Marina Bozinovic GEOG 176A September 5, 2013 GIS Usage in Marine Science A specific application of GIS has been

implemented recently off the East Coast of Australia to help monitor the progress and identify the threats of the critically endangered grey nurse shark. This species has fallen victim to various human activities and now only a few hundred exist off Australias coast (Australian Threatened Species). Until this study, there were no maps that specified the habitat where these sharks congregate; in doing so, researchers from the University of Queensland were able to characterize the habitat surrounding the shark habitats through photographic identification of fish species and
Figure 1. Map of Bathymetry of Habitat of Grey Nurse Shark

bathymetry and estimate shark numbers and distribution (Catterick). ArcView 3.x was

utilized for the creation and projection of the map, and data was collected from a handheld Garmin GPSMAP76 device that stored information about depth and position every five to ten meters over a habitat. An ArcView extension was then used to convert the data file format into a shapefile for easy interpretation. In each of the dives, information relating to the contours and characteristics of underwater rock formations were represented by a line, area, or polygon and placed into a table. The ArcView extension Xtools was also used to determine the surface area covered by rock and sand, and the Layout extension provided a reference grid to pinpoint the gray nurse shark sightings. In the second part, other animals
Figure 2. UniDive members set out to voluntarily collect GPS data and bathymetry data.

such as fish and invertebrates were individually counted by divers around the shark habitats. By completing this bottom-up methodology, the divers were able to compile individual data for a larger audience. The resulting georeferenced map, completed in 2003, was eventually used by the Australian government for the Commonwealths Environment Protection, but has potential to be used by other researchers as well. Among its accomplishments, the map allows for a better understanding of the gray nurse shark habitats physical characteristics and potential threats.

Works Cited Australian Threatened Species: Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus). 2004. Australian Government, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and

Communities [Internet]. [Cited 5 September 2013]. Available at: http:// www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/grey-nurse.html

Catterick A. 2001. Grey nurse shark monitoring project launched in Alaska. Flora & Fauna International [Internet]. [Cited 5 September 2013]. Available at: http://www.faunaflora.org/news/grey-nurse-shark-monitoring-project-launched-in-australia/

Roelfsema C, Bansemer C. 2003. Volunteer Divers map habitats of endangered grey nurse sharks. ESRI [Internet]. [Cited 5 September 2013]. Available at: http://www.esri.com/ news/arcnews/winter0304articles/volunteer-divers.html