Whale sharks, Brazil
Project Leader: Fábio Hazin
Background
Fabio Hazin
Though in Brazil, observations of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are relatively rare, with most coming in and around the continental shelf or from strandings, they are known to occur in all the coastal and pelagic waters of the Brazilian coast, including its oceanic islands and atolls.
Recent evidence indicates that the species is in decline as a result of human impacts, in particular fishing due to their large fins, which are highly sought after in the shark fin market. For this reason, the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) has listed the species as vulnerable, while CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora) included it in its Appendix II. In 2002, the whale shark was enclosed in the National List of the Threatened Species of the Brazilian Fauna of IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources) with a given status of ‘vulnerable’.
Recent evidence indicates that the species is in decline as a result of human impacts, in particular fishing due to their large fins, which are highly sought after in the shark fin market. For this reason, the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) has listed the species as vulnerable, while CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora) included it in its Appendix II. In 2002, the whale shark was enclosed in the National List of the Threatened Species of the Brazilian Fauna of IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources) with a given status of ‘vulnerable’.
In the field
St Peter & St Paul Arhcipelago
St Peter and St Paul Archipelago (SPSPA) is a tiny group of rocky islands located in the mid-Atlantic Ridge, just north of the equator, 1,000 km from the Brazilian coast, and 1,890 km from Senegal, Africa. It is one of the few places where the mid-oceanic ridge of the Atlantic Ocean breaks through the surface of the sea to form land, representing a unique biological niche for marine flora and fauna.
The islands are uniquely influenced by both the Equatorial Undercurrent, flowing westward, and the Southern Equatorial Current, flowing eastward. The area has been visited by several scientific expeditions, including Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle, in 1832. In the past, the inhospitable nature and inaccessibility of SPSPA prevented detailed biological studies in the area. However, since the establishment of a scientific research station there in July 1998, researchers have been able to visit the island continually.
The islands are uniquely influenced by both the Equatorial Undercurrent, flowing westward, and the Southern Equatorial Current, flowing eastward. The area has been visited by several scientific expeditions, including Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle, in 1832. In the past, the inhospitable nature and inaccessibility of SPSPA prevented detailed biological studies in the area. However, since the establishment of a scientific research station there in July 1998, researchers have been able to visit the island continually.
Aims & objectives
This SOSF supported project aims to address the present lack of information on this charismatic species. Fabio’s research will concentrate on using satellite telemetry and photo identification to improve our knowledge of their habitat preferences, circadian activity patterns, and migratory movements. The study will deploy pop-up satellite archival tags (PSAT) as well as creating a photo database of dorsal and caudal fin spot patterns and scars, with the spot patterns behind the shark’s left side gills being used to standardize the database with those sharks identified at Western Australia’s Ningaloo reef and Gladden Spit, Belize.