THE SHARK NURSERY OF BULLS BAY, SOUTH-CAROLINA, WITH A REVIEW OF THE SHARK NURSERIES OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED-STATES

Shark nurseries, or nursery areas, are geographically discrete parts o f a species range where the gravid females of most species of coastal sharks deliver their young or deposit their eggs, and where their youn g spend their first weeks, months, or years. These areas are usually l ocated in shallow, energy rich coastal areas where the young find abun dant food and have little predation by larger sharks. Nurseries are ch aracterized by the presence of both gravid females and free swimming n eonates. Neonates are young bearing fresh, unhealed umbilical scars in the case of placental species, or those at or near the birth size in aplacental species. Bulls Bay, South Carolina, is a nursery for the bl acknose, spinner, finetooth, blacktip, sandbar, dusky, Atlantic sharp- nose, scalloped hammerhead, and smooth dogfish sharks. The lemon shark has its nursery in shallow waters of south Florida and the Bahamas. T he bull shark has its nursery in the lagoons of the east coast of cent ral Florida.