Oceanic atoll in southern Maldives offers refuge for elasmobranch species amidst global declines
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Despite their ecological and socioeconomic importance, oceanic and reef-associated elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) have experienced widespread declines. Within the Indian Ocean, Fuvahmulah Atoll, a highly exposed oceanic atoll in the southern Republic of Maldives, was recently designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, partly due to its extraordinary marine megafauna. However, Fuvahmulah’s elasmobranch populations have been little studied. Using remote timelapse cameras at three shallow forereef sites on the atoll, we quantified elasmobranch sightings during daylight hours between March and August 2022 ( n = 1,629,756 images analyzed). Elasmobranchs were sighted almost every day (95%, n = 60) and most hours (72%, n = 550). Of the four ray and seven shark species sighted, whitetip reef sharks were seen on the most hours ( n = 327) and days ( n = 56), but pelagic thresher sharks were sighted in the most images ( n = 27,447), reflecting the long periods this species spent at one site known to be a cleaning station. We document significant differences in species’ occurrences, relative abundances (MaxN), and frequency of occurrences diurnally, across sites, and seasons. The highest shark sighting rates overall, and for grey reef, whitetip reef, and tiger sharks, were observed within the Farikede marine protected area, for which management plans are in development. Our findings, which represent the first quantitative reports of Fuvahmulah’s elasmobranchs, underscore the atoll’s importance and that of protected areas for ensuring the persistence of these megafauna.
Source: Scientific Reports
Institution: University of Victoria
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W7223576354