[B]Whale shark sighting survey – [/B]Help direct tagging trips!
Biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL), and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) need your support directing whale shark research. If you encounter a whale shark, please participate in GCRL’s ONLINE WHALE SHARK SIGHTINGS SURVEY. Submitting reports in the same day as the sighting, will allow researcher to direct tagging crews to the most probable location of whale shark encounters.
Got a GoPro? You can help track whale sharks throughout their lifetime by capturing some footage of the LEFT side of the shark behind the gills and above the pectoral fins.
To Report a Sighting:
Please complete the [B]ONLINE survey at [/B][B]Whale Shark Research in the Northern Gulf of Mexico - Gulf Coast Research Laboratory[/B]
Email: whalesharksurvey at gmail dot com or call 228-872-4257
Information that is helpful to us includes:
[ul]
[li]Time and duration of encounter[/li][li]Location (GPS coordinates)[/li]
[li]Approximate size and number of sharks[/li][li]Observed behavior[/li][li]Associated species[/li][li]Photos/video – GOT A GoPro with a POLE MOUNT? Please try to obtain footage of the LEFT side of the shark covering the area from the gills to the dorsal fin[/li][li]Any other distinguishing features (i.e. numbered marker tags located behind the dorsal fin—please notate number)[/li]
[/ul]