Tiger Sharks Of Shark Bay, Australia

This report is based on an experiment that investigated the relationship between prey availability and habitat selection in tiger sharks of Shark Bay, Australia. Methods of observation such as acoustic tracking and ‘Crittercam’ were used to collect habitat preference and foraging data over a period of two years. The data collected was compared to that which was predicted by the correlated random walk and randomization method models and ultimately came to the conclusion that tiger sharks of Shark Bay, Australia have an affinity for shallow habitats where prey is readily available. The study also expanded into observing the foraging behaviour of tiger sharks, and did finally conclude that they were more likely to attack prey stealthily than head on.

The ability to study habitat usage and foraging behaviour of top predators gives us some insight into their community structure, as well as the community structure of those species that hold a risk of being predated. If it is possible to determine why a species selects a certain habitat or m

Altering a predator’s habitat may mean destruction to the prey’s feeding grounds as well. Food availability is one of the biggest factors affecting habitat selection by a species. The prey and predator interaction is no exception. Dolphins feed on sea grass creatures often found in shallow waters. Tiger sharks, as a top predator, will follow its prey. Therefore, both the prey and the predator can often be found in the same habitat. In conclusion, the conservation decision must be further studied to eliminate the possibility of destructive actions that may harm an unintended target. Additional studies must also be constructed to determine how other factors such as global warming and El Nino can affect tiger shark’s diet and habitat use. Since change in water temperature greatly affected the movements of aquatic species, it could be integrated into observations of how a top predator like the tiger shark would adapt. This study will also help scientists understand how well species can adapt to these climate changes. These reaction can trigger certain decisions to be made, for example, if however water temperature brought about by global warming drastically effects these animals, the government can intensify its efforts to reduce emissions of green house gases and allow it to adapt to the climate changes relatively easy, then policies can be diverted to other programs.

The study site used was Shark Bay, located on the west coast of Australia, just north of Perth. Shark Bay has the most extensive seagrass shoals in the world at a relatively shallow depth (6m – 15m). For the purposes of this study, shallow habitats were classified as those under 4m deep, and deep as those above 4.5m deep (Heithaus et al. 2002).

To test for prey availability, 10 study zones (called transects) were chosen just off Monkey Mia in Shark Bay. These transects were polled 2 – 3 times per week from March 1997 until May 1999, and the quantity of available prey was recorded. These included turtles and seabirds within 30m of the boat, digongs within 100m and snakes within 5m (Heithaus et al. 2002).

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