This Sunday is National Threatened Species Day, a time to reflect on the nation’s unique biodiversity and the species under threat. One such species is the grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus), which is listed as critically endangered along Australia’s east coast and vulnerable globally.
The grey nurse shark is a slow-growing species with a very low reproductive rate (1-2 pups every 2-3 years), making it particularly sensitive to human impacts such as fishing pressures and habitat disturbance. Understanding its movement patterns and habitat use is essential for supporting effective conservation measures.
IMOS contributes to this work through its Animal Tracking Facility, which uses acoustic telemetry to monitor the movements of animals tagged by the research community. The national collaborative network of underwater receivers enabled by IMOS, record detections of tagged grey nurse sharks as they move between coastal habitats and aggregation sites. This long-term data collection provides researchers and managers with valuable insights into how this species utilises key habitats, some of which are protected by marine reserves
Recent research using data from the IMOS acoustic telemetry network has documented grey nurse shark seasonal movements along Australia’s east coast as far north as Heron Island as far south as Montague Island, and up to 30 km from the coast . These studies have helped identify how well current protected areas support the protection this species along its migratory routes, and highlighted the importance of connectivity between key habitats. Such insights are assisting managers and policymakers in refining strategies to better protect this threatened shark.
On National Threatened Species Day, the grey nurse shark provides an example of how collaborative marine observing efforts are helping to build the knowledge needed to support threatened species in Australian waters.
Image: Ocean Image Bank, Jayne Jenkins
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