Sliteye Shark Recorded in BIOT for First Time
Over the past year the BIOT Administration has been working with Swansea University on a project to study the extent and importance of seagrass meadows on the Great Chagos Bank. The project has used Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS), supplied by the University and deployed by the BIOT Senior Fisheries Protection Officer during regular patrols aboard the BIOT Patrol Vessel (BPV). Carrying out the work in this way allowed the BPV to continue providing a vital deterrence to illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in one of the world’s largest Marine Protected Areas, while simultaneously supporting scientific study which will improve the understanding of the marine environment.
While the full findings are yet to be published, the project has already yielded exciting sightings of a species previously unknown in BIOT waters, the Sliteye Shark. This press release by Swansea University contains further details: Sliteye shark discovered in remote Indian Ocean—First-ever sighting in Chagos Archipelago – Swansea University
Photo credit: Lottie Oulton
