Griffith University shark research scientist tracks tiger sharks to great depths

JONATHAN Werry has faced tiger sharks nearly 4m long, all in the name of world-first ­research.

JONATHAN Werry has faced tiger sharks nearly 4m long, all in the name of world-first ­research.

The Griffith University shark research scientist has spent more than four years tracking tiger sharks across the Coral Sea to study their ­migratory habitats.

In world-first data, Dr Werry has found that oceanic reefs are vital to the ecology of tiger sharks, even though they have often been overlooked in favour of coastal reefs.

The Gold Coaster collaborated with the French Government to tag 33 tiger sharks between 1.54 and 3.9m in length between New Caledonia and the Great Barrier Reef.

Griffith University shark researcher Jonathan Berry tags a shark

A 3.7m female tiger shark was recorded at a new depth of 1136m which is almost twice the depth previously recorded for a tiger shark.

"It was quite amazing and she was in 5C (water temperature)," Dr Werry said.

Dr Werry battled massive swells and dark skies, travelling 500 nautical miles twice to get to the Chesterfield Islands of New Caledonia.

"We had a huge swell and our shark boat that was being towed by one of the other boats with a massive set up ended up breaking free in huge seas," he said.

"Those guys managed to get the boat back and re-hitch it but the front of the shark research vessel broke away.

"Just before we arrived we lost the key shark research vessel, so that made the tagging quite interesting and we were tagging sharks the size of a boat we were in."

Six months later the wreck washed up on Fraser Island.

Griffith University shark researcher Jonathan Berry swims with sharks.

Dr Werry said sharks tagged in the Chesterfields were found up to 842 days later on the southern Great Barrier Reef.

"It's really quite interesting how the currents are linking these habitats," Dr Werry said.

"It really points to the fact these ocean reefs need a lot more work and focus.

"Management strategies need to consider the wide-­ranging movements of large male and female tiger sharks at the individual level."

The research has been published in international, peer-reviewed, open-access, online publication PLOS ONE.