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https://theconversation.com/to-protect-endangered-sharks-and-rays-scientists-are-mapping-these-species-most-important-locations-218902>
"All of the saltwater bodies on Earth make up one big ocean. But within it,
there is infinite variety – just ask any scuba diver. Some spots have more
coral, more sea turtles, more fish, more life.
“I’ve been diving in many places around the world, and there are few locations
like the Fuvahmulah Atoll in the Maldives,” Amanda Batlle-Morera, a research
assistant with the Important Shark and Ray Areas project, told me. “You can
observe tiger sharks, thresher sharks, scalloped hammerheads, oceanic manta
rays and more, without throwing out bait to attract them.”
Identifying areas like Fuvahmulah that are especially important to certain
species is a long-standing strategy for protecting threatened land animals,
birds and marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins. Now our team of marine
conservation scientists at the Important Shark and Ray Areas project is using
it to help protect sharks and their relatives.
I am a marine conservation biologist and the project’s communications officer.
This initiative is working to identify locations that are critical for sharks
and rays, so that these zones can be flagged for future protection or fisheries
management measures."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics