How many sharks visit the Moorea ray feeding site?

3 December 2013

Data analysis is ongoing...and there is a lot to do going through all the video and preparing the samples for stable isotope analysis.   Johann just finished processing the photos that were taken of blacktip reef sharks at the shallow water site.  Because each shark has unique markings on their fins, we can see how many individuals were observed at the site and how often they are there.    During eight photography sessions lasting between 15 and 40 min, Johann identified 64 different blacktip reef sharks (33 females and 31 males) with a mximum of 47 sharks during 1 session!

Now, we are going through the data from the drone to see if the counts we get from the air are similar to those made using photoidentification.

The ray feeding site inside the reef tract.