Research for shark conservation in the Galapagos Islands by Dr. Alex Hearn

The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) was created to protect native and endemic species that inhabit the islands and their surrounding waters. However, on a region-wide scale it also provides partial protection for marine migratory species that move through its waters. Among these species, sharks are of particular interest, due to concerns about their populations globally, and because they often occupy top predator ecological niches.

In 2006, we began a long-term research program to understand how sharks utilize the GMR and established the MigraMar network with other oceanic island research groups in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Using a combination of acoustic and satellite tagging, we have tracked the movements of more than 250 hammerhead, silky, blacktip, tiger, Galapagos and whale sharks in the GMR. These sharks tend to aggregate at specific coastal “hotspots” within the reserve, displaying diel patterns of site fidelity, and utilizing offshore waters at night. All species displayed a high degree of philopatry to GMR waters, while in all cases except Galapagos and blacktip sharks, residency was interspersed with infrequent long distance movements to other MPAs in the region or elsewhere. While this information has been used in marine zoning efforts to protect sharks within the GMR, our results highlight the need for innovative, transboundary solutions to the conservation of these wide-ranging species. Our studies showcase the importance of a collaborative approach towards understanding the spatial ecology of highly mobile species.

Biography

Alex Hearn is a marine fisheries ecologist who has worked as Professor and Researcher at USFQ and the Galapagos Science Center since 2015. He obtained his BSc in Oceanography and Marine Biology from the University of Southampton, UK; and his MSc and PhD from Heriot-Watt University in the Orkney Islands. He has worked in the Galapagos Islands since 2002 on fisheries research and management, and spearheaded the development of the Shark Research Program for the Galapagos Marine Reserve since 2006. His current projects include using acoustic and satellite telemetry to establish the migratory pathways of sharks, evaluating the movement ecology of the pelagic assemblage around oceanic islets, and monitoring shark nursery grounds in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.