A VITAL and expensive piece of scientific equipment used to study sharks is lost in the sand at Stockton beach.
A shark tag, worth about $3500, has washed ashore and the small piece of equipment carries vital information and research needed by the team at the NSW Shark Management Program.
"We study the movements and behaviours of white sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks all the way up the NSW coastline," principal research scientist Dr Paul Butcher said.
"This pop-up satellite archival tag was put on a female white shark on the 13th of September 2022 in South West Rocks. These tags are pre-programmed to pop off the shark at a certain time. Usually they wash ashore at a crowded beach and we get them back, but this one is no doubt buried at the more remote part of Stockton beach."
The last known location according to the tag's transmitter on Sunday was latitude -32.82217 and longitude 151.92479.
"It will stick out if on the sand or most likely be covered in the sand with the aerial out," he said.
"We have had detections Saturday and Sunday at the same spot - it's there."
While attached to the shark the detectors transmit a signal every three seconds measuring the animal's depth and location to build up mapping of shark behaviours. They also send signals to shark listening stations which are located at major beaches including Redhead and Newcastle. If the shark swims within 500 metres of the 'inshore' listening stations an alert is sent out via the Shark Smart app and local beaches can be closed if needed.
There are three different types of shark tags and currently the program has tagged 967 white sharks, 384 tiger sharks and 180 bull sharks.
"Through the research we have found they are wide-ranging," Dr Butcher said.
"One shark travelled to Western Australia and back three times, others to New Zealand and back many times.
"It is so useful knowing what they do and where they travel."
The NSW Government 's shark management program includes the tagged shark listening stations, SMART drumlines, rapid response vessels, Surf Life Saving NSW resources, long range drone trials and research into biteproof wetsuit materials.
Off the coast of NSW there are currently 37 listening stations setup and 20 different drumline regions being monitored. The NSW Government's shark tagging program is estimated to be the largest in the world.
If the shark tag on Stockton beach can be recovered scientists will be able to get the full data set, of which 70 per cent has already been collected via satellite prior to the disappearance of the tag, and help to build an even bigger picture of the local shark population.
Anyone who finds the tag should contact paul.butcher@dpi.nsw.gov.au
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