Where do tope sharks mate and pup?
Tope sharks are Critically Endangered in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean, but we know little about where they mate and pup. Daniel wants to understand how tope sharks are using the Pen Llŷna’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation in Wales. He’s gathering knowledge from local fishers about the movements of pregnant female topes and juveniles within PenLlŷna’r Sarnau, and measuring hormone levels in mature females caught in the Special Area to confirm pregnancies. He’ll compare results with other areas around the UK and Ireland and highlight areas critical for protection if we’re to curb decades of overexploitation of tope sharks.
Daniel Montgomery
My interest in marine life and fish began early during fishing trips with my dad during family holidays around the UK and to the Indian Ocean, as well as through watching nature documentaries on the BBC. This interest led me to complete an undergraduate degree in marine biology at Newcastle University in the north-east of England. During my degree I looked for opportunities to volunteer on research projects involving sharks and rays, which fortunately led me to complete my undergraduate and Master’s research at the Cape Eleuthera Institute in The Bahamas, where I investigated the environmental physiology of...
Defining key reproductive habitat for a critically endangered migratory shark
To determine the reproductive status of tope sharks during seasonal movements to the UK and Ireland, with a particular focus on whether the Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation in Wales acts as an important pupping and nursery area.
The tope is Critically Endangered in the north-eastern Atlantic, but little is known about where or when these sharks reproduce. This information is vital to help the future management and conservation of a species that is highly migratory. Identifying areas used by tope for mating and pupping will help us establish important areas to protect so that tope populations in the Atlantic can recover.
The tope population in the north-eastern Atlantic has severely declined in the past 80 years because of overexploitation. Tope is a highly migratory species, which makes it difficult to implement effective management and conservation measures. In addition, our lack of knowledge about its biology and reproduction makes safeguarding the species’ future even more challenging. Tope sharks make seasonal movements to shallow coastal waters around the coasts of the UK and Ireland each year, where they can be found in large numbers between April and September. However, little is known about what they use these habitats for. This project will investigate whether tope may be using the protected coastal bays in Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation in Wales as a pupping and nursery area by gathering information from local fishers as well as physiological samples from tope to determine whether pregnant females are present in the area. We will also investigate whether tope in other areas around the UK and Ireland are using these areas for pupping or mating. By gathering this knowledge we aim to better inform the management and conservation of tope by highlighting critical areas that are important to protect so that the population can recover after decades of exploitation.
- To gather knowledge from local fishers about the movements of pregnant female tope and pups within Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation.
- To measure hormone levels in mature females caught in Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation to establish whether they are pregnant.
- To compare hormone levels in tope caught in different areas around the UK and Ireland to determine whether other areas are used for mating or pupping.