of Sardinia, Calabria, Tuscany, and Liguria. The average total length (TL) of sharks observed in Italian waters was 395.70 ±155.72 cm (Micarelli et al., 2011). ...
... Micarelli et al. (2011) showed that in Italian waters 42.2% of the sightings are located along the coasts of Sicily and 39.0% along the coasts of Sardinia, Calabria, Tuscany, and Liguria. The average total length (TL) of sharks observed in Italian waters was 395.70 ±155.72 cm (Micarelli et al., 2011). According to Fergusson (1996), although the WS is essentially rare in the Mediterranean Sea, this area should be classified as one of the global centers of reproduction and abundance for the species. ...
Article
Full-text available
Described in the present report are documented attempts to tag and sample the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), along Italian coasts in the Mediterranean Sea, which took place near the Lampedusa Island in the lower Tyrrhenian Channel of Sicily, off the coast of Rimini in the Adriatic Sea, and of Civitavecchia in the central Tyrrhenian Sea. The project, activated in 2015, was aimed at tagging and sampling specimens of the white shark in order to collect data useful to implement conservation strategies in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite four tagging attempts made in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022 with 288 total hours of baiting activity and the use of 1030 kg of chum, no white sharks or any other shark species were sighted.
... Records of this species in the Mediterranean are well documented. Regarding the Italian seas, a high frequency of records is reported, in particular along the coasts of Sicily, with 56 records from 1666 to 2009, but also along the coasts of Calabria, Tuscany and Sardinia (Micarelli et al., 2011;Sperone et al., 2012b). However, with the on white sharks in the Italian seas is actually carried out. ...
... ranean, and Sicilian coasts in particular, still represent a key area for the population of Mediterranean white sharks, but also for other shark species (Bilecenoglu et al the Italian seas (Micarelli et al., 2011) are from this area. Moreover, the fact that the female was an immature specof white shark sub-adults observed in the Italian seas originated from Sicily. ...
... Records of this species in the Mediterranean are well documented. Regarding the Italian seas, a high frequency of records is reported, in particular along the coasts of Sicily, with 56 records from 1666 to 2009, but also along the coasts of Calabria, Tuscany and Sardinia ( Micarelli et al., 2011;Sperone et al., 2012b). However, with the exception of the Medlem program, no specific research on white sharks in the Italian seas is actually carried out. ...
... The specimen had been discarded by the fishermen, so it was not possible to preserve any tissues. This new record confirms that the Central Mediterranean, and Sicilian coasts in particular, still represent a key area for the population of Mediterranean white sharks, but also for other shark species ( Bilecenoglu et al., 2013); in fact, 43% of all white shark sightings in the Italian seas ( Micarelli et al., 2011) are from this area. Moreover, the fact that the female was an immature specimen confirms previous observations showing that 90% of white shark sub-adults observed in the Italian seas originated from Sicily. ...
... Records of this species in the Mediterranean are well documented. Regarding the Italian seas, a high frequency of records is reported, in particular along the coasts of Sicily, with 56 records from 1666 to 2009, but also along the coasts of Calabria, Tuscany and Sardinia (Micarelli et al., 2011;Sperone et al., 2012b). However, with the exception of the Medlem program, no specific research on white sharks in the Italian seas is actually carried out. ...
... This new record confirms that the Central Mediterranean, and Sicilian coasts in particular, still represent a key area for the population of Mediterranean white sharks, but also for other shark species (Bilecenoglu et al., 2013); in fact, 43% of all white shark sightings in the Italian seas (Micarelli et al., 2011) are from this area. Moreover, the fact that the female was an immature specimen confirms previous observations showing that 90% of white shark sub-adults observed in the Italian seas originated from Sicily. ...
Article
Full-text available
In this Collective Article on “New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records”, we present additional records of species found in the Mediterranean Sea. These records refer to eight different countries throughout the northern part of the basin, and include 28 species, belonging to five phyla. The findings per country include the following species: Spain: Callinectes sapidus and Chelidonura fulvipunctata; Monaco: Aplysia dactylomela; Italy: Charybdis (Charybdis) feriata, Carcharodon carcharias, Seriola fasciata, and Siganus rivulatus; Malta: Pomacanthus asfur; Croatia: Lagocephalus sceleratus and Pomadasys incisus; Montenegro: Lagocephalus sceleratus; Greece: Amathia (Zoobotryon) verticillata, Atys cf. macandrewii, Cerithium scabridum, Chama pacifica, Dendostrea cf. folium, Ergalatax junionae, Septifer cumingii, Syphonota geographica, Syrnola fasciata, Oxyurichthys petersi, Scarus ghobban, Scorpaena maderensis, Solea aegyptiaca and Upeneus pori; Turkey: Lobotes surinamensis, Ruvettus pretiosus and Ophiocten abyssicolum. In the current article, the presence of Taractes rubescens (Jordan & Evermann, 1887) is recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean from Italy. The great contribution of citizen scientists in monitoring biodiversity records is reflected herein, as 10% of the authors are citizen scientists, and contributed 37.5% of the new findings.
... Records of this species in the Mediterranean are well documented. Regarding the Italian seas, a high frequency of records is reported, in particular along the coasts of Sicily, with 56 records from 1666 to 2009, but also along the coasts of Calabria, Tuscany and Sardinia (Micarelli et al., 2011;Sperone et al., 2012b). However, with the exception of the Medlem program, no specific research on white sharks in the Italian seas is actually carried out. ...
... This new record confirms that the Central Mediterranean, and Sicilian coasts in particular, still represent a key area for the population of Mediterranean white sharks, but also for other shark species (Bilecenoglu et al., 2013); in fact, 43% of all white shark sightings in the Italian seas (Micarelli et al., 2011) are from this area. Moreover, the fact that the female was an immature specimen confirms previous observations showing that 90% of white shark sub-adults observed in the Italian seas originated from Sicily. ...
... Records of this species in the Mediterranean are well documented. Regarding the Italian seas, a high frequency of records is reported, in particular along the coasts of Sicily, with 56 records from 1666 to 2009, but also along the coasts of Calabria, Tuscany and Sardinia (Micarelli et al., 2011;Sperone et al., 2012b). However, with the exception of the Medlem program, no specific research on white sharks in the Italian seas is actually carried out. ...
... This new record confirms that the Central Mediterranean, and Sicilian coasts in particular, still represent a key area for the population of Mediterranean white sharks, but also for other shark species (Bilecenoglu et al., 2013); in fact, 43% of all white shark sightings in the Italian seas (Micarelli et al., 2011) are from this area. Moreover, the fact that the female was an immature specimen confirms previous observations showing that 90% of white shark sub-adults observed in the Italian seas originated from Sicily. ...
... Records of this species in the Mediterranean are well documented. Regarding the Italian seas, a high frequency of records is reported, in particular along the coasts of Sicily, with 56 records from 1666 to 2009, but also along the coasts of Calabria, Tuscany and Sardinia (Micarelli et al., 2011;Sperone et al., 2012b). However, with the exception of the Medlem program, no specific research on white sharks in the Italian seas is actually carried out. ...
... This new record confirms that the Central Mediterranean, and Sicilian coasts in particular, still represent a key area for the population of Mediterranean white sharks, but also for other shark species (Bilecenoglu et al., 2013); in fact, 43% of all white shark sightings in the Italian seas (Micarelli et al., 2011) are from this area. Moreover, the fact that the female was an immature specimen confirms previous observations showing that 90% of white shark sub-adults observed in the Italian seas originated from Sicily. ...
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