Updates on habitat use and migrations patterns for shortfin mako in the Atlantic using satellite telemetry

This paper provides an update of the study on habitat use for shortfin mako, developed within the ICCAT Shark Research and Data Collection Program (SRDCP). A total of 43 tags (29 miniPATs and 14 sPATs) have been deployed by observers on Portuguese, Uruguayan, Brazilian, Spanish and US vessels in the temperate NE and NW, Equatorial and SW Atlantic. Data from 41 tags/specimens are available, and a total of 1656 tracking days have been recorded. Results showed shortfin mako moved in multiple directions, travelling considerable distances. Shortfin mako sharks spent most of their time above the thermocline (0-90 m), between 18 and 22 °C. The main plan for the next phase of the project is to continue the tag deployment during 2019 in several regions of the Atlantic.