Deep dives are performed by a range of marine megafauna, yet their function remains poorly understood. Proposed functions include foraging, predator avoidance, and navigation, but limited fine-scale data have hindered rigorous testing of these hypotheses. Here, depth time-series data from eight recovered and 16 non-recovered satellite tags deployed on oceanic manta rays ( Mobula birostris ) in Indonesia, Peru, and New Zealand...

Marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly large MPAs, are increasing in number and size around the globe in part to facilitate the conservation of marine megafauna under the assumption that large-scale MPAs better align with vagile life histories; however, this alignment is not well established. Using a global tracking dataset from 36 species across five taxa, chosen to reflect the span of home range size in highly mobile ma...

Data from the Integrated Tracking of Aquatic Animals in the Gulf of Mexico (iTAG) network, and sister networks, were used to evaluate fish movements in the Florida Keys—an extensive reef fish ecosystem just north of Cuba connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. We analysed ~2 million detections for 23 species, ranging from reef fish such as Nassau grouper ( Epinephelus striatus , Serranidae) to migratory apex predator...

Underwater visual surveys represent an essential component of coastal marine research and play a crucial role in supporting the management of marine systems. However, logistical and financial considerations can limit the availability of survey data in some systems. While biologging camera tag devices are being attached to an increasing diversity of marine animals to collect behavioral information about the focal species, the a...

Silky sharks ( Carcharhinus falciformis ) represent a major component of global shark catch, both directly and as bycatch, and populations are declining as a result. An improved understanding of their movement ecology is needed to support conservation efforts. We deployed satellite and acoustic tags (2013–2018) and analyzed historical fisheries records (1997–2009), to investigate the spatial ecology of silky sharks in the cent...

The blue marlin ( Makaira nigricans ) is a highly migratory pelagic predator of tropical and subtropical seas. Information on the habitat use of marine species is fundamental to understanding their ecology and population dynamics and is needed to inform responsible management strategies. Using a long‐term satellite tagging data set from The International Game Fish Association Great Marlin Race, we examined habitat use and how...

Spatial segregation of animals by class (i.e., maturity or sex) within a population due to differential rates of temporary emigration ( TE ) from study sites can be an important life history feature to consider in population assessment and management. However, such rates are poorly known; new quantitative approaches to address these knowledge gaps are needed. We present a novel application of multi‐event models that takes adva...

Large pelagic predators play important roles in oceanic ecosystems, and may migrate vast distances to utilize resources in different marine ecoregions. Understanding movement patterns of migratory marine animals is critical for effective management, but often challenging, due to the cryptic habitat of pelagic migrators and the difficulty of assessing past movements. Chemical tracers can partially circumvent these challenges by...

This study presents the first data on movement, habitat use and behaviour for yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares in the Atlantic Basin. Six individuals were tracked in the Gulf of Mexico using pop‐up satellite archival tags. Records up to 80 days in length were obtained, providing information on depth and temperature preferences as well as horizontal movements. Thunnus albacares in the Gulf of Mexico showed a strong preference f...

A sharptail mola Masturus lanceolatus was tagged and released with a pop‐up satellite archival tag in the Gulf of Mexico and tracked for 61 days. The fish travelled a horizontal distance of 594 km while generally staying in water 20° C. Occasionally the sharptail mola dived to depths >700 m and experienced water colder than 6° C.