About - GAT - Gathaagudu Animal Tracking Project

About

GATHAAGUDU

Jinamanha barraja

Tread lightly on this land

The Gathaagudu Animal Tracking (GAT) Project is conducted in Gathaagudu, a ‘sea country’ region in Western Australia traditionally owned by the Malgana Peoples, the aboriginal Australian people of this region.

The Gathaagudu region is widely known as Shark Bay. Since 2021, the GAT project has been tracking the movements and habitat associations of three key marine megafauna species in the region: dugongs, sharks, and turtles. The project uses satellite trackers, high-resolution biologgers, and acoustic arrays to gather data.

A vital aspect of the project is the active engagement and collaboration with the Malgana Peoples and MAC, the Malgana Aboriginal Corporation, who are integral to the success of our field expeditions.

During field expeditions, the team operates out of Denham, located about 10 hours north of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. In Denham, they collaborate with local partners, including the Malgana Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) and the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA).

Over the course of the project, GAT research has been conducted across various locations in Shark Bay, such as Guichenault Point, Big Lagoon, and around Dirk Hartog and Faure Islands.

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ABOUT SHARK BAY (GATHAAGUDU)

Shark Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Western Australia, is home to a unique seagrass ecosystem that is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Seagrasses serve as critical habitats for marine animals and support the survival of stromatolites. Over 1,000 km² of seagrass meadows have been lost due to marine heatwaves since 2000. These events have significantly affected the distribution of marine megafauna species, which are also key values for Shark Bay's World Heritage status.

Focus species

DUGONGS

Dugongs, known as Wuthuga in the Malgana language, are culturally important species that are currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Being strict herbivores, dugongs rely on seagrass ecosystems to feed.

Shark Bay is home to one of the largest remaining populations of dugongs (estimated at ~10,000 individuals). Dugongs are long-lived, slow-reproducing creatures that are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to the effects of warmer temperatures on seagrass meadows.

To have an idea of what it is like to work with dugongs in the wild, have a look at the video!

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TURTLES

Turtles, called Buyungurra in the Malgana language, are a common sight across Gathaagudu. Green turtles and loggerhead turtles forage in Shark Bay's seagrass meadows and are listed as Endangered and Vulnerable, respectively, on the IUCN Red List.

The GAT project focuses on tracking turtles on their foraging ground in Shark Bay. Foraging represents a significant part of their life cycle and includes male turtles, which never come ashore to nest.

Shark Bay is a critical site for loggerhead turtles, with Turtle Bay on Dirk Hartog Island (Wirruwana in the Malgana language) being a renowned nesting area. Over 3,000 female loggerhead turtles nest there annually during the summer.

Whenever possible, the GAT team collaborates with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA) and a group of Malgana women volunteers, known as the Buyungurra Nyarlu Gang, to conduct research expeditions to the remote Turtle Bay.

To have an idea of how the GAT team tags a turtle, have a look at the video!

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SHARKS

Tiger sharks, known as Thaaka in the Malgana language, are apex predators in Gathaagudu's ecosystem, roaming the seagrass meadows and preying on turtles, dugongs, and other marine animals.

Apex predators, like tiger sharks, are crucial to the health, stability, and resilience of marine ecosystems. As top predators, their feeding behaviours, movement patterns, and population dynamics regulate prey populations, influence nutrient distribution and the structure of food webs, and shape ecosystem resilience.

To have an idea what a GAT field expedition to work with tiger sharks looks like, have a look at the video!

PREVIEW VIDEO