Similarly, marine mammals show behavioral alterations ( i.e. For instance, terrestrial wildlife like mammals 4 and birds 5 are more vigilant near humans, resulting in decreased food intake and reduced reproductive success. Influencing the fitness, human linked behavioral alterations should be taken into account for management strategies to ensure the persistence of populations.īeyond overexploitation and the global defaunation of all ecosystems on Earth 1, humans can induce behavioral alterations on animals with potential consequences on their fitness 2, 3. We also show that only large no-entry reserves (above 150 km²) can protect the behavior of grey reef sharks found in the wilderness. The probability of occurrence decreased by 68.9% between wilderness areas (more than 25 hours travel time from the capital city) and impacted areas while the few individuals occurring in impacted areas exhibited cautious behavior. Using an extensive sampling of 367 stereo baited underwater videos systems, we show modifications in grey reef shark ( Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) occurrence and feeding behavior along a marked gradient of isolation from humans across the New Caledonian archipelago (South-Western Pacific). Such alterations are well known for terrestrial fauna but poorly documented for marine species. However, beyond direct exploitation, human activities can produce indirect or sub-lethal effects such as behavioral alterations. Reef sharks are vulnerable predators experiencing severe population declines mainly due to overexploitation. Influencing the fitness, human linked behavioral alterations should be taken into account for management strategies to ensure the persistence of populations. We also show that only large no-entry reserves (above 150 km²) can protect the behavior of grey reef sharks found in the wilderness. The probability of occurrence decreased by 68.9% between wilderness areas (more than 25 hours travel time from the capital city) and impacted areas while the few individuals occurring in impacted areas exhibited cautious behavior. Using an extensive sampling of 367 stereo baited underwater videos systems, we show modifications in grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) occurrence and feeding behavior along a marked gradient of isolation from humans across the New Caledonian archipelago (South-Western Pacific).

Into the wilderness shark