City scientists uncover the secret lives of whale sharks

AN international study led by scientists from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) in Plymouth is helping to transform how researchers study the world’s largest known living fish species, while offering practical guidance to improve whale shark tagging techniques and strengthen conservation efforts.

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Published in Springer Nature, the research - ‘Methods for tagging whale sharks: insights into performance and best practices with a focus on clamp attachments’ - brings together global expertise to assess the performance of different tagging methods, with a particular focus on innovative clamp-based attachments that are becoming increasingly widely used in whale shark research.

Post-doctoral Research Scientist Dr Freya Womersley led the collaborative global study alongside colleagues from the MBA's Sims Group, which studies the movements and behaviour of ocean predators to understand responses to changing environments and human threats.

“People are often amazed to learn that the world’s largest fish can travel thousands of kilometres across the ocean. By tracking whale sharks, we can begin to understand these extraordinary journeys and the challenges they face along the way,” said Dr Womersley.

Tracking whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) is essential for understanding their movements, behaviour and exposure to threats such as ship strikes and climate change.

However, attaching tags to these huge, free-swimming animals, which can exceed 10 metres in length, remains a significant scientific challenge.