Map-like use of Earth's magnetic field in sharks

Bryan A Keller; Nathan F Putman; R Dean Grubbs; David S Portnoy; Timothy P Murphy

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.103

Map-like use of Earth's magnetic field in sharks

Curr Biol. 2021 Jul 12;31(13):2881-2886.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.103. Epub 2021 May 6.

Authors

Bryan A Keller¹, Nathan F Putman², R Dean Grubbs³, David S Portnoy⁴, Timothy P Murphy⁵

Affiliations

¹ Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, 3618 Coastal Highway 98, St. Teresa, FL 32358, USA. Electronic address: bryan.keller@noaa.gov.
² LGL Ecological Research Associates, 4103 South Texas Avenue, Suite 211, Bryan, TX 77802, USA.
³ Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, 3618 Coastal Highway 98, St. Teresa, FL 32358, USA.
⁴ Marine Genomics Laboratory, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA.
⁵ Florida State University, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.

PMID: 33961785
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.103

Abstract

Migration is common in marine animals,^1-5 and use of the map-like information of Earth's magnetic field appears to play an important role.²^,^6-9 While sharks are iconic migrants^10-12 and well known for their sensitivity to electromagnetic fields,^13-20 whether this ability is used for navigation is unresolved.¹⁴^,¹⁷^,²¹^,²² We conducted magnetic displacement experiments on wild-caught bonnetheads (Sphyrna tiburo) and show that magnetic map cues can elicit homeward orientation. We further show that use of a magnetic map to derive positional information may help explain aspects of the genetic structure of bonnethead populations in the northwest Atlantic.^23-26 These results offer a compelling explanation for the puzzle of how migratory routes and population structure are maintained in marine environments, where few physical barriers limit movements of vagile species. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Keywords: compass sense; elasmobranch; homing; magnetic-based navigation; map sense; migration; shark.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

Animals
Cues
Magnetic Fields
Sharks*