Browsing by Author "Pratt, Joseph"

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    Aspects of the biology of the porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) in the upper Bay of Fundy determined through a recreational catch-and-release fishery
    (University of New Brunswick, 2012) Pratt, Joseph; Turnbull, Steven; Terhune, John
    This research represents the first study of Upper Bay of Fundy pelagic sharks. Sampling occurred over three summers (2008-2010) in conjunction with a catch-and-release charter operation (Sharks Unlimited) sailing out of Alma, New Brunswick. Eighty-eight sharks were encountered over the three years, with 58, 16, and 14 shark encounters in 2008, 2009, and 2010 respectively. All but one of the sharks identified to species were porbeagle (Lamna nasus). Total length of the 44 landed sharks ranged from 102-265 cm, and landed sharks were similarly sized (p = 0.940), with the 2008 season showing a significant (p < 0.001) female: male bias. Male sharks were large enough to be considered sexually mature (90% ), while females were not (14.7% ). Tide state was the only environmental variable found to play a significant (p < 0.001) role in shark encounter rate. Distribution patterns showed a preference for a ridge along the New Brunswick shoreline. Only one tagged shark has been recaptured to date, nearly two years after initial tagging