James Cook University PhD candidate Andrew Chin is focusing his
studies on the blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus
melanopterus).
JCU PhD candidate Andrew Chin.
Photo courtesy of Fede Cardona.
Along with the grey and whitetip reef sharks, the blacktip reef
shark is one of the most publicly recognisable sharks by visitors
to the Great Barrier Reef, and is one of the more commonly
encountered species. Despite this, Andrew suggests there is
very little known about the species and its occurrence on the
Australian east coast, and its age, growth and reproduction have
not been studied in the Great Barrier Reef. Additionally, while it
is thought of as a 'reef' shark, blacktip reef sharks are also
found in coastal and inshore habitats such as mangroves and
seagrass beds, but the importance of these habitats to the species
in not known.
In the Great Barrier Reef, blacktip reef sharks have
historically been taken in the commercial coral reef line fishery
and small numbers are still taken in net fisheries. However the
status of the species in the Great Barrier Reef is unknown. Sharks
that are accessible to divers and snorkellers, such as reef
dwelling sharks and rays, are of great value to the Australian
tourism industry.
Results from recent studies funded by the Marine and Tropical
Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) show that, for example,
live-aboard divers traveling to Osprey Reef value shark
sightings more highly than sightings of other wildlife.
James Cook University's Dr Natalie Stoekl and her team found that
visitors to Osprey Reef would be willing to pay more for a
'guaranteed' shark sighting than they would for a 'guaranteed'
sighting of large fish, marine turtles or a 'wide variety of
wildlife'.
A recipient of MTSRF Graduate Scholarship funding, Andrew Chin
has embarked on a study to understand the resilience of the
blacktip reef shark to pressures in the Great Barrier Reef, which
will help managers to develop risk assessments and assess
management options for the species. As part of his studies,
Andrew will spend long periods tracking tagged individuals in and
around inshore habitats in Townsville's Cleveland Bay to monitor
their movements and behaviour.
Andrew notes there is evidence that the species uses a wide
range of habitats including coral reefs, sandy reef lagoons,
inshore fringing reef flats and coastal mangroves. Inshore
habitats may be important blacktip reef shark foraging and nursery
grounds, and finding out how they use these habitats will help
managers understand how marine parks affect the sustainability of
their populations.
Data from this project will help managers to understand how
resilient the species is to pressures, and what the existing
fisheries regulations and marine park zones mean for the future of
the species in the Great Barrier Reef. The results from Andrew's
research will feed into MTSRF Project
4.8.4 Evaluation of the impacts from industry and community
uses on inshore biodiversity.
