Whale sharks, Mozambique
Project Leader: Simon Pierce
Background
Project leader Simon Pierce has been conducting his research since 2005 in the coastal waters off southern Mozambique; the area is thought to be home to one of the largest year-round populations of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) found anywhere in the world as the sharks aggregate throughout the year within a narrow corridor adjacent to a small village at Tofo Beach to feed on plankton blooms.
In the field
Simon has been working in conjunction with manta ray researcher Andrea Marshall through the SOSF-funded Manta Ray & Whale Shark Research Centre (MRWSRC), and has so far identified over 350 individual whale sharks in the area. His ongoing project examines the population ecology of whale sharks, their patterns of residency in the area and their migratory movements in the region, as well as the threats to this population from human-induced threats such as fishing and boat strikes. SOSF funded the purchase of a dedicated research vessel and closed-circuit rebreathers to support this work in 2006, which has allowed detailed studies on both whale sharks and manta rays in the region.
Aims & objectives
The current research has now moved on to the study of regional whale shark migrations in collaboration with other SOSF-funded projects; this includes both projects being run locally as well as the worldwide population-level genetics project led by Dení Ramírez.
The MRWSRC’s aims for 2008 include: further studies of the oceanographic conditions in the area that create and support this critical habitat for plankton-feeding sharks and rays; the short and long-term residency patterns of whale sharks in the region using passive acoustic arrays; an exploration of the links between Indian Ocean whale shark aggregation sites using electronic and chemical methodologies.
The MRWSRC’s aims for 2008 include: further studies of the oceanographic conditions in the area that create and support this critical habitat for plankton-feeding sharks and rays; the short and long-term residency patterns of whale sharks in the region using passive acoustic arrays; an exploration of the links between Indian Ocean whale shark aggregation sites using electronic and chemical methodologies.