Animals follow specific movement patterns and search strategies to maximize encounters with essential resources (e.g. prey, favourable habitat) while minimizing exposures to suboptimal conditions (e.g. competitors, predators). While describing spatiotemporal patterns in animal movement from tracking data is common, understanding the associated search strategies employed continues to be a key challenge in ecology. Moreover, studies in marine ecology commonly focus on singular aspects of species' movements, however using multiple analytical approaches can further enable researchers to identify ecological phenomena and resolve fundamental ecological questions relating to movement. Here, we used a set of statistical physics-based methods to analyze satellite tracking data from three co-occurring apex predators (tiger, great hammerhead and bull sharks) that predominantly inhabit productive coastal regions of the northwest Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. We analyzed data from 96 sharks and calculated a range of metrics, including each species' displacements, turning angles, dispersion, space-use and community-wide movement patterns to characterize each species' movements and identify potential search strategies. Our comprehensive approach revealed high interspecific variability in shark movement patterns and search strategies. Tiger sharks displayed near-random movements consistent with a Brownian strategy commonly associated with movements through resource-rich habitats. Great hammerheads showed a mixed-movement strategy including Brownian and resident-type movements, suggesting adaptation to widespread and localized high resource availability. Bull sharks followed a resident movement strategy with restricted movements indicating localized high resource availability. We hypothesize that the species-specific search strategies identified here may help foster the co-existence of these sympatric apex predators. Following this comprehensive approach provided novel insights into spatial ecology and assisted with identifying unique movement and search strategies. Similar future studies of animal movement will help characterize movement patterns and also enable the identification of search strategies to help elucidate the ecological drivers of movement and to understand species' responses to environmental change.

中文翻译：

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综合分析方法揭示了同域顶级掠食性鲨鱼的物种特异性搜索策略

动物遵循特定的运动模式和搜索策略，以最大限度地与基本资源（例如猎物、有利的栖息地）相遇，同时最大限度地减少对次优条件（例如竞争者、捕食者）的暴露。虽然根据跟踪数据描述动物运动的时空模式很常见，但了解所采用的相关搜索策略仍然是生态学中的一个关键挑战。此外，海洋生态学的研究通常侧重于物种运动的单一方面，但是使用多种分析方法可以进一步使研究人员能够识别生态现象并解决与运动相关的基本生态问题。在这里，我们使用了一组基于统计物理学的方法来分析来自三个同时出现的顶级掠食者（老虎、大双髻鲨和牛鲨）主要栖息在大西洋西北部和墨西哥湾的沿海地区。我们分析了 96 条鲨鱼的数据并计算了一系列指标，包括每个物种的位移、转角、分散、空间使用和社区范围的运动模式，以表征每个物种的运动并确定潜在的搜索策略。我们的综合方法揭示了鲨鱼运动模式和搜索策略的高种间变异性。虎鲨表现出近乎随机的运动，符合布朗策略，通常与通过资源丰富的栖息地运动相关。大锤头鱼表现出一种混合运动策略，包括布朗运动和常驻型运动，这表明它们适应了广泛和局部的高资源可用性。牛鲨遵循常驻移动策略，移动受限，表明本地资源可用性高。我们假设这里确定的特定物种搜索策略可能有助于促进这些同域顶级掠食者的共存。遵循这种综合方法提供了对空间生态学的新见解，并有助于确定独特的运动和搜索策略。未来对动物运动的类似研究将有助于表征运动模式，并有助于确定搜索策略，以帮助阐明运动的生态驱动因素并了解物种对环境变化的反应。我们假设这里确定的特定物种搜索策略可能有助于促进这些同域顶级掠食者的共存。遵循这种综合方法提供了对空间生态学的新见解，并有助于确定独特的运动和搜索策略。未来对动物运动的类似研究将有助于表征运动模式，并有助于确定搜索策略，以帮助阐明运动的生态驱动因素并了解物种对环境变化的反应。我们假设这里确定的特定物种搜索策略可能有助于促进这些同域顶级掠食者的共存。遵循这种综合方法提供了对空间生态学的新见解，并有助于确定独特的运动和搜索策略。未来对动物运动的类似研究将有助于表征运动模式，并有助于确定搜索策略，以帮助阐明运动的生态驱动因素并了解物种对环境变化的反应。