Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T00:10:32.539Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Evaluation of a low-cost, non-invasive survey technique to assess the relative abundance, diversity and behaviour of sharks on Sudanese reefs (Southern Red Sea)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2014

Danilo Rezzolla ,
Ginevra Boldrocchi  and
Tiziano Storai
Danilo Rezzolla
Affiliation:
Acquario e Civica Stazione Idrobiologica di Milano, Viale Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
Ginevra Boldrocchi
Affiliation:
Acquario e Civica Stazione Idrobiologica di Milano, Viale Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
Tiziano Storai*
Affiliation:
Centro di educazione ambientale e alla sostenibilità Laguna di Nora 09010 Pula (CA), Italy
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: T. Storai, Centro di educazione ambientale e alla sostenibilità Laguna di Nora 09010 Pula (CA), Italy email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A low-cost and non-invasive survey technique focused on pelagic sharks was evaluated during an ecotourism cruise on two Sudanese reefs, Angarosh and Sha'ab Rumi, in the Southern Red Sea. The research technology was based on a set of small, underwater video recording cameras and a pair of laser pointers. Video footage provided insight into shark biodiversity on the two reefs, detecting five species, Alopias vulpinus, Sphyrna lewini, Triaenodon obesus, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos and Galeocerdo cuvier, during 15.8 h of video recording. These recordings also provided preliminary information on aggregations of S. lewini. The laser pointers were used to measure the size of sharks, providing seven total length (TL) measurements for S. lewini (N = 2) and C. amblyrhynchos (N = 5), confirming the possibility of easily obtaining size parameters using this tool. These low-cost and user-friendly instruments provide ecotourism divers with an opportunity to become involved in marine research projects.

Keywords

survey techniqueSphyrna lewiniCarcharhinus amblyrhynchossharksSudanese reefsecotourism divers
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 94 , Issue 3 , May 2014 , pp. 599 - 606
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Barker, S.M., Peddemors, V.M. and Williamson, J.E. (2011) A video and photographic study of aggregation, swimming and respiratory behaviour changes in the Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus) in response to the presence of SCUBA divers. Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 44, 75–92.Google Scholar
Bessudo, S., Soler, G.A., Klimley, A.P., Ketchum, J.T., Hearn, A. and Arauz, R. (2011) Residency of the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) at Malpelo Island and evidence of migration to other islands in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Environmental Biology of Fishes 91, 165–176.Google Scholar
Bortone, S.A. and Mille, K.J. (1999) Data needs for assessing marine reserves with an emphasis on estimating fish size in situ. Naturalista Siciliano 23 (Supplement), 13–31.Google Scholar
Buckles, G. (1999) The dive sites of the Red Sea. Amsterdam: New Holland.Google Scholar
Chen, C., Leu, T. and Joung, S. (1988) Notes on reproduction in the scalloped hammerhead, Sphyrna lewini in northeastern Taiwan waters. Fisheries Bulletin 86, 389–393.Google Scholar
Clarke, C., Lea, J. and Ormond, R. (2012) Comparative abundance of reef sharks in the Western Indian Ocean. In Proceedings of the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium, The WorldFish Center – ReefBase Project. Jalan Batu Maung, Batu Maung 11960 Bayan Lepas. Penang, Malaysia, 9–13 July 2012, pp. 5.Google Scholar
Deakos, M.H. (2010) Paired-laser photogrammetry as a simple and accurate system for measuring the body size of free-ranging manta rays Manta alfredi. Aquatic Biology 10, 1–10.Google Scholar
Dobson, J., Jones, E. and Botterill, D. (2005) Exploitation or conservation: can wildlife tourism help conserve vulnerable and endangered species? Interdisciplinary Environmental Review 7, 1–13.Google Scholar
Hariri, K.I., Nichols, P., Krupp, F., Mishrigi, S., Barrania, A, Ali, F.A. and Kedidi, S.M. (2000) Status of the living marine resources in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region and their management. Jeddah: Regional Organisation for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA), Strategic Action Programme for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.Google Scholar
Hazin, F., Fischer, A. and Broadhurst, M. (2001) Aspects of reproductive biology of the scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, off northeastern Brazil. Environmental Biology of Fishes 61, 151–159.Google Scholar
Hearn, A., Ketchum, J., Klimley, A.P., Espinoza, E. and Peñaherrera, C. (2010) Hotspots within hotspots? Hammerhead shark movements around Wolf Island, Galapagos Marine Reserve. Marine Biology 157, 1899–1915.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holland, K.N., Wetherbee, B.M., Peterson, J.D. and Lowe, C.G. (1993) Movements and distribution of hammerhead shark pups on their natal grounds. Copeia 2, 495–502.Google Scholar
Hussey, N., Stroh, N., Klaus, R., Chekchak, T. and Kessel, S.A. (2011) Scuba diver observations and placard tags to monitor grey reef sharks, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, at Sha'ab Rumi, The Sudan: Assessment and future directions. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 93, 299–308. doi:10.1017/S0025315411001160.Google Scholar
Klimley, A.P. (1983) Social organization of schools of the scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, in the Gulf of California. PhD thesis. University of California, USA.Google Scholar
Klimley, A.P. (1985) Schooling in Sphyrna lewini, a species with low risk of predation: a non-egalitarian state. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 70, 297–319.Google Scholar
Klimley, A.P. and Nelson, D.R. (1981) Schooling of the scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, in the Gulf of California. Fisheries Bulletin of the United States 79, 356–360.Google Scholar
Klimley, A.P. and Brown, S.T. (1983) Stereophotography for the field biologist: measurement of lengths and three-dimensional positions of free-swimming sharks. Marine Biology 74, 175–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klimley, A.P. and Nelson, D.R. (1984) Diel movement patterns of the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) in relation to E1 Bajo Espiritu Santo: a refuging central-position social system. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 15, 45–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klimley, A.P., Butler, S.B., Nelson, D.R. and Stull, A.T. (1988) Diel movements of scalloped hammerhead sharks, Sphyrna lewini Griffith and Smith, to and from a seamount in the Gulf of California. Journal of Fish Biology 33, 751–761.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, R.A. (2003) Resources rocky reefs: rich feeding in cool waters scalloped hammerhead shark. Biology of Sharks & Rays on-line, ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research, available at: http:www.elasmo-research.org/education/ecology/rocky-scalloped.htm (accessed 19 August 2011).Google Scholar
McCauley, D.J., McLean, K.A., Bauer, J., Young, H.S. and Micheli, F. (2012) Evaluating the performance of methods for estimating the abundance of rapidly declining coastal shark populations. Ecological Applications 22, 385–392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (2011) Key documents of the biomedical aspects of deep-sea diving: selected from the world's literature, 1608–1982. Undersea Medical Society 1983, Sailing directions (enroute) Red Sea and Persian Gulf, no. 5, pp. 172.Google Scholar
Patzert, W.C. (1974) Wind-induced reversal in Red Sea circulation. Deep-Sea Research 21, 109 –121.Google Scholar
PERSGA/GEF (2004) Sanganeb Marine National Park site-specific master plan with management guidelines. Jeddah: PERSGA, pp. 87.Google Scholar
Quiros, A.L. (2005) Whale shark ‘Ecotourism’ in the Philippines and Belize: evaluating conservation and community benefits. Tropical Resources Bulletin 24, 42–48.Google Scholar
Rezzolla, D. and Storai, T. (2010) ‘Whale Shark Expedition 2009’: observation on Rhincodon typus (Smith, 1828) from Arta Bay, Gulf of Tadjoura, Djibouti Republic, Southern Red Sea. Cybium 34, 195–206.Google Scholar
Robbins, W.D., Hisano, M., Connolly, S.R. and Choat, J.H. (2006) Ongoing collapse of coral-reef shark populations. Current Biology 16, 2314–2319.Google Scholar
Robinson, M.K. (1973) Monthly mean sea surface and subsurface temperatures and depths of the top of the thermocline Red Sea. Fleet Numerical Weather Control, Monetary, California, Technical Note No. 73-4, 117 pp.Google Scholar
Rowat, D. and Engelhardt, U. (2007) Seychelles: a case study of community involvement in the development of whale shark ecotourism and its socio-economic impact. Fishery Research 84, 109–113.Google Scholar
Rutecki, T.L., Schneeberger, P.J. and Jude, D.J. (1983) Diver and underwater television observations of fish behaviour in a Great Lakes commercial trap net. Journal of Great Lakes Research 9, 359–364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schroeder, J.H. (1982) Aspects of coastal management in Sudanese Red Sea. Journal of the Faculty of Marine Science 2, 45–68.Google Scholar
Stevens, J.D. and Lyle, J.M. (1989) Biology of three hammerhead sharks (Eusphyra blochii, Sphyrna mokarran and S. lewini) from northern Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 40, 129–146.Google Scholar
Topelko, K.N. and Dearden, P. (2005) The shark watching industry and its potential contribution to shark conservation. Journal of Ecotourism 4, 108–128.Google Scholar
Ward-Paige, C.A. and Lotze, H.K. (2011) Assessing the value of recreational divers for censusing elasmobranchs. PLoS One 6, e25609. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025609.Google Scholar
Watson, D.L. and Harvey, E.S. (2007) Behaviour of temperate and sub-tropical reef fishes towards a stationary SCUBA diver. Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 40, 85–103.Google Scholar
Webster, T., Dawson, S. and Slooten, E. (2010) A simple laser photogrammetry technique for measuring Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori) in the field. Marine Mammal Science 26, 296–308.Google Scholar
Wetherbee, B.M., Crow, G.L. and Lowe, C.G. (1997) Distribution, reproduction and diet of grey reef sharks Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos in Hawaii. Marine Ecology Progress Series 151, 181–189.Google Scholar