Abstract

Great barracuda are top predators of tropical marine systems found in a wide range of habitats. Given their wide distribution and abundance, S. barracuda likely play an important ecological role in nearshore ecosystems, yet very few studies exist that quantify their spatial ecology. Tracking of movement patterns via passive acoustic telemetry is being conducted in two locations in the Caribbean with varying habitat types and management status: Culebra, Puerto Rico and Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. To date, 12 (mean length = 105.5 cm, SD = 25 cm) and 36 (mean length = 91.7 cm, SD = 16.5cm) fish are tagged in Culebra and St. Croix, respectively So far, 392,150 reliable detections spanning 24 months in Culebra and 926,676 detections for 12 months in St. Croix have been processed. Preliminary analyses using graph theory show large differences in movement patterns among individual fish. Catch-Per-Unit-Effort analyses show significant differences in population density between sites. Future analyses will examine movement patterns in relation to habitat types, prey species assemblages, fish size, population density, and ambient environmental conditions such as temperature, tide, and season.

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