Brazilian bay's surprise shark nursery sparks conservation project

Brazilian bay's surprise shark nursery sparks conservation project: In Ilha Grande bay, southeastern Brazil, scientists have identified a cove in Piraquara de Fora frequented by dozens of pregnant blacktip sharks, shifting local expectations from viewing sharks as potential food to protecting them. The discovery is part of the Brazilian Institute for Nature Conservation’s Sharks of Ilha Grande Bay project, which aims to identify nurseries and use monitoring data to support conservation actions. Researchers lowered camera equipment in different parts of the cove for about an hour and used drone imagery, with footage to be analyzed later in a laboratory. The broader context is that Brazil is the largest consumer of shark meat and that, globally, more than one-third of shark species are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN. The project also targets sand tiger sharks and hammerhead sharks, and includes plans for environmental education in local schools. Brazil prohibits targeted shark fishing, though nonprotected sharks may be taken as bycatch. Project coordinator José Truda Palazzo said the effort is already discouraging the local consumption of shark meat.