shark

Successful first in-person summit for the Caribbean Shark Coalition

Nederlands, Papiamento and Papiamentu below.

 

The Caribbean Shark Coalition (CSC) met for their first in-person summit in St. Maarten from September 12-16, 2022. The workshop brought together stakeholders from 14 different countries to provide in-field training and support towards the long-term goals of building capacity for shark and ray science and conservation in the Greater Caribbean region. 

Within the Caribbean, protection for sharks and ray varies from island to island. Even on islands that have established shark sanctuaries or shark protection measures, there are still significant gaps in education, outreach and enforcement.  In an effort to build a more unified network for shark and ray conservation, the CSC brought together individuals from 14 different countries across the Greater Caribbean region to share details of their particular challenges and successes, and to provide training on how to properly plan and execute shark conservation projects in their home countries in the future. The CSC was co-founded by the  Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) and Beneath the Waves (BTW)  in 2020 in response to international calls for enhanced, collaborative conservation efforts for sharks and rays in the Greater Caribbean region. 

In-Field Training 

Working together with the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, SXM Divers and Aquamania, participants spent two days learning how to deploy Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) stations for non-invasive habitat and species monitoring. Participants learned how to deploy and retrieve BRUVs, uniform data collection and recording techniques, and discussed methods and implementation for the devices in future projects. 

Participants also received hands on training for properly tagging and handling three species of sharks, including tiger sharks, Caribbean reef sharks and blacknose sharks. These skills include how to set a drum line, how to safely secure and release a shark, standard methods for measurements, application of visual and passive integrated transponder tags and how to take biological samples, just to name a few.

Copyright Drew McDougall, Beneath the Waves

 

Workshop 

In conjunction with the in-field portion, participants also attended a full-day workshop to review the methodology used in the field and, more importantly, learned how to put this data into action. Dr. Oliver Shipley, Senior Research Scientist at BTW, provided key insight for proper data analysis and visualizations, important for connecting science, policy, and the general public. Tadzio Bervoets, former Director of DCNA, led a roundtable discussion on the number of challenges facing sharks (and marine conservation in general) throughout the wider Caribbean, and invited each participant to provide personal insights into how their individual organizations combat these challenges. 

Future Conservation 

Building collaboration throughout the Caribbean region works to improve interisland communication and build local capacity while also providing a deeper understanding for marine conservation and protection as a whole.  Moving forward, connections made throughout this workshop will help influence and shape shark and ray projects in the future.

The workshop is coordinated by the DCNA and BTW and is made possible thanks to funding from Blue Marine Foundation, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-NL) and operational support from GoPro for a Cause. 

Copyright Drew McDougall, Beneath the Waves

 

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Nederlands

Eerste succesvolle in levende lijve bijeenkomst voor de Caribbean Shark Coalition

De Caribbean Shark Coalition (CSC) ontmoette elkaar voor hun eerste keer in levende lijve in St. Maarten van 12-16 september 2022. De workshop bracht belanghebbenden uit 14 verschillende landen samen voor in-field training en om de lange termijn doelen voor capaciteitsopbouw voor de wetenschap en bescherming van haaien en roggen in het Caribische gebied te ondersteunen.

Binnen het Caribisch gebied varieert de bescherming van haaien en roggen drastisch van eiland tot eiland. Zelfs op eilanden die haaienreservaten hebben opgericht, zijn er nog steeds aanzienlijke tekortkomingen in onderwijs, outreach en handhaving. In een poging om een ​​meer verenigd netwerk voor het behoud van haaien en roggen op te bouwen, bracht de CSC individuen uit 14 verschillende landen in het Caribisch gebied samen om meer informatie over hun specifieke uitdagingen en successen te delen en training te geven om haaienbeschermingsprojecten in de toekomst goed te plannen en uit te voeren. De CSC werd in 2020 opgericht door de Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) en Beneath the Waves (BTW) als reactie op internationale oproepen om de gezamenlijke inspanningen voor het behoud van haaien en roggen in het Caribisch gebied te verbeteren.

In-Field Training

In samenwerking met Nature Foundation St. Maarten, SXM Divers en Aqua Mania heeft het CSC twee dagen in het water doorgebracht om te leren hoe de zogenaamde Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs)  kunnen worden ingezet voor het monitoren van niet-invasieve habitats en soorten. Deelnemers leerden hoe ze BRUV’s konden inzetten en ophalen, uniforme gegevensverzameling en -registratie, en bespraken methoden en implementatie voor de apparaten in toekomstige projecten.

Deelnemers kregen ook praktische training voor het correct merken van drie soorten haaien, waaronder tijgerhaaien, Caribische rifhaaien en zwartsnuithaaien. Deze vaardigheden omvatten onder andere het opzetten van een drumlijn, het veilig vasthouden en loslaten van een haai, standaardmethoden voor metingen, het aanbrengen van Floy-tags en passieve geïntegreerde transpondertags en het nemen van biologische monsters.

Foto credit: Drew McDougall, Beneath the Waves- alle rechten voorbehouden

Workshop

Naast het veldgedeelte, namen de deelnemers ook deel aan een workshop om de in het veld gebruikte methodologie te herzien en, belangrijker nog, te leren hoe deze gegevens in actie konden worden gebracht. Dr. Oliver Shipley, Senior Research Scientist bij BTW, gaf belangrijke inzichten voor goede data-analyse en visualisaties, belangrijk voor het verbinden van wetenschap en het grote publiek. Tadzio Bervoets, voormalig directeur van DCNA, leidde een rondetafelgesprek over een aantal uitdagingen waarmee haaien en het behoud van de zee in het algemeen in het Caribisch gebied worden geconfronteerd en nodigde elke deelnemer uit om persoonlijk inzicht te geven in hoe hun individuele organisaties deze uitdagingen aanpakken.

Toekomstig behoud

Het opbouwen van samenwerkingsverbanden in het hele Caribische gebied werkt om de communicatie tussen de eilanden te verbeteren en lokale capaciteit op te bouwen, terwijl het ook een dieper inzicht geeft in het behoud en de bescherming van de zee als geheel. In de toekomst zullen de verbindingen die tijdens deze workshop werden gelegd, helpen bij het beïnvloeden en vormgeven van toekomstige haaien- en roggenprojecten.

De workshop werd gecoördineerd door het DCNA en BTW en werd mogelijk gemaakt dankzij financiering van Blue Marine FoundationWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-NL)  en operationele steun van GoPro for a Cause.

Foto credit: Drew McDougall, Beneath the Waves- alle rechten voorbehouden

 

 

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Papiamento 

Exitoso prome cumbre presencial pa Caribbean Shark Coalition

Caribbean Shark Coalition (CSC) a reuni pa su prome cumbre presencial na St. Maarten di dia 12 pa dia 16 di september di aña 2022. E tayer a reuni stakeholder di 14 diferente pais pa brinda capacitacion den veld y duna apoyo na meta riba termino largo di creacion di capacidad pa ciencia y conservacion di tiburon y manta den region di Gran Caribe. 

Dentro di Caribe proteccion di tiburon y manta ta varia di un isla pa otro. Hasts na e islanan cu a establece santuario di tiburon of medida di proteccion di tiburon, te ainda tin gap significativo den educacion, divulgacion y cumplimento. Den un intento pa construi un red mas uni pa conservacion di tiburon y manta, CSC a reuni persona di 14 diferente pais di region di Gran Caribe pa comparti detaye di nan desafionan y exitonan particular, y pa brinda capacitacion tocante con pa planea y ehecuta adecuadamente proyecto di conservacion di tiburon na nan pais di origen den futuro. CSC a wordo cofundado door di Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) y Beneath the Waves (BTW) na aña 2020 como reaccion na e yamadanan internacional pa mehora e esfuersonan colaborativo di conservacion di tiburon y manta den region di Gran Caribe. 

Capacitacion den veld 

Den cooperacion cu Nature Foundation St. Maarten, SXM Divers y Aquamania, e participantenan a  pasa dos dia siñando con pa implementa stacion di Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) pa monitoreo no invasivo di habitat y especie. E participantenan a siña con pa implementa y busca BRUV, tecnica uniforme di recoleccion y registro di dato, y nan a discuti metodo y implementacion di e aparatonan den futuro proyecto. 

E participantenan tambe a ricibi capacitacion practico pa etiketa y manipula corectamente tres sorto di tiburon, incluyendo tiburon tiger, tiburon di rif di Caribe y tiburon nanishi preto. E habilidadnan aki a inclui con pa configura un drum line, con pa proteha y libra un tiburon na un manera sigur, metodo standard pa midimento, aplicacion di etiketa di transport integra y visual y pasivo y con pa tuma muestra biologico, djis pa menciona algun. 

Fuente di foto: Drew Mc Dougall, Beneath the Wavess

Tayer 

Den combinacion cu e parte di campo, e participantenan tambe a asisti na un tayer di un dia completo pa revisa e metodologia utilisa den e campo y, loke ta mas importante, nan a siña con pa pone e datonan aki den accion. Dr. Oliver Shipley, cientifico investigado senior di BTW, a brinda informacion clave pa analisis y  visualizacion di dato adecuado, importante pa conecta ciencia, maneho y publico en general. Tadzio Bervoets, exdirector di DCNA, a dirigi un combersacion di mesa redonda tocante e cantidad di desafio cu e tiburonnan (y conservacion marino en general) ta confronta den henter Gran Caribe, y a invita cada participante pa brinda informacion personal tocante con su organisacion individual ta combati e desafionan aki. 

Futuro Conservacion  

Creacion di colaboracion den henter e region di Caribe ta funciona pa mehora comunicacion entre e islanan y desaroya capacidad local, mientras cu tambe e ta duna un comprension mas profundo di conservacion y proteccion marino den su totalidad. E conexion realisa durante e tayer aki lo yuda influi y duna forma na proyecto di tiburon y manta den futuro. 

E tayer a wordo coordina pa DCNA y BTW y por a keda realisa danki na financiacion di Blue Marine Foundation, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-NL) y apoyo operativo di GoPro for a Cause. 

Fuente di foto: Drew Mc Dougall, Beneath the Waves

 

 

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Papiamentu

Promé kumbre en persona eksitoso di Caribbean Shark Coalition

Caribbean Shark Coalition / Koalishon di Tribon Karibense (CSC) a reuní pa di promé biaha den un kumbre en persona di 12 pa 16 di sèptèmber 2022 na Sint Maarten. E tayer a trese stakeholdernan for di 14 diferente pais huntu pa haña treinen den práktika i sosten pa metanan pa término largu pa krea kapasidat di konosementu i konservashon di tribon i chuchu den e region di Karibe Amplio 

Denter di e área di Karibe, e protekshon di tribon i chuchu ta varia di isla pa isla. Hasta riba e islanan kaminda nan a introdusí santuario òf medidanan di protekshon di tribon, tin te ainda hiato signifikante den enseñansa, embolbimentu di komunidat i implementashon. Den un intento pa krea un ret di kontakto mas uní pa konservashon di tribon i chuchu, CSC a trese huntu personanan for di 14 diferente pais di e Region di Karibe Amplio, pa kompartí detayenan tokante nan retonan spesífiko i nan éksitonan, i pa duna entrenamentu tokante kon pa planifiká i implementá korektamente proyektonan di konservashon di tribon na nan pais di orígen den futuro. CSC ta fundá na 2020 konhuntamente pa Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) i “Beneath the Waves (BTW) komo reakshon riba yamadanan internashonal pa mas esfuerso di kolaborashon intensifiká pa konservashon di tribon i chuchu den e Region di Karibe Amplio. 

Training den práktika 

Den kolaborashon ku Nature Foundation St. Maarten, SXM DIVERS i Aquamania, e partisipantenan durante dos dia largu a siña kon nan por instalá e asina yamá Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) / stashon di bou di awa ekipá ku as i ku aparato di graba video pa por monitoriá habitat i espesie ku no ta invasivo. Partisipantenan a siña, kon por instalá i rekohé e stashonnan “BRUV”, uso di téknikanan uniforme pa kolekshon di dato, téknika di graba, i a diskutí tokante método i implementashon di e aparatonan den futuro proyektonan. 

E partisipantenan a risibí tambe training práktiko pa por pone marka i atendé korektamente ku  tres tipo di tribon, inkluso tribon tintorero, tribon di ref Karibense i tribon “blacknose shark”. E abilidatnan aki ta enserá kon ta instalá un stashon “drumline”, kon ta atendé safe ku maramentu i ponementu den libertat di tribon, métodonan standarisá pa midimentu, instalá marka visual i marka ku ta manda señal i tambe kon ta tuma muestranan biológiko, pa por menshoná algun aktividat. 

Fuente di foto: Drew Mc Dougall, Beneath the Waves

Tayer 

Den kombinashon ku e parti di riba vèlt, e partisipantenan a tuma parti tambe na un tayer di un dia kompletu pa por evaluá e metodologia ku tabata usa riba tereno i, mas importante ainda, siña kon ta pone e datonan den akshon. Dr. Oliver Shipley, Séniòr Investigadó Sientífiko di BTW, a duna un splikashon importante kon pa yega na análisis korekto di dato i visualisá dato, loke ta importante pa por konektá ku siensia, ku trahamentu di maneho i públiko en general. Tadzo Bervoets, Direktor anterior di DCNA, a dirigí un seshon di diskushon na mesa rondó tokante e kantidat di retonan tokante tribon (i konservashon marino en general) den e área di Karibe Amplio i a invitá kada partisipante pa personalmente duna un bista kon nan organisashonnan lokal ta atendé ku e retonan akí. 

Futuro Konservashon 

Kreando kolaborashon rònt e área di Karibe ta traha pa mehorá e komunikashon entre e islanan i pa krea kapasidat lokal, miéntras ku tambe ta duna un komprenshon mas profundo pa konservashon marino i protekshon di laman den su totalidat. Riba kaminda pa dilanti e konekshonnan, ku a konstruí durante e tayer akí, lo yuda na influensiá i duna forma na proyektonan di tribon i chuchu den futuro. 

E tayer tabata kordiná pa DCNA i BTW i a bira posibel danki na e finansiamentu di Blue Marine FoundationWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-NL) i ku sosten operashonal di GoPro for a Cause.  

Fuente di foto: Drew Mc Dougall, Beneath the Waves

 

 

 

Published in BioNews 58.

 

 

Date
2022
Data type
Media
Theme
Research and monitoring
Geographic location
Aruba
Bonaire
Curacao
Saba
Saba bank
St. Eustatius
St. Maarten
Author

Receivers logbook template- harmonized shark data (R script)

R script

Stela also attached the R script she used for the report. Please let her know if anyone wants to use it and needs her help, and she’ll go through it with you.

If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Stela- stellagrau97@gmail.com

 

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This goes along with the raw data set which can be found here https://www.dcbd.nl/document/receiver-logbook-template-harmonized-shark-...

 

 

Please find attached a receivers logbook template  with explanation and recommendations in the email below, developed by DCNA's Shark Intern Estela Grau and Guido Leurs.

Estela Grau, DCNA's shark intern, harmonized all the shark data recorded in the Dutch Caribbean and is working with Guido Leurs on a report. This report will give a better inside of the distribution patterns of the shark species in our waters. 

To have a better understanding of the Tiger sharks' migration patterns in the Caribbean basin, they obtained all the satellite tag information from the previous expeditions. Moreover, they aim to analyze the distribution patterns of the sharks tagged using acoustic telemetry. To do so, they got in contact with some of your organizations who had placed receivers in their marine parks.

While they were collecting the receivers' logbooks, they noticed some data collection differences between the parks. To facilitate future data analysis of acoustic telemetry, they therefore developed a receivers logbook template. On this template, you will be able to find all the important data they recommend you to collect while working with acoustic receivers. 

As you can see on the Excel file, it is of high importance to write down any time the receiver spends outside of the water once it has already been installed. For instance, if you are doing a check on the receivers. The time and date when you took it out of the water, and placed back, should be recorded. If we miss one of these times, it is very difficult to know if the receiver doesn't have any shark data because the shark wasn't in the area or because the receiver wasn't on the water. 

Moreover, the coordinates were also written down in different formats depending on the park. It would help for future analysis if all the coordinates will be written down in decimal degrees.

 

 

Date
2022
Data type
Raw data

Uncovering the mystery of tiger shark reproduction in the eastern Caribbean

Much of the lives of the most iconic shark species – including the tiger shark – remains a secret, even to shark researchers. This is because these large sharks are capable of migrating thousands of miles across oceans in a single year. One of the most unsolved mystery of sharks’ lives is where adult females go during their pregnancy. Discovering the habitats that are important during this life stage will be critical for creating conservation protections for mother sharks and their developing pups.

Tiger sharks are wide-ranging marine predators that can carry around 10-80 (yes, up to 80!) pups within their womb while pregnant. Finally, after about 15 months in the womb, the mother tiger shark will give birth to the live pups that are around 75 cm long. While we know this basic information about tiger shark reproduction, we have yet to uncover many of the breeding grounds, gestation grounds, and pupping grounds for this migratory species. Discovering this information will require the use of novel technologies, and that’s where our research comes into play.

My name is Brooke Anderson and I am a PhD student at Arizona State University studying sharks, their movements, and their movements relate to reproduction. I am lucky to be a part of this team of researchers trying to figure out if and how pregnant tiger sharks are using the Yarari Sanctuary and the wider Caribbean.

To help solve this mystery, we must first set out to the Saba Bank and do some fishing. Once we catch a large female tiger shark, we will secure her along the research vessel and take several size measurements to confirm that she is healthy and mature. Female tiger sharks mature at a whopping 3 meters in length! We can also examine her for fresh bite marks on her fins or body, which indicates that she had recently mated and could be pregnant.

After we collect this information on her maturity, we will rotate her upside down in the water to initiate tonic immobility. Tonic immobility is a natural reflex in sharks that induces a trance-like state of inactivity. This trance-like state help keeps the shark calm and still for the next part of the workup where my expertise comes into play. I will be able to use a portable ultrasound (from E.I. Medical Imaging) – just like we could use on a human – to get a look inside the shark’s womb for hidden pups. If she is pregnant, we will see on the ultrasound many miniature tiger sharks inside their mother’s womb! We can even use the ultrasound to take measurements and determine the size of the pups – this helps us to estimate how far along in her pregnancy that the mother tiger shark is.

Image of a tiger shark embryo as seen on the portable ultrasound.

Next, we can attach a satellite tag to the mother tiger shark to track where she goes throughout her pregnancy in near real time. This will allow us to determine the extent that the Yarari Sanctuary, Saba Bank, and the surrounding eastern Caribbean are used as important habitats for pregnant tiger sharks for the very first time. With this information, we can help assess the effectiveness of current conservation and management strategies for this near-threatened and ecologically important species. Stay tuned to see if we were able to find pregnant tiger sharks and where they might be headed on their journey to motherhood.

Keep following us on DCNA’s website,  Facebook (Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance), Instagram (dcnanature)  for updates about the Pregnant Tiger Shark Expedition!

 

Article included in the Special Edition BioNews: Tiger Shark Expedition

Date
2021
Data type
Media
Theme
Education and outreach
Research and monitoring
Geographic location
Saba
Saba bank

Tiger Sharks and the Saba Bank

Hi everyone. My name is Ayumi Kuramae Izioka and I work as the as the science coordinator and daily operations manager of the Saba Bank Management Unit (SBMU), on Saba in the Dutch Caribbean.

Saba Bank- Dutch Caribbean. © DCNA/Eseld Imms

The Saba Bank National Park is a large, submerged atoll just 3 nautical miles south of the island of Saba. With a surface area of over 2600km2, it is classified as the 3rd largest of its kind in the world. Such a large area has many different habitats which in turn attracts many different species from the region. With so many different life and biodiversity, it has been classified as biodiverse hotspot in the Caribbean region and recently, it is a marine mammal and shark sanctuary named “Yarari”.

Many different shark species are seen on the Saba Bank, ranging from pelagic species like the Silky sharks to benthic species like the nurse sharks. These sharks are most often seen by fishermen, but also by the park officers who maintain the national park. One of the larger shark species that is commonly seen on the Saba Bank, is the tiger shark.

© Daniel Norwood

Tiger sharks are apex predators, meaning that they are on top of the food chain and maintain a healthy balance of the ecosystem. These sharks are transboundary species, meaning that they cross many different waters as they cruise along our ocean, connecting many countries.

In the previous expeditions done on the Saba Bank, most of the tiger sharks captured were females that were big and old enough to start reproduction. But what are these particular sized females doing here on the Saba Bank? Do they hold the clue to the future generation of tiger sharks, right here on the Saba Bank? If they are already pregnant and ready to give birth, why is the Saba Bank so interesting to them? Or where do these sharks move once they are pregnant?

With this expedition, including the new technology of ultrasound for sharks, we hope to answer a few of these questions. So far we have had very successful days of tagging sharks and we can’t wait to show you more about the tiger sharks. We have been investigated 56 sharks- 39 reef sharks, 1 nurse sharks and 16 tiger sharks.

Keep following us on DCNA’s website,  Facebook (Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance), Instagram (dcnanature) for updates about the Pregnant Tiger Shark Expedition!

 

This article was included in the Special Edition BioNews: Tiger Shark Expedition

Date
2021
Data type
Media
Theme
Education and outreach
Research and monitoring
Tags
Geographic location
Saba
Saba bank

Special Edition Tiger Shark Expedition 2021

The Dutch Caribbean waters are home to more than thirty species of sharks and rays. With the creation of the Yarari Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary in 2015, these species have received increased attention and protection.  The intention of this sanctuary was to create a network of protected habitats stretching across the Caribbean.  Currently this sanctuary includes the waters around the islands of Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire.

Saba Bank

A recent expedition to the Saba Bank focused on learning more about tiger sharks and how they use this habitat.  Saba Bank, located 11 kilometers from Saba, is a submerged atoll world renown for its rich biodiversity.  This seamount rises 1800 meters from the sea floor and is topped with over 100 square kilometers of coral reef. This area is the largest national park within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Expedition

Photo credit © Daniel Norwood (all rights reserved)

The Tiger Shark Expedition was the first of its kind for the Saba Bank.  During this project five satellite tags were attached and researchers confirmed the pregnancy stages via ultrasound for two different species of sharks.  In total, 56 sharks, including 16 tiger sharks, were identified.

This project was a collaborative effort by the Protected Area Management Organizations of the Dutch Caribbean: Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM), St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA)STINAPA Bonaire, the Aruba National Parks Foundation (FPNA), the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) and World Wildlife Fund for Nature- The Netherlands (WWF-NL), Arizona State UniversityUniversity of GroningenBeneath the Waves and funded by the Biodiversity Fund of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature- The Netherlands (WWF-NL) and Dutch Postcode Lottery.

 

Photo credit © Daniel Norwood (all rights reserved)

 

This special edition BioNews is the culmination of these efforts.  Understanding the shark species that utilize the Dutch Caribbean waters is crucial step in improving conservation measures moving forward.

 

 

 

The full special edition can be found here: https://dcnanature.org/tiger-shark/

 

 

Date
2021
Data type
Media
Theme
Education and outreach
Research and monitoring
Geographic location
Saba
Saba bank
St. Eustatius
St. Maarten
Author

Ground-breaking Shark Research Conducted in St. Maarten Waters

During the week of April 11, 2021, members from the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF), and Beneath the Waves conducted multiple ‘scientific firsts’ as part of the “Shark Shakedown” project. The research expedition was a part of a wider research project into tiger sharks in the region funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-NL) through the Biodiversity Funds and the Dutch National Postcode Lottery. The researchers tagged eleven sharks, including for the first time a female pregnant tiger and endangered Caribbean reef shark in the Dutch Caribbean. The data will provide vital information for conservation strategies not only in St. Maarten, but for the wider Caribbean.

© Sami Kattan/Beneath the Waves

 

The expedition lasted five days in which three species of sharks were tagged, including tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier), Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi), and nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) all ranging from sub-adults to adults.

Participants received hands-on training with experts from Beneath the Waves in preparation for the upcoming expedition to the Saba Bank in August 2021. The goal of this upcoming expedition is to determine whether the Saba Bank is a breeding area for tiger sharks in the Eastern Caribbean. The high-definition ultrasound technology the team used was created by E. I. Medical Imaging and pioneered by collaborator Dr. James Sulikowski, of Arizona State University. This technology has successfully been used to identify maturity state and the stage of pregnancy in various shark species, a first for shark science in the region.

The scientists successfully confirmed early pregnancy stage in a large female tiger shark, as well as placed a satellite tag on the shark during the workup process. Using satellite tracking over the next few months, the scientists hope to confirm evidence of Sint Maarten being a breeding location for these globally threatened animals. In another shark tagging ‘first’, Beneath the Waves’ Chief Scientist, Dr. Austin Gallagher, placed the first camera tag on a tiger shark in the Dutch Caribbean. The team successfully recovered the camera package during the expedition, and the animal has already shown promising results regarding shark behavior in the region.

Both the satellite tag and camera tag have shown that these tiger sharks prefer to travel in the area between St. Maarten and St. Barths; however, these are only the first detections. No assumptions can be made yet regarding the movement of these animals.

The information gained from this research will provide a better understanding of the importance of both the status of sharks in Sint Maarten’s territorial waters and in the Yarari Sanctuary and the role these ecosystems play in the life-cycle of tiger sharks in the wider Caribbean region. Tiger sharks are currently categorized as Near-Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature while Caribbean reef sharks have very recently been upgraded to Endangered. Sharks play key roles in maintaining the balance within local and regional marine ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity and therefore their protection is crucial.

Follow the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance’s Facebook, Instagram (dcnanature) or DCNA’s website(https://dcnanature.org/news/) to learn more about the shark expedition and other nature news from the Dutch Caribbean.

*Disclaimer* Though we are still in the midst of a pandemic, the partners of this project have strived to ensure all participants were safe to work amongst each other and to continue the important work of nature conservation in the Dutch Caribbean.

For more information please contact the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance by email info@dcnanature.org or phone +599.717.5010.

 

 

Article published in BioNews 42

Date
2021
Data type
Media
Theme
Education and outreach
Research and monitoring
Geographic location
St. Maarten
Author

Shark abundance on the deep island slopes of the Dutch Caribbean ABC - islands: A potential conservation and research opportunity

Large marine apex predators have become exceedlingly rare in shallow neritic waters around most Caribbean islands, including the ABC-island (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) of the Leeward Dutch Caribbean. This is especially the case for several species of sharks. In May 2000, 24 2-hr long deepwater submersible dives were conducted off the isaldns of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, at depths ranging between 80-900m.  Eight shark sightings were recorded, amounting to 6 different species, among which the endnagered Hexanchus griseus. These observations suggest a surprising diversity and density of deepwater sharks aroudn the steep island slopes of leeward Dutch islands.

Date
2014
Data type
Other resources
Theme
Research and monitoring
Geographic location
Aruba
Bonaire
Curacao