Research team catches, tags and releases 15 tiger sharks off Maui

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Kim Holland, PhD, (808) 236-7410
Researcher, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB)
Melissa Iwamoto, (808) 956-6556
Outreach & Program Coordinator, Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS)
Posted: Nov 18, 2013

Example of tiger shark track on the PacIOOS website.
Example of tiger shark track on the PacIOOS website.
Drs. Carl Meyer, at left, and Kim Holland attach a satellite tag to a tiger shark off Maui.
Drs. Carl Meyer, at left, and Kim Holland attach a satellite tag to a tiger shark off Maui.

Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) completed the first phase of a project to observe the movements of tiger sharks caught and tagged around the island of Maui.  In response to an uptick in the number of shark attacks recorded on Maui, the State of Hawaiʻi’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is funding a study on the movements of tiger sharks caught and released around the Valley Isle.  DLNR plans to use the results of the study to guide future decisions regarding management of shark populations in Hawai‘i.

Lead scientists Drs. Carl Meyer and Kim Holland report that, in late October, the shark research team caught and released 15 tiger sharks in waters off the south shore of Maui.  Eight of these sharks were equipped with satellite transmitters to track their movements.  To help disseminate the results to the public, the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) is launching a web page (http://pacioos.org/projects/sharks/) that shows the movements of the tagged sharks.  The page will also include sharks tagged in the future as the project progresses.  William Aila, Chair of DLNR commented, “It’s good to see the Maui shark tracking project off to such a good start, and the new PacIOOS web page will give the public an opportunity to become more familiar with the behavior of sharks in Hawai‘i’s waters.”

About PacIOOS -- Based within the School for Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, PacIOOS is the Pacific Islands regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®). PacIOOS is a partner­ship of data providers and users working together to enhance ocean observations and develop, disseminate, evaluate, and apply ocean data and information products designed to address the environmental, economic, and public safety needs of stakeholders who call the Pacific Islands home.

For more information, visit: http://pacioos.org/projects/sharks/