Habitat management and closure of a nurse shark breeding and nursery ground

The nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) is a common resident of Florida and Caribbean waters. In spite of its prevalence, details of nurse shark life history and ecology are not well known. Ongoing studies have identified a population that undergoes mating and parturition in one specific site in the Florida Keys. Our tagging, observation, and filming have demonstrated that reproductive activities occur preferentially for some animals in very shallow coastal waters, and one such site became the study area. From our continuing investigations we have learned that mating activities of the sharks in this area are vulnerable to the disruptive effects of wading, diving, photography (electronic flash), boat traffic, and human presence during the times when mating occurs. To reduce disruptive activities during the mating season, a proposal to protect this mating and nursery grounds was submitted to the National Park Service. Three elements of protection that we felt were critical to implement were to: (1) recognize a specific area as unique and critical to the breeding success of the sharks, (2) restrict the public during times identified by our research as essential for mating, and (3) implement a program of public education. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.