Satellite shark survey goes online

Aug 10 2012

A group of sharks are being tracked by satellite off the west coast of Scotland to allow scientists to learn more about their behaviour.

Twenty basking sharks have been tagged by researchers from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the University of Exeter as part of a project to find out more about their life cycles.

The findings will help inform decisions about marine protected areas and the future management of the country's marine environment, according to SNH.

The tags, which also allow the public to track the movements of eight of the sharks online, show that in the last three or four weeks many have stayed around the Inner Hebrides while one has made its way south east to Colonsay and Jura and two have headed west to the open sea beyond the Outer Hebrides.

SNH said the tracking website has received 42,000 hits since it went live on July 15. Names for the eight sharks being tracked online were chosen from more than 200 suggestions from members of the public. They are: Elgol, Solas, Cearban, Gill, Marna, Cailleach, Roy and Fionnlagh.

Dr Suzanne Henderson from SNH, who is managing the project, said: "It's fascinating to see where the sharks have been going since they were tagged.

"We're keen to learn more about the behaviour of the sharks during the summer months, when they can be seen at the surface in large numbers around the islands of Coll, Tiree, Canna and Hyskeir. And we're particularly intrigued to see where they go during the winter."

The tags will detach from the sharks after several months and float to the surface. The research team has appealed to anyone who finds a tag to make contact.

Dr Matthew Witt, from the University of Exeter's Environment and Sustainability Institute, said: "If the tags are retrieved then we can gather much more detailed data on the movements of the sharks.

"So if you find one washed up along the coast, please pick it up and email baskingsharks@snh.gov.uk or contact the SNH office in Oban on 0300 244 9360. There is a reward available for each tag returned as the data they contain is valuable to the project."