Fall Migration Tracking of Cownose Rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) Using Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags

Cownose rays are a common, data-limited elasmobranch species along the southeast United States coast, which have received negative attention in recent years. Concerns and accusations regarding considerable predation on commercial shellfish populations by these rays have resulted in the need for a management plan. Many life history characteristics have been well documented for this species, yet we know little regarding population abundance and migration patterns. We addressed the latter by tagging 16 cownose rays in the Chesapeake Bay during the summer with pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) to study their fall migration and identify wintering grounds. We received reports from 12 tags on both male and female rays, spanning between 5-147 days at liberty with temperature, pressure (depth) and light level measurements. The migration tracks are deciphered through geolocation based on light levels, sea surface temperatures and depth constraints and PSAT pop-up locations suggest southern wintering grounds off the Florida coast. Information on the fall migration for male and female cownose rays will assist in determining focal areas for management.