Hey Guys,I know many of our divers who come out to dive Chumphon Pinnacle with us are always amazed at how many sharks they see at this fantastic divesite.
It is a great way to realise how undangerous these creatures are & also how magnificent. Many of us are interested in preserving these creatures & are therefore interested in shark conservation but are unsure how to participate?
Now for those of you who have dived Chumphon alot, here is your chance. Please take just a few minutes to contribute to a global shark census using information you’ve already logged or memorized from past diving experiences. The information from you will help protect threatened shark species worldwide. By participating you will greatly increase scientific knowledge of shark populations around the world. To date, most of the information on global shark populations is gained from fishermen and tracking of individual sharks. Scuba divers are a vital, untapped resource and key to filling information gaps. Who can help? As long as you have more than 100 dives or snorkels in a particular area (recently or in previous years) you can help.Fill out the online survey. Information is needed from your dives – whether you did or did not encounter sharks.
If you have dived other places then fill out a new entry for each area where you have more than 100 dives (e.g. Philippines, Thailand, Great Barrier Reef, etc. The more areas submitted the better).If you have been diving in one area for more than 10 years, please fill out a new survey for each decade (e.g. Coral Coast: 1980 – 1989 and 1990 – 1999, etc.)
The data you contribute will be used in a PhD study taking place at the Ransom Myers Lab at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada, to determine the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and no-take zones in protecting sharks. Don’t delay! Information is being collected now to help complete data analysis by January 2008.
Thank you everyone for your efforts to helping to protect our sharks.
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