Social interactions play a pivotal role in shaping the behaviors and survival strategies of various species. Historically, sharks have been viewed as solitary marine predators. However, recent studies have unveiled complex social behaviors in species like the blacktip reef shark and the grey reef shark, particularly within the coral reefs of French Polynesia. Employing complex systems theory, this research delved into these interactions, utilizing acoustic data from the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) to form networks depicting leader-follower dynamics. These networks, upon refinement, resembled a hierarchical Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG). A comparison with randomized networks emphasized the unique hierarchical nature of the observed networks. The research findings encompassed a detailed analysis of event data, network inferences, and strategies to elucidate the hierarchical structures. The results provide a profound understanding of the social hierarchies within these shark species and pave the way for future investigations into the sophisticated social behaviors of marine life.
Supervisors: Víctor M. Eguíluz, Juan Fernández-Gracia
Jury: Tomás Sintes, Miguel Cornelles Soriano, Juan Fernández-Gracia
Presential, with parallel Zoom stream:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87648013705?pwd=aCLiTUzSAaH6C6q2QpzKSw6y5aIfLX.1
ID de reunión: 876 4801 3705
Código de acceso: 997497
Contact details:
Juan Fernández Gracia Contact form