Support Science: Hammerhead shark movement in Hawaii
Scalloped Hammerhead sharks, endangered throughout the worlds oceans, are a unique and mysterious species in Hawaiian waters. The Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) population in Hawaii is geographically isolated from other population groups in the Pacific, yet we know very little about the local ecology of these animals.
Over the past 20 years, scientists within the School have successfully caught and tagged thousands of sharks in Hawaiian waters, but have only been able to successfully satellite-tag 4 adult male S. lewini. Traditional fishing and tagging methods do not work well with these animals, despite the fact that S. lewini form large aggregations at specific locations around Hawai’i.
We know that closed-circuit rebreather technology allows divers to swim among these aggregations, close-enough to individuals to successfully tag them, yet we haven’t attempted this endeavor yet. Please join us in supporting this community-funded effort to use closed-circuit rebreather technology to allow our diving scientists to outfit S. lewini with satellite tags. The more we learn about the population ecology of these magnificent animals, the better we can protect and ensure the survival of the species.