Celebrating the Gathaagudu Animal Tracking Project

Last Thursday, the Sequeira Lab hosted a sundowner event to celebrate the Gathaagudu Animal Tracking (GAT) Project at the University of Western Australia Oceans Institute located at the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre. The GAT Project has been running since 2021 in Shark Bay or Gathaagudu (as it is known to the Traditional Owners of this land, the Malgana people) and it seeks to track the movement and habitat associations of dugongs, sharks, and turtles. This is done mostly through the use of satellite trackers, high-resolution biologgers, and acoustic arrays.

The event on Thursday was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the project’s journey! It counted with the presence of key colleagues, collaborators, Traditional Owners, and philanthropic supporters, which include the Jock Clough Marine Foundation.

Presentations included a general overview by Assoc Prof Ana Sequeira and a detailed summary of the tracking data collected to date done by our post-doc Dr Hannah Calich. Most of the other members of Sequeira Lab also got the opportunity to share insights from their recent research in Shark Bay. Professor Christophe Gaudin and Associate Professor Nicola Mitchell, Director and Deputy-Director of the Oceans Institute also shared their thoughts on the project. We had the privilege of hearing from Patricia Oakley, Malgana Elder and member of the Malgana Aboriginal Corporation, who shared about the involvement of the Traditional Owners of the land in this project.

The evening wrapped up with a lively networking session, strengthening connections and setting the stage for future collaborations in marine conservation in Shark Bay.

Our heartfelt gratitude to all guests who attended the event. Your presence not only celebrated the achievements of the GAT Project but also highlighted the power of partnerships in advancing marine conservation in Shark Bay.