Tiger sharks lead scientists to the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem
KAUST ·
Researchers from KAUST and Beneath The Waves used camera tags on tiger sharks in the Bahamas to map the world's largest seagrass ecosystem, estimated at 92,000 km2. The study, published in Nature Communications, details how the sharks' movements helped validate spatial estimates of these blue carbon ecosystems. Carlos Duarte (KAUST) realized the potential of the shark movement data to map the extensive seagrass meadows in the shallow sand banks of the Bahamas. Why it matters: The innovative approach demonstrates a novel method for mapping and quantifying vast underwater ecosystems, crucial for understanding and conserving blue carbon sinks.