Basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) schooling in the southern Gulf of Maine |
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| Authors: | Steven G. Wilson |
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| Affiliation: | Edgerton Research Laboratory, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA |
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| Abstract: | Schools of up to 50 basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) were observed on the warm side of a persistent thermal front in the southern Gulf of Maine from early September through mid‐October 2002. Aerial photographs showed a variety of schooling patterns, including echelon, cartwheel and milling formations. While the function of these aggregations remains unknown, they may represent group courtship behaviour. |
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| Keywords: | basking sharks courtship fronts Gulf of Maine remote sensing schooling sea surface temperature |
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