Christoph A. Rohner
YOU?
Author Swipe
View article: A 15‐Year Time Series Shows Major Declines in Whale Sharks in Southern Mozambique
A 15‐Year Time Series Shows Major Declines in Whale Sharks in Southern Mozambique Open
A 15‐year dataset (2005–2019) of 706 photo‐identified whale sharks ( Rhincodon typus ) off Praia do Tofo in Mozambique allowed us to assess the local abundance trend, and size‐ and sex‐specific sighting and abundance trends, using both gen…
View article: Megafauna show pervasive yet distinct affinity to ocean fronts: the urgent need for adaptive conservation in a warming world
Megafauna show pervasive yet distinct affinity to ocean fronts: the urgent need for adaptive conservation in a warming world Open
Fronts are ephemeral structures in the ocean that mark the boundaries between water masses of different properties, attracting a wide range of marine organisms, from plankton to whales. Despite their fundamental role in marine ecosystem fu…
View article: Whale shark residency and small-scale movements around oil and gas platforms in Qatar
Whale shark residency and small-scale movements around oil and gas platforms in Qatar Open
Whale sharks seasonally aggregate near oil and gas platforms in Qatar to feed on fish spawn, creating one of the world’s largest aggregations of the species. We used passive acoustic telemetry to examine their fine-scale movements, residen…
View article: The Needle in the Haystack: Uncovering the First Whale Shark ( <i>Rhincodon typus</i> ) Aggregation in the Coral Sea
The Needle in the Haystack: Uncovering the First Whale Shark ( <i>Rhincodon typus</i> ) Aggregation in the Coral Sea Open
Aggregations are key events, supporting critical ecological and biological functions in many species. For highly mobile and elusive species, aggregations often provide the only feasible opportunities for research. Whale sharks ( Rhincodon …
View article: Trophic and feeding ecology of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) using bulk stable isotope analysis
Trophic and feeding ecology of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) using bulk stable isotope analysis Open
Introduction Despite their size, relatively passive behavior, and commercial significance, knowledge of the behavioral ecology of whale sharks remains limited. The difficulty of tracking individual animals at sea encourages the use of retr…
View article: Applying the Key Biodiversity Area Standard to Important Sites for Sharks
Applying the Key Biodiversity Area Standard to Important Sites for Sharks Open
The Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commits nations to conserving 30% of coastal and marine areas, “especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity.” Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) provide a standardized approach f…
View article: Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) – Identifying key habitats for sharks, rays, and chimaeras
Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) – Identifying key habitats for sharks, rays, and chimaeras Open
Sharks, rays, and chimaeras (hereafter ‘sharks’) face a high risk of extinction. Populations of many species of sharks and rays have declined by over 70–90% in last few decades. Immediate action is required to halt population declines and …
View article: Occurrence of mobulid rays in Northwest Madagascar
Occurrence of mobulid rays in Northwest Madagascar Open
The waters around Nosy Be in northwest Madagascar are well-known for the occurrence of large planktivores, such as whale sharks ( Rhincodon typus ) and Omura’s whales ( Balaenoptera omurai ). Between 2016 and 2022, sighting data on mobulid…
View article: Persistent declines in sightings of manta and devil rays (Mobulidae) at a global hotspot in southern Mozambique
Persistent declines in sightings of manta and devil rays (Mobulidae) at a global hotspot in southern Mozambique Open
Mobulid rays are among the most vulnerable of chondrichthyans to overexploitation by fisheries due to their low population growth rates. In locations where catch data are lacking, long-term sightings data can provide valuable insight to in…
View article: Effects of climate warming on energetics and habitat of the world's largest marine ectotherm
Effects of climate warming on energetics and habitat of the world's largest marine ectotherm Open
Responses of organisms to climate warming are variable and complex. Effects on species distributions are already evident and mean global surface ocean temperatures are likely to warm by up to 4.1 °C by 2100, substantially impacting the phy…
View article: Whale shark residency and small-scale movements around oil and gas platforms in Qatar
Whale shark residency and small-scale movements around oil and gas platforms in Qatar Open
Artificial structures in the ocean can influence the movements and residency of migratory fishes. Whale sharks seasonally aggregate near oil and gas platforms in Qatar to feed on fish spawn, creating one of the largest aggregations for the…
View article: Movement and vertical habitat use of yellowfin tuna <scp><i>Thunnus albacares</i></scp> in a vertically compressed habitat: the Galápagos Marine Reserve
Movement and vertical habitat use of yellowfin tuna <span><i>Thunnus albacares</i></span> in a vertically compressed habitat: the Galápagos Marine Reserve Open
Tropical pelagic predators are exploited by fisheries and their movements are influenced by factors including prey availability, temperature, and dissolved oxygen levels. As the biophysical parameters vary greatly within the range of circu…
View article: Emergent community architecture despite distinct diversity in the global whale shark (Rhincodon typus) epidermal microbiome
Emergent community architecture despite distinct diversity in the global whale shark (Rhincodon typus) epidermal microbiome Open
Microbiomes confer beneficial physiological traits to their host, but microbial diversity is inherently variable, challenging the relationship between microbes and their contribution to host health. Here, we compare the diversity and archi…
View article: Underwater ultrasonography and blood sampling provide the first observations of reproductive biology in free-swimming whale sharks
Underwater ultrasonography and blood sampling provide the first observations of reproductive biology in free-swimming whale sharks Open
We report on a non-invasive technique for observing the reproductive states of wild, free-swimming whale sharks Rhincodon typus for the first time. Female whale sharks (n = 22) were assessed using underwater ultrasonography and a novel blo…
View article: Emergent community architecture despite distinct diversity in the global whale shark (Rhincodon typus) epidermal microbiome
Emergent community architecture despite distinct diversity in the global whale shark (Rhincodon typus) epidermal microbiome Open
Microbiomes confer beneficial physiological traits to their host, but microbial diversity is inherently variable, challenging the relationship between microbes and their functional contribution to host health. Here, we compare diversity an…
View article: Fatty acid profiles of more than 470 marine species from the Southern Hemisphere
Fatty acid profiles of more than 470 marine species from the Southern Hemisphere Open
Lipid and fatty acid datasets are commonly used to assess the nutritional composition of organisms, trophic ecology, and ecosystem dynamics. Lipids and their fatty acid constituents are essential nutrients to all forms of life because they…
View article: Improving sightings-derived residency estimation for whale shark aggregations: A novel metric applied to a global data set
Improving sightings-derived residency estimation for whale shark aggregations: A novel metric applied to a global data set Open
The world’s largest extant fish, the whale shark Rhincodon typus , is one of the most-studied species of sharks globally. The discovery of predictable aggregation sites where these animals gather seasonally or are sighted year-round – most…
View article: Global collision-risk hotspots of marine traffic and the world’s largest fish, the whale shark
Global collision-risk hotspots of marine traffic and the world’s largest fish, the whale shark Open
Significance Global vessel traffic is increasing alongside world economic growth. The potential for rising lethal ship strikes on endangered species of marine megafauna, such as the plankton-feeding whale shark, remains poorly understood s…
View article: The need for long-term population monitoring of the world’s largest fish
The need for long-term population monitoring of the world’s largest fish Open
Many large marine species are vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, and substantial declines have been documented across a range of taxa. Many of these species are also long-lived, have low individual resighting rates and high levels of i…
View article: Pieces in a global puzzle: Population genetics at two whale shark aggregations in the western Indian Ocean
Pieces in a global puzzle: Population genetics at two whale shark aggregations in the western Indian Ocean Open
The whale shark Rhincodon typus is found throughout the world's tropical and warm‐temperate ocean basins. Despite their broad physical distribution, research on the species has been concentrated at a few aggregation sites. Comparing DNA se…
View article: Movement ecology of black marlin <scp><i>Istiompax indica</i></scp> in the Western Indian Ocean
Movement ecology of black marlin <span><i>Istiompax indica</i></span> in the Western Indian Ocean Open
The black marlin Istiompax indica is an apex marine predator and is susceptible to overfishing. The movement ecology of the species remains poorly known, particularly within the Indian Ocean, which has hampered assessment of their conserva…
View article: Satellite tracking of rehabilitated sea turtles suggests a high rate of short-term survival following release
Satellite tracking of rehabilitated sea turtles suggests a high rate of short-term survival following release Open
The rehabilitation of wildlife can contribute directly to the conservation of threatened species by helping to maintain wild populations. This study focused on determining the post-rehabilitation survival and spatial ecology of sea turtles…
View article: No Place Like Home? High Residency and Predictable Seasonal Movement of Whale Sharks Off Tanzania
No Place Like Home? High Residency and Predictable Seasonal Movement of Whale Sharks Off Tanzania Open
Highly mobile marine megafauna species, while widely distributed and frequently threatened, often aggregate in distinct localized habitats. Implementation of local management initiatives within these hotspots is more achievable than develo…