turtle island tiger shark research
02/10/2018
Sep 26, 2018
By Elisa Chan of the Turtle Island Restoration Network
Over 300 miles off the coast of Costa Rica lies the jewel of the Pacific Ocean, Isla del Coco. Described by Jacque Cousteau as the most beautiful island on earth, this oceanic island boasts a rich marine ecosystem, unique flora, and secrets of the deep ocean. In an effort to continue to learn about the mysteries of the Coco Islands, a team of marine biologists from Turtle Island Restoration Network, the crew from Undersea Hunter, and Park Rangers from Cocos Island National Park worked together to document the behavior of one of the most elusive marine visitors-the tiger shark.
Tiger shark encounters are common and welcomed by divers at Cocos. However, in November 2017, visitors experienced the first-ever deadly attack by a tiger shark. While removing the shark involved in the attack was discussed, there is no photographic evidence from the incident, and therefore, no action was taken. Subsequent close encounters with tiger sharks have been photo-documented, but further data is needed to determine that only one shark was involved.
While this ultimate question remains unanswered, many additional questions need to be answered to adequately understand what may have led to this behavioral change. For example, did environmental changes-like less available food-lead to the attack? If it is a single shark that is involved in both the fatal attack and the increasingly aggressive encounters, is it new to Cocos, and where might it have come from? Is it ill perhaps, or maybe it has been habituated to humans by being fed?
Turtle Island and other research colleagues, as well as park managers seek answers to these questions in order to best manage the situation-protecting both wild and human life.
To drive this effort forward, Todd Steiner and Callie Veelenturf, marine biologists from Turtle Island Restoration Network, proposed luring tiger sharks to the surface using a plastic sea turtle mounted with GoPro cameras to capture feeding behavior, provide footage for photo identification, and deploy acoustic tags on the animals from the safety of the boat to better understand the sharks' movements. This research effort is allowed under special permits from Costa Rican National Park Service.
In August 2018, the team gathered their gear at the end of the dive day and boarded the skiffs to a site known as Manuelita Coral Garden. Tiger sharks are known to frequent this area to feed on boobie chicks that often fall from the cliff's edge. Here the team waited, ready with the turtle lure mounted with GoPros and pole spears loaded with acoustic tags. The plastic sea turtle nervously floated behind the boat, as the team watched intensely for shark shaped shadows in the water.
The first day proved the most successful with five sightings-and distant underwater footage of a tiger shark was captured from the turtle-mounted GoPro cameras. This success provided the team with confidence in their potential new approach for tagging and documenting sharks in the Coco Island region. Additional evenings were spent in the field; however, our team's schedule didn't seem to line up with tiger shark feeding time in this area on those days.
Nevertheless, the team at SeaTurtles.org will continue using this method over the coming months in an effort to uncover the full story behind these tiger shark encounters and create a management plan for the safety of both dive visitors and the tiger shark population. Thank you GoPro for supporting these efforts, from everyone with a love for the ocean and our fishy friends. You're turtle-y awesome.
Click here you're like to continue to support this incredible team. You can purchase items in-need directly, or contribute to their Microplastic research expedition budget. To learn more about our upcoming Coco Island trips, go here.
Elisa Chan is a friend of Turtle Island Restoration Network, a nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing people in local communities around the world to protect marine wildlife and the oceans and inland watersheds that sustain them. She was a guest on the August Undersea Hunter / TIRN expedition.
Most recent headlines
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with URSA Broadcast G2
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
28/03/2024
ENCO to Add AI News Anchor to Qimera Virtual Production Set
NOVI, Mich. During the 2024 NAB Show, ENCO will be showcasing an AI-driven virtual anchor delivering live news from a realistic 3D virtual news set....
28/03/2024
Johan de Nysschen Named President and CEO of ARRI Americas
MUNICH ARRI has announced that Johan de Nysschen has been put in charge of the ARRI Americas team as president and CEO ARRI Americas Inc....
28/03/2024
Fubo Inks Carriage Deal with YES Network
NEW YORK The YES Network and FuboTV have reached a multi-year carriage agreement that will allow Fubo to launch YES in its Pro base channel plan in time for YES...
28/03/2024
Dalet to Demo AI-Enabled Production, Automation and Monetization at NAB 2024
PARIS Dalet has announced that during its 2024 NAB showcase (booth #W1713), attendees can experience firsthand Dalet's collaborative, AI-enabled workflows t...
28/03/2024
Blackmagic Design Used on 2024 Oscar Nominated Films
Blackmagic Design Used on 2024 Oscar Nominated Films Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design congratulates the many film professional...
28/03/2024
Arkona to Introduce BLADE//master Control and Orchestration Service at NAB 2024
Arkona to Introduce BLADE//master Control and Orchestration Service at NAB 2024 Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments New option for BLADE//runner ke...
28/03/2024
Join Maxon for NAB 2024
Join Maxon for NAB 2024 Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments Maxon returns to NAB with presentations by artists from around the world and demos of t...
28/03/2024
Boston Conservatory to Present Center Stage Production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Huntington
Boston Conservatory to Present Center Stage Production of A Midsummer Night'...
28/03/2024
The 4K cameras giving audiences an astronaut's view of Earth
TVBEurope meets Charles Black, founder and CEO of Sen, which has sent a payload of 4K cameras to the ISS to livestream images of Earth to audiences around the w...
28/03/2024
2024 Big Night In Raises $145k to Support Triangle Arts Councils
Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV once again proudly supported our local arts community with the broadcast of Big Night in for the Arts Thursday, March 7, 2024. ...
28/03/2024
JIC, MRC Announce Accord On Roles In Judging Measurement Companies
With more companies offering different approaches to measuring television viewing and campaign effectiveness, two of the groups that evaluate potential media bu...
28/03/2024
Hulu Added to Disney Plus App for Bundle Subscribers
The Walt Disney Co. said that it launched Hulu on Disney Plus, which makes Hulu programming available via the Disney Plus app....
28/03/2024
GroupM To Double Ad Spending On Women's Sports Programming
Giant media buyer GroupM said it plans to double its media spending on women's sports....
28/03/2024
Scripps Renews State Farm As Sponsor of Friday Night WNBA on Ion
Scripps Sports said that State Farm has signed a new multi-year agreement to continue as the title sponsor of Ion's Friday night WNBA telecasts....
28/03/2024
Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington Sign On for Imperfect Women' on Apple TV Plus
Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington will star in, and executive produce, Imperfe...
28/03/2024
Telemundo Station Group Addresses Climate Change With Month-Long Initiative
Telemundo Station Group launches the month-long climate change initiative Our Planet Thursday, March 28. The multiplatform campaign ends on Earth Day, April 22,...
28/03/2024
Circle City Broadcasting Renews Nielsen Ratings Deal
Nielsen said that Circle City Broadcasting, owner of WISH-TV in Indianapolis, has renewed its local TV measurement deal....
28/03/2024
Lionsgate Extends Deal With Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures
Lionsgate Television said it extended its deal with Point Grey Pictures, the production company led by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver....
28/03/2024
Ariana DeBose Back as Tonys Host
Ariana DeBose returns as host of the Tony Awards Sunday, June 16, on CBS and Paramount Plus. It is her third consecutive time hosting, and it will be the 77th T...
28/03/2024
The Steve Wilkos Show' Renewed for Season 18
The Steve Wilkos Show has been renewed for its 18th season in national syndication, Tracie Wilson, executive VP, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios & E! News, sai...
28/03/2024
Sinclair Selects Embrace as Its Media Orchestration Engine
PARIS Embrace, a developer of advanced automation and orchestration software solutions, has announced that Sinclair Broadcast Group has selected Embrace's P...
28/03/2024
Nielsen and Circle City Broadcasting Renew Local TV Measurement Deal
NEW YORK Nielsen has a multi-year renewal with Circle City Broadcasting, Indianas only locally owned and operated broadcast and digital news media network, for ...
28/03/2024
JVC to Demo Its First Ever 40x Zoom PTZ Camera Series at 2024 NAB Show
LAS VEGAS JVC Professional Video has announced that it will debut its new KY-PZ540 Series PTZ Cameras with 40x zoom at 2024 NAB Show (Booth C4720)....
28/03/2024
Brightcove Launches Cloud Playout 2.0
BOSTON Brightcove has announced the launch of Cloud Playout 2.0, a platform that the company said will offer customers new ways to create linear channels, monet...
28/03/2024
NBC Sports Chicago to Air First-Ever Animated Real-Time Local Sports Telecast
The Chicago Blackhawks and NBC Sports Chicago have announced a collaboration with the NHL to bring fans the first-ever local animated real-time sports telecast....
28/03/2024
The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional
The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional Andy Marken March 28, 2024 0 Comments Hero image source News of the World, Perfect Wo...
28/03/2024
Tonight on House of Zwide: Zanele informs Zola of her pregnancy
Tonight on House of Zwide: Zanele informs Zola of her pregnancyDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie House of Zwide o...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Umkhokha: MaMzobe outsmarts Gabisile but Difa's suspicion rises
Tonight on Umkhokha: MaMzobe outsmarts Gabisile but Difa's suspicion risesDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie U...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Uzalo: Mbatha wins Linda Sibiya over
Tonight on Uzalo: Mbatha wins Linda Sibiya overDon't miss Wednesday, 27 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Uzalo on SABC 1 on DStv channel...
28/03/2024
Greater Scope: Doctors Get Inside Look at Gut Health With AI-Powered Endoscopy
From humble beginnings as a university spinoff to an acquisition by the leading global medtech company in its field, Odin Vision has been on an accelerated jour...
28/03/2024
Generations: The Legacy - Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]
Generations: The Legacy - Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The S...
28/03/2024
Prison Journalism: Witness the Cycle from the Streets
Prison Journalism: Witness the Cycle from the StreetsWesley Leong was incarcerated at the age of 15 in 1996 at Pollsmoor Prison. He is currently part of Restore...
28/03/2024
Prison Journalism: Inmate pre-release and release processes
Prison Journalism: Inmate pre-release and release processesDean Mashimbwe, a Zimbabwean migrant residing in Cape Town, was incarcerated at Pollsmoor Correctiona...
28/03/2024
Streaming today: When You Finish Saving The World' on Netflix - 28 March 2024
Streaming today: When You Finish Saving The World' on Netflix - 28 March 20...
28/03/2024
Prison Journalism: The Story of Paulus
Prison Journalism: The Story of PaulusDavid van Nek was incarcerated in Pollsmoor Prison from 2013 until 2015 and participated in the restorative justice progra...
28/03/2024
Prison Journalism: Inside and Outside
Prison Journalism: Inside and OutsideFawaaz Adendorff was incarcerated in Pollsmoor Correctional Centre and participated in a Restorative Justice programme whil...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Muvhango: Imani escapes Khumo's hellhole
Tonight on Muvhango: Imani escapes Khumo's hellholeDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Muvhango on SABC 2 on DS...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Generations: Kea can sense her brother is hiding something
Tonight on Generations: Kea can sense her brother is hiding somethingDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Generation...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Magolide and Tiny compete against each other
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Magolide and Tiny compete against each otherDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Smoke...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Champions: Washington's struggle takes an unexpected turn
Tonight on Champions: Washington's struggle takes an unexpected turnDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Champio...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Scandal: Tibi's meltdown softens a teacher
Tonight on Scandal: Tibi's meltdown softens a teacherDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Scandal! on e.tv on DS...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Gqeberha: Lulama tells Thulani that she's pregnant with his child
Tonight on Gqeberha: Lulama tells Thulani that she's pregnant with his childDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie...
28/03/2024
Tonight on My Brother's Keeper: Ndumiso has the wrong end of the stick
Tonight on My Brother's Keeper: Ndumiso has the wrong end of the stickDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie My Br...
28/03/2024
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Lehasa doubles down on his ill-treatment of Pretty
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Lehasa doubles down on his ill-treatment of PrettyDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Skeem ...
28/03/2024
Thales speeds up its development of AI for defence
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Thales, Europe's leading high-tech company in the civil and defence fields, has announced the creation of cortAIx, which bri...
28/03/2024
Get Cozy With Palia' on GeForce NOW
Ease into spring with the warm, cozy vibes of Palia, coming to the cloud this GFN Thursday. It's part of six new titles joining the GeForce NOW library of ...
28/03/2024
Smoke and Mirrors: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]
Smoke and Mirrors: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South Af...
28/03/2024
Muvhango: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]
Muvhango: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African web...