October 2022

eOceans, Great Fiji Shark Count Reveal Groundbreaking Countrywide Assessment of Sharks, Revealing Surprising Changes in Shark Populations

[Nova Scotia, Canada] — In a groundbreaking collaboration — called a “Magnum Opus of Citizen Science” by a reviewer — ocean research company, eOceans, and a marine conservation initiative driven by scuba diving tourism, Great Fiji Shark Count, have joined forces to present the first comprehensive countrywide assessment of shark populations in Fiji. The assessment sheds light on shark species diversity, abundance, and trends — including revealing significant increases and decreases in the common whitetip reef shark populations amongst their sites.

Amassing a staggering 146,304 shark observations from 30,668 dives, the spatial and temporal patterns of 11 shark species at 592 sites were described. Sharks were present on 74% of the dive sites. eOceans, known for their expertise in participatory and citizen science, collaborated with the dive tourism community to create the Great Fiji Shark Count.

"The findings are transformative," said Dr. Christine Ward-Paige, CEO at eOceans. "By leveraging community interest in sharks and conservation, we've achieved an extraordinary understanding of sharks in Fiji”. They found that the most common species, whitetip reef shark, declined on all eastern sites, and increased on western sites. Ward-Paige said “We don’t know what’s going on there because a mass migration from eastern to western sites doesn’t make sense, and neither does them being fished out in the east and restored in the west. It’s a mystery that new research being done there hopes to solve”.

This collaborative effort has not only facilitated data collection from various regions of Fiji but has also engaged the local community in marine conservation. The study showcases the power of participatory science in comprehensively assessing and monitoring marine life.

The assessment reveals unexpected changes in the population of common whitetip reef sharks, a key indicator species for reef health. These findings emphasize the need for continued research and conservation efforts to ensure the sustainability of Fiji's marine ecosystems.

"We are at a critical juncture in marine conservation," stated Ward-Paige, "This assessment is a first call to action, urging policymakers, researchers, and the community to work collaboratively to restore our oceans with the marine life that remains.."

eOceans plans to expand the Great Fiji Shark Count around the world, through the eOceans app and an upcoming tool called the ‘Shark and Ray Tracker’ that will allow all communities to have the same information as the Great Fiji Shark Count.

For media inquiries or further information about the paper, please contact:

Dr. Christine Ward-Paige, CEO
eOceans
www.eOceans.co
chris@eOceans.co