Costa Rica News – Mision Tiburon, or Shark Mission, is an organization of biologists wanting to learn more about the fierce bull shark, a dominant species in the eastern tropical Pacific. Though we know of the shark and its huge size, very little is known about their habitat and needs or how to protect them.
Meeting “the bull of the ocean” will contribute to a better preserve and protected marine area in the Guanacaste Conservation Area. Sharks indicate the health of the whole ecosystem, as their presence signals that there is biological wealth and enough to feed on.
The scientists will make use of dives and sound waves to do their research. Acoustic tagging will give immense insight to what these animals do and where along the coast they go. It is the same technology used to study hammerheads in the Golfo Dulce.
The team already tagged five adult sharks and hopes to tag juvenile ones as well. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the bull shark on the Red List, in high risk of threat by pollution and proximity to human habitats.
