Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

0000-0002-5487-0779

Advisor

Drymon, James

Committee Member

Allen, Peter

Committee Member

Passerotti, Michelle

Date of Degree

8-12-2026

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU Only 1 year

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Campus Access Only

Major

Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Abstract

Current and reliable life history data are necessary for informed management of Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) in the western North Atlantic Ocean (WNA), for which the stock status is unknown. Age and growth estimates were derived from vertebral band counts for 252 Tiger Sharks collected from the Gulf of America (GOA) and U.S. Atlantic coast. Results from multiple growth functions fitted to length-at-age data demonstrated little difference in Tiger Shark growth parameters between sexes or regions within the WNA and suggest that WNA Tiger Sharks grow more quickly and reach smaller sizes than previously reported (L_inf=317 cm fork length; k=0.17 years-1). Population maturity parameters calculated for the GOA (n=166) suggest that Tiger Sharks mature earlier and at smaller sizes than previously estimated, with females exhibiting the greatest differences. Findings from this study underscore the importance of a multi-model approach and highlight potential impacts of sampling design on elasmobranch life history parameter estimates.

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