The Kiwi shark scientist– a Yamaha ambassador – is undertaking a novel scientific project to tag and track the habitat use of this endangered and protected species. Monitoring such a rarely discovered nursery ground is critical for species conservation.
From 2022 to 2023, Elliott tagged and tracked four young-of-the-year and juvenile great white sharks, also filming a Discovery Channel Shark Week documentary with his team.
Thanks to satellite tags sponsored by the New Zealand public and the Great White live-streaming app, the entire world was able to follow the movements of the tagged sharks. The tags usually allow three to eight months of tracking, providing
a novel insight into the lives of the next generation of New Zealand’s great white sharks.
The Stewart Island harbour nursery area was utilised intensively until the unprecedented floods of 2023, which displaced the tagged sharks to more sheltered harbours further north, including on the west coast.
Dr Elliott has now moved his tagging effort to just north of Stewart Island, where adult great white sharks seasonally congregate for food, courtship, and possibly mating. It’s one of the world’s largest great white aggregation sites and is where he will deploy his 16 remaining sponsored tags.
Of the five known great white aggregation sites on earth, almost all have come under novel environmental pressures, with some entirely disappearing, causing a huge trophic cascade through the food chain. The Stewart Island population seems healthy at present, but that is why this project, supported by Yamaha Marine NZ, is more necessary than ever.
Yamaha’s support of Dr Elliott’s research is an important part of its Yamaha Rightwaters initiative. This programme focusses on supporting and promoting the long-term sustainability and conservation of our waterways and oceans. Originally developed by Yamaha USA, it builds on Yamaha’s long-standing dedication to preserving our natural resources today so that Yamaha’s customers can continue to enjoy them tomorrow.
Yamaha is excited to bring this environmental programme to New Zealand by supporting local marine habitat protection.
