GoPro for a Cause Spotlight: Tracking Tiger Sharks with Beneath the Waves

Each year the world tunes into Shark Week-highly anticipated programming dedicated to the science and conservation of one of the ocean's most misunderstood and captivating creatures. For Shark Week 2023, it's only fitting to discuss how tiger sharks recently led scientists at Beneath the Waves to a new discovery-the world's largest seagrass meadow in the Bahamas.

Beneath the Waves, an organization dedicated to promoting ocean health and using science to catalyze ocean policy, has been involved in numerous first-ever discoveries, studying nearly one million square kilometers of marine protected areas across the globe. We're big fans of their work, and over the past few years, we've shared updates on their shark conservation programs.

Led by Liv Dixon, Research Coordinator and Marine Biologist, the team at Beneath the Waves teamed up with The Nature Foundation St. Maarten and set out to map and assess the blue carbon ecosystems (BCE) found throughout the seagrass meadows in the Dutch Caribbean to develop long-term sustainable solutions for the island nation. For those unfamiliar with BCE, they are a critical nature-based solution to climate change, and some even argue they're more beneficial to the planet than the rain forest. While they only occupy 0.2% of the ocean, they can capture 50% of all carbon stored in the ocean, which makes them invaluable. Unfortunately, mapping seagrass meadows is no easy feat and can be challenging, which is why tiger sharks were so critical to this mission.

GoPro: How did tiger sharks impact your research?

Liv Dixon: Using the GoPro footage captured via custom camera tags on the dorsal fins of eight tiger sharks is how we discovered a seagrass meadow that spans the size of the entire country of the Bahamas (roughly 35,000 sq miles). By comparing underwater footage alongside images from space, we were able to better understand which animals are benefitting from seagrass meadows, giving us more ground to study and protect them.

Our goal is and will always be to continue to educate others on the importance of BCEs, because at the moment, we're looking at them as being a potential solution to the world's climate change problem. This is why monetary and camera donations from GoPro for a Cause are mission critical for our research, as they provide the resources for local scientists in our communities that are at the forefront of combatting climate change through marine science, and we're now one step closer to introducing this to other countries dedicated to our movement.

How can the GoPro community support your work?

I am so fortunate to see the ocean and witness its beautiful inhabitants in a way that many others don't get the chance to. GoPro continues to support our vision to capture and share these moments and discoveries with the rest of the world. I truly believe this helps connect people to the ocean, inspiring and heightening the drive to love and protect this wonderful blue planet.

To check out the latest discoveries from Beneath the Waves and to learn more about blue carbon ecosystems and their value to climate change and biodiversity, follow their social media channels: Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

You can also donate to their cause, which directly funds the work they're doing to positively impact the ocean and the future of our world's ecosystems.

GoPro for a Cause - our nonprofit partnership and donation program - supports eligible nonprofits to varying degrees with in-kind or cash donations and employee volunteer time. You can learn more about getting involved with GoPro for a Cause here.

LINK:	https://gopro.com/en/gb/news/heroes-beneath-the-waves-tiger-sharks...
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