AUTHOR=Sulikowski James A. , Perisic Nathan , Askin Arzucan , Vossgaetter Lennart , Bocchi Filippo , Hussain Ali Didi Hamna , Inah Ahmed , Ivanova Tatiana 

TITLE=Identification of the first gestational ground for tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) in the Central Indian Ocean using a high-definition submersible ultrasound

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1500176

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2024.1500176

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>The reproductive state of wild, free-swimming tiger sharks (<italic>Galeocerdo cuvier)</italic>, was assessed using underwater ultrasonography at a diving site in Fuvahmulah, a Maldivian atoll within the central Indian Ocean. The presence of embryos were observed in 93% of the adult sharks (26/28) and two distinct embryonic size groups were observed within the subset of scanned adult females. The results suggest that the observed dive site functions as a gestation ground and builds upon previous work that emphasizes the importance of dive sites for the collection of biological data for shark conservation and management.</p>