The successful use of a submersible ultrasound to confirm pregnancy on free swimming bull sharks

Written By Karina Busto

Photo credit: © Ramón Magaña

The successful use of a submersible ultrasound to confirm pregnancy on free swimming bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, in a provisioned shark site

Edgar Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla | Irene Casanova-Santamaría | José Carlos-Loria Correa | James Sulikowski

Frontiers in Marine Science, July 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1193563

Abstract

A prototype, fully submersible, high definition ultrasound was used to determine the reproductive state of wild, free-swimming bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, at a provisioned shark diving site in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. During two opportunistic dives, the presence of embryos was confirmed in three female sharks (greater than 2.0 m total length) and emphasizes the importance of developing and linking emerging technologies with shark diving sites for the conservation of elasmobranch species.

Keywords: Emerging technologies, Gestation ground, Conservation, Management, Ecotourism

Press release: New Ultrasound Technology Reveals Bull Shark Pregnancy

Karina Busto
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