b'During the summer, juveniles,The entrance to the Kaipara harbour as well as mature andtaken from the Pouto lighthouse, this pregnant female school sharksharbour is Godzones biggest and an are observed in the Kaiparaimportant location for school sharks. in abundance. This suggests that this harbour may contain important school shark habitats, including a potential nursery for new-born sharks.School sharks from various regions have been observed to migrate to areas along the upper west coast of the North Island, with some being recaptured just outside the Kaipara Harbour. In the face of increasing human impacts in the region, the importance of the Kaipara for school sharks requires urgent assessment. This is where the research conductedThe sharks will bepublic and fishers to report by PhD student Alex Burtontagged by the dorsal fin,recaptures of tagged school comes in. Alexs researchmake sure you reportsharks through the Tindale aims to document the spatialthe catch if you land aMarine Research Charitable and seasonal abundance,tagged shark. Trust (TMRCT) inshore movements, heavy metaltagging program: www.accumulation, demographictindaleresearch.org.nzstructure, and diet of schoolAlex commented, There sharks in the Kaipara to aidare many ways Kiwis can help with this assessment. Thisand get involved with the information will be criticalproject. If you catch a shark to efforts to conserve andthat has been tagged, please protect this species intake note of the tag number, our waters. date captured, overall length, Alex is focusing oncapture location, capture identifying school sharkLuckily, school sharks are stilldepth, and report it to the movement patterns to seerelatively abundant in our inshoreTMRCT. If possible, please where the sharks found inre-release the fish. If you also the Kaipara come from, whatwaters. However, we know little about whichfind a spaghetti or satellite tag areas of the harbour differentinshore habitats are important to schoolfloating freely in the water life stages use, and discoveror on the beach, please also where school sharks go, oncesharks, and how and when they use them. report them.they leave the harbour.ToFurthermore, you can start do this, he is using two typesAlex is undertaking importanttagging fish yourself by signing of tags.The first are mini- research with his taggingup to the program via the PAT or satellite tags, whichresearch as globally schoolwebsite. Another way to help collect and transmit data onsharks have been as classifiedis through talking to other the movements of sharksas critically endangered. people about getting involved. over the course of one yearThe more the merrier!By via satellite. The second arebecoming a citizen scientist plastic spaghetti tags, whichand getting involved with are currently being used tothis research and the TMRCT tag various fish, shark, and raytagging program, you will species around Godzone. be contributing to the To track the movement ofconservation and kaitiakitanga spaghetti tagged individuals,(guardianship) of this species Alex is relying on thein Godzone.FIGZ /FISHINGINGODZONE71'