A NEW University of Western Australia project hopes to use the public's help to identify and record shark sightings around the world on their new database.
SharkBase has been established to assist in the process of mapping the distribution of sharks worldwide through the help of citizen scientists.
Without even encountering a shark in the wild, it is still possible to contribute to SharkBase by submitting sightings seen in the news or on the internet.
WATCH: Learn more about how SharkBase works.
Lead project researcher Dr Ryan Kempster said advances in modern technology meant almost everyone has access to a camera photo to record wildlife encounters with.
"Through SharkBase we now have a place to bring all of these sightings together to be used by scientists to better understand the distribution and population structure of sharks around the world," he said.
“Effective management of sharks starts with an understanding of their population status, which will ultimately instruct their future conservation.
"Unfortunately, many shark species are at significant risk of unrecoverable decline, with some species having declined to near extinction in recent years.
"We believe that citizen science could hold the key to improving our understanding and management of shark populations, whilst also advancing community education.”
The researchers are also appealing to dive clubs and other marine societies to encourage their members to get involved and start submitting their shark sightings.
As an incentive, every month, the club or society that is affiliated with the most sightings will be promoted across the project’s social media pages, reaching more than 100,000 people.
To find out more about the project or to record a sighting visit shark-base.org
