Dr. Owen O'Shea holding one of the smaller rays during an 'in-water' workup

Global elasmobranch declines are well documented, yet rays have received far less attention than sharks despite sharing similar life histories that make them susceptible to extrinsic pressure. In The Bahamas, nothing is known of diversity, range or population sizes of rays despite their functional significance in coastal and nearshore ecosystems, as well as foci for ecotourism ventures that provide to the local economy. Despite these facts, The IUCN lists many Caribbean species as ‘data deficient’.

In The Bahamas, the dynamic nature of fragmented habitats provides challenges for live bearing species to propagate due to deep ocean basins that separate larger islands as well as fragmented island chains that likely mediate migratory pathways for reproductive purposes. Recently, we determined for the very first time that a relatively robust population of whiptail rays (Himantura schmardae) inhabit ecosystems in south Eleuthera and are found throughout the Exuma Island Chain. This network of fragmented cays and islets provides an ideal ecosystem in which to study how fragmentation of habitats affects genetic diversity and gene flow.

In the absence of direct empirical data on spatial habitat use over temporal scales by this species, genetic analysis will provide insight into spatial scales of connectivity in a fragmented seascape. This will ultimately promote different prospects for conservation initiatives for both species and ecosystems once migratory pathways, dispersal range and possible breeding aggregations are identified through DNA analysis.