Shark Bay from the air

Gathaagudu Animal Tracking

Tracking marine megafauna across the seagrass meadows of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area is the focus of the Gathaagudu Animal Tracking (GAT) team on their expeditions.

 

Using an array of satellite trackers, eDNA, and high resolution biologgers, they aim to understand the movements and habitat associations of iconic species in a unique environment under threat from anthropogenic climate change.

 

Follow their voyage here. 

Gathaagudu

Gathaagudu

Latitude: -25.93°SLongitude: 113.54°E

Use the + button on the map to zoom in closer!

 

The Malgana Peoples are the traditional owners of Gathaagudu, meaning two-waters, their name for what we know as Shark Bay. The sea country here covers roughly 70% of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, a 22,000 km² area renowned for its natural beauty, diversity, and historic importance.

 

The shallow waters of Gathaagudu hide ancient stromatolites and one of the world’s largest and most diverse seagrass dominated habitats. This environment supports a dazzling array of marine life including thriving turtle, dugong, and shark populations.

Seagrass meadows spread across Seagrass photo

These seagrasses are threatened by anthropogenic impacts and climate change. Since 2000, more than 1,000 km² of seagrass meadow has been lost as a result of marine heatwave events. This loss has knock-on effects on the megafauna species that forage across Shark Bay’s seagrass meadows.

 

The GAT team are aiming to understand these effects by detailing how marine megafauna in Shark Bay interact with the remaining seagrass habitats and each other, and how these associations may be affected by future changes in the environment.

Denham, the main town in Shark Bay, as viewed from the air

During their expeditions, the GAT team call Denham their home. Denham is the main town in this region, located about 10 hours drive north of UWA. Originally a pearling community Denham is now a mecca for tourists, fishers, and marine researchers.

 

The first thing to do when arriving in Gathaagudu is introduce yourselves to the Wirriya, or sea, to let Gathaagudu know who you are and why you are visiting.

GAT member Dr Oliver Jewell presents details at  the GAT run event

In Denham, the GAT team links up with local collaborators and partners from the Malgana Aborignal Corporation and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA).

 

Every GAT expedition includes workshops where project co-leads and OI members Dr Ana Sequeira (ANU) and Dr Matthew Fraser (Minderoo) bring together collaborators to go through expedition plans and discuss what has been learned from previous trips.

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