Wildlife Trust Projects
Manx Basking Shark Watch The Manx Wildlife Trust’s ‘Manx Basking Shark Watch’ (MBSW) was started in 2004. Coordinated by their Voluntary Marine Officer Jackie Hall, a marine biologist, it is run entirely by volunteers and its scientific work relies on corporate and government funding. It aims to inform and enthuse the public about basking sharks, collect public sighting data from Manx waters, undertake scientific work and enable wildlife film crews to film sharks. The Manx Basking Shark Watch website, contains scientific information about basking sharks, local basking shark news, a kids section, an online reporting scheme and a section about how to watch basking sharks on the Isle of Man. Early results from the public sighting scheme demonstrated that Manx waters are an extreme basking shark hotspot from mid-May to mid-August. Sharks are seen close to shore and groups often exhibit social swimming behaviour. This discovery prompted Jackie and a growing team of volunteers to embark on closer scientific study of this ‘putative’ courtship behaviour. This study is ongoing and is expected to take several years to establish conclusive results. In an attempt to throw further light on basking shark migration patterns eight archival ‘MK10’ satellite tags have been put on Manx basking sharks in 2007-8 and more are planned. This work is done in close association with Dr Mauvis Gore of Marine Conservation International (MCI) and Dr Fiona Gell of the Manx Government’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). In 2007, a tagged 8m long female ‘Tracy the Tower Insurance Shark’ travelled 9589km across the Atlantic in 82 days, proving a link between the Eastern and Western Atlantic basking shark populations. DAFF, MCI and MBSW believe that it is vital to coordinate basking shark conservation efforts. Basking shark populations are under extreme pressure from the shark fin soup industry and genetic work indicates that there may be only 8200 basking sharks left worldwide.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) established its first effort-based monitoring project in 2008 based on the cliffs at Carn Gloose. The aims of the project are to: • Providing a deeper understanding of basking shark distribution and behaviour. As the first survey of its kind in the region, this project acted as a starting point for CWT in training and maintaining volunteer effort. The project will continue monitoring basking sharks anecdotally, with another effort-based survey again this year (sponsored by British International Helicopters). For more information go to www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk
Devon Wildlife Trust Every year, the waters of the south west play host to the basking shark, amongst many other fascinating marine creatures. In addition to the sharks there are resident populations of bottlenose dolphins, porpoises and grey seals around the coast, and visitors like minke and pilot whales, and common dolphins but we know very little about their behaviour and movements. Whilst Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) is actively promoting the Cetacean Recording Network – co-ordinated by the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre’s (DBRC) Marine Officer – they are also interested in basking sharks, as part of the programme. Coastal Volunteer Network DWT have been working to establish a network of coastal volunteers, who will make regular observations at specific sites from the coastline. Using a methodology developed by the Sea Watch Foundation, this work is producing inshore sightings data that is enabling us to find out more about the marine wildlife along the Devon coastlines, but will also feed into national recording schemes. Offshore Recording Scheme Whilst the Coastal Volunteer Network provides data from inshore monitoring, we also want to find out more about marine wildlife numbers and movements when they disappear from coastal viewpoints. DWT are enlisting boat owners and fishermen to help us carry out surveys. By building relationships and providing training, they aim to increase the number of casual records sent in to DBRC. Strandings Monitoring Alongside the Coastal Volunteer Network, they also recruit and manage a Volunteer Strandings Network that monitors all strandings. DWT has unofficially coordinated all strandings in Devon over the last few years, working closely with key individuals and organisations (including the Natural History Museum and the Institute of Zoology) so that all records feed into the national monitoring scheme. For all strandings, a volunteer will tag, measure and photograph the animal and make an assessment on the suitability of a post mortem. For further information go to www.devonwildlifetrust.org Should you have sightings to tell us about, click on the Help Us section of the website to complete our online survey form.
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