News

The Department of Environment (DoE) has secured UK funding for “pop-off” satellite archival tags to conduct a study to obtain novel spatial and ecological data on the vertical habitat use and long-distance horizontal movements by the Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) in the Cayman Islands.

So far, the research team has deployed 8 out of 10 tags on Caribbean reef and Blacktip sharks. The tags are programmed to record data of the sharks’ movements, “pop-off” at timed intervals, float to the surface and wash back to shore. Anyone who finds a tag may contact the DoE to return it.

Dr Johanna Kohler, DoE Shark Project Officer explained the goals of the study. “The overarching aim of this one-year study is to collect essential ecological information to improve our understanding of Caribbean reef sharks so we may better protect them and potentially other shark species in Cayman. So far, three tags have released from the animals, and we have received some preliminary data. If we retrieve the actual tag, we will be able to download even more data” Dr Kohler confirmed.