Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations attacked by sharks

AIMS scientists developed Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS) in order to monitor vast areas inaccessible to research divers. BRUVS consist of tourist-grade “HandiCam” video cameras in simple underwater housings made of PVC sewer pipe and acrylic, with a canister of minced pilchards on the end of a bait arm in the field of view. The housings are held in steel frames, and are deployed in strings of 4-6 under separate ropes and floats, to be picked up after one or two hours filming at the seabed. BRUVS have been used by AIMS to compare shark populations at Scott Reef with an unfished Commonwealth marine reserve. BRUVS revealed a marked difference in the abundance of sharks at Scott Reef and the protected area. The number of sightings in the video recordings indicated that sharks were on average 4-17 times more abundant in the reserve. This result was reinforced when the time it took for sharks to appear in each video was analysed and on Scott Reef was, on average, twice that in the reserve. Details can be found at http://www.aims.gov.au/docs/research/monitoring/seabed/video-monitoring.html. Video footage of a hammer head sharks & a tiger shark feeding on a bait cannister can be viewed at http://www.aims.gov.au/movies/web-sharks.mpg.

Shark mothers provide critical life support for newborn pups

According to a new study, live-bearing sharks are not the cold-hearted mothers (or parents) that they have been made out to be. The study shows that sharks provide substantial post-partum investment in their young. Visit http://www3.aims.gov.au/docs/publications/waypoint/015/headlines-02.html for further details.

Tagging white pointer sharks - ABC-TV’S “CATALYST” PROGRAM

The first segment for the very first “Catalyst” program on ABC-TV for 2010 was all about . They were being tagged at Hawks Nest beach, just north of Port Stephens in NSW. SA’s own Barry Bruce from CSIRO was involved in the tagging procedure. Hawks Nest beach is said to be prime juvenile white shark territory. In the matter of a few days, the research team caught eight great white sharks just along a stretch of the popular swimming beach. Details of the program, including video footage of the episode, can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2816558.htm . (It is quite amazing that there have never been any shark attacks at Hawks Nest beach.) An additional video about the special significance great white sharks have for the traditional owners of the area north of Port Stevens can be seen at http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2816945.htm .

The book "Sharks in British Seas"

The book "Sharks in British Seas" by Richard Peirce (ISBN: 978-0-955869402) has 138 pages, colour illustrations, line drawings & lots of newspaper reports. Publisher: Shark Cornwall Softcover 2008 £9.99
Visit http://www.nhbs.com/sharks_in_british_seas_tefno_155135.html for further details.

Grey nurse shark video

Check out the Grey nurse shark video to be found at http://azoresub-bluewater.blogspot.com/ (along with the caption "Tubarões: Um tubarão consegue cheirar 1 parte de sangue em 100 partes de água. " (Portuguese) - English translation = "Sharks: A shark can smell blood 1 part in 100 parts of water".)