A world-first shark 'rewilding' project is helping the endangered zebra shark, but it could also provide a template to help save other threatened marine species.
Zebra sharks were once a common sight in the turquoise waters around Raja Ampat, a collection of Indonesian islands north of Australia.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the species as endangered and there are locations like Raja Ampat where they have almost entirely disappeared. After mating, the females lay brown, leathery eggs, which the aquarium closely monitors to make sure they're developing as they should be.The eggs are carefully packed and flown to Raja Ampat, where they're put in hatcheries — purpose-built, overwater huts full of equipment to help them adapt.
"We've been very lucky that we were the first aquarium in the world to be able to provide eggs to this project," Simmons says.The release of the four zebra sharks into the wild had been years in the making, and it marked a huge moment for StAR Project team members.
After years of neglect, the islands have become "one of the most well-enforced marine protected areas in South-East Asia", she says. Simmons says the project could have a far greater impact beyond these Indonesian islands, as it could be replicated elsewhere."This is a wonderful template for potentially being able to achieve incredible recovery of so many endangered species," Simmons says.
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