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Our Work is Making Headlines

01.2013 / National Geographic

World’s Largest Shark Sanctuary Protects Cook Islanders’ ‘Guardians’

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See What We’re Up To in the Big Blue

Did you know a group of rays is a called a “feve

Did you know a group of rays is a called a “fever?”

This fever of Ocellated Eagle Rays was captured by one of our baited remove underwater video systems (BRUVS).

Have you ever been lucky enough to dive with a group of rays?

#rays #EagleRay #OcellatedEagleRay #FlyLikeAnEagle #BRUV #BRUVS #MarineConservation #conservation #UnderwaterWorld #underwater #diving #SCUBA

What’s happening when we aren’t in the water?

What’s happening when we aren’t in the water?

To understand this, we use a variety of technology, including electronic tracking, cameras and baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS).

BRUVS are a great way to see which sharks and rays are present without having people in the water. They also give us valuable information about things like coral cover, bottom contours, water clarity and which non-shark species exist in the area and how they interact with one another.

Here, our team deploys BRUVS so we can learn more about the species on Penrhyn Island.

Photo: @erinfeinblatt

#shark #sharks #ocean #conservation #MarineConservation #BRUV #BRUVS

Have you ever wondered where our tagged sharks go?

Have you ever wondered where our tagged sharks go? So do we!

In this series we share the journeys of individual sharks as evaluated by our Research Director, Dr. Vinay Udyawer.

The graphic above shows the movement of a male Silky Shark that was tagged in Niue in November 2022 as part of Shark Pacific’s ongoing work there. We’re working with locals to help fishers and sharks coexist in Niuean waters. This shark, named “Mr. Grumpy,” was tagged and released at the Halagigie FAD (recall that FAD stands for: Fish Aggregating Device) by Launoa Gataua, the Head of Niue Fisheries, our trusted partners on this work.

Why do you think Launoa called him Mr Grumpy?

Why do scientists tag sharks? “We tag and track

Why do scientists tag sharks?

“We tag and track sharks to learn more about their movement patterns. Tracking studies can tell us a lot about how different species of sharks migrate, behave, and interact with their environment. This information helps us understand their ecological roles, and assess their vulnerability to environmental and human pressures. Tracking data can help us also devise conservation strategies, including designing protected areas and developing sustainable fishing practices, ensuring that shark populations remain healthy and continue fulfilling their essential role in maintaining a healthy ocean ecosystem.”
— Dr. Vinay Udyawer. Research Director, Sharks Pacific

To learn more about our tagging methods, visit: sharkspacific.org/field-notes

14th April 2018 . After 6 Days of sailing through

14th April 2018
.
After 6 Days of sailing through rough seas and sleepless nights, the relief of seeing nothing but coconut trees over a horizon was sensational. The ship had finally arrived to Tongareva. We had one month scheduled on the northernmost atoll of the Cook Islands and the team was eager to get to work. But first things first, the equipment would need to be offloaded from the ship before diving in.

Images: @erinfeinblatt