There are about 30 known aggregation sites of whale sharks worldwide. This study has identified a new site Wreck Bay at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s the first known aggregation found in eastern Australia and in the entire southwest Pacific Ocean.
There are two types of data.
At-sea observations is from historical sightings data sourced from several public databases that report marine species sightings. These included Sharkbook: Wildbook for Sharks (https://www.sharkbook.ai) and the Eye on the Reef sightings network (https://eotr.gbrmpa.gov.au/home), as well as additional anecdotal reports from members of the public and citizen scientists.
The second data type is satellite tracking of 18 animals tagged in the Wreck Bay aggregation, as well as off the coast of Cairns and Cooktown between 2018 and 2023.
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