Few studies have considered linkages of mobile predators across large spatial scales despite their significant and often critical role in maintaining ecosystem function and health. The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a large, widespread coastal predator capable of undertaking long-range movement, but there is still limited understanding of intra-regional differences in movement and habitat connectivity across latitudes within the same coastline. This study used acoustic telemetry data and network analyses to investigate long-range movements, residency patterns and seasonal habitat linkages of sub-adult and adult C. leucas along the east coast of Australia. Our results revealed that C. leucas tagged in Sydney Harbour were mainly present within this temperate estuary in summer and autumn; the rest of the year individuals were detected in tropical and subtropical habitats from southern and central Queensland. In contrast, the detection probability of C. leucas tagged in the Townsville Reefs (central Great Barrier Reef) peaked in spring, with a portion of the tagged population migrating south during the summer months. Differences in residency time between tagging locations were also detected, as all C. leucas tagged in Sydney Harbour were absent between June and November, but 35% of the tropical-reef tagged population remained resident year-round. Network analyses complemented these findings by revealing different seasonal habitat use between regions, thus highlighting complex seasonal-habitat linkages of C. leucas along the coast. Our findings support the hypothesis that the timing, duration, and drivers involved in the long-range movements and connectivity of sub-adult and adult C. leucas vary between latitudinal regions, most likely driven by the interaction between seasonal temperature changes, foraging and reproduction.

尽管移动捕食者在维持生态系统功能和健康方面发挥着重要且通常至关重要的作用，但很少有研究考虑到它们在大空间尺度上的联系。公牛鲨（Carcharhinus leucas）是一种大型的沿海捕食者，能够进行远距离运动，但对同一海岸线内不同纬度的区域内运动和栖息地连通性的区域内差异的理解仍然有限。这项研究使用声学遥测数据和网络分析来调查澳大利亚东海岸亚成年和成年隐球藻的远距离运动，居住模式和季节性栖息地联系。我们的结果表明隐色梭菌在悉尼港标记的标签主要出现在这个夏季和秋季的温带河口内。在剩下的一年中，在昆士兰州南部和中部的热带和亚热带栖息地中发现了个体。相反，在汤斯维尔礁（中央大堡礁）中标记的隐色梭菌的检出概率在春季达到峰值，一部分标记的种群在夏季月份向南迁移。由于所有隐孢子虫都被检测到，标记位置之间的停留时间也有所不同。6月至11月之间没有在悉尼港标记的居民，但全年仍有35％的热带礁标记人口居住。网络分析通过揭示区域之间不同的季节性栖息地用途来补充这些发现，从而突显了沿海隐孢子虫的复杂的季节性-栖息地联系。我们的发现支持以下假设，即次成年和成年隐球菌的远距离运动和连通性所涉及的时间，持续时间和驱动因素在纬度区域之间变化，这很可能是由季节性温度变化，觅食和繁殖之间的相互作用所驱动的。 。