Researchers tag sharks to protect Australian swimmers

Australian scientists are catching and tagging tiger sharks in an effort to stop deadly attacks on humans.

Shark researcher Bonnie Holmes from the University of Queensland said the research team was working with non-profit global shark research organization OCEARCH and is using satellite, acoustic and accelerometer tags, and even cameras to track tiger sharks.

The study follows a series of fatal shark attacks in Australian waters, the latest on Monday when a surfer was killed by a 4 meter- long shark.

"We're also collecting genetic information from fin clips and taking blood which can help us look at reproductive systems," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday.

"We can get really long-term data sets now, which we've never had before."

Holmes said tiger sharks migrated up and down the Australian east coast, but researchers knew little about their mating habits.

"To see if they're going to certain areas to breed, which we know very little about," she said. "They're a semi-solitary species -- they don't aggregate like other shark species to undertake these mating events."

Holmes said if researchers could discover why tiger sharks came into inshore waters it could help protect the species and keep people safer.

"We do have shark control programs along the east coast of Australia," she said.

"We hope to provide information to those programs and the general public on when and where is the safest time to swim." Endi