Scientists from the Marine Mega Fauna Foundation have launched the first tagging initiative for critically endangered Wedgefish in Mozambique.
The project aims to better understand the fish’s movement and how it uses its habitats, so better policies can be developed to protect and preserve these species.
So far, scientists from the foundation have fitted both acoustic and satellite tags to two species of Wedgefish:
- The bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma).
- The bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae).
The tags will provide researchers with a broad range of complementary information. That allows them to drill down into the finer details of the fish’s movement, allowing an unprecedented level of understanding.
Commenting on the new program MMF co-founder and co-lead of the project Dr. Andrea Marshall stated:
“By using this particular combination of tags, we can learn where the animals spend most of their time, whether visits to specific sites are year-round or seasonal, how far they move, how deep they dive, and which temperatures they prefer. This will help to identify areas of critical habitat that must be prioritized for protection.”
Very little is known about Wedgefish globally, and researchers hope the project will yield valuable information on a global, not just local level.
For more info, go to marinemegafauna.org.
