NESP MaC Project 4.15: Grey Nurse Shark Aggregation Sites, 2024-2025

A 2024-2025 project collated existing information on grey nurse shark aggregation sites across eastern and western Australia. The project, led by CSIRO and NSW DPI, reviewed occupancy patterns and survey evidence to refine definitions of key sites. Outputs include spatial datasets and a final report to support conservation planning for this critically endangered species.

Use Cases

• Identify and map key aggregation sites for grey nurse sharks based on collated spatial information.
• Prioritize future survey locations for shark populations based on reviewed occupancy patterns and survey evidence.
• Support conservation planning and policy decisions for state and Commonwealth management agencies.
• Refine criteria for listing or delisting critical shark habitats based on the project's developed assessment framework.

Strengths

• Project conducted specific field surveys in areas with limited information, including Victorian waters and Hunter Marine Park.
• Outputs are intended to provide a clearer, more defensible basis for identifying aggregation sites for management agencies.
• Engaged multiple data collection methods, including ROV, eDNA, BRUV surveys, and acoustic receivers.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Project collated existing information and conducted new surveys using ROV, eDNA, BRUV, and acoustic telemetry.

Time Range

2024-2025

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 16:25:55.643105; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australian waters, including eastern and western populations, with specific sites in Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia.