For National Biodiversity Month, AIMS marine megafauna researcher Dr Luciana Ferreira describes her encounters with some of the biggest and rarest marine creatures on the planet.
From a young age Dr Luciana Ferreira was intrigued by the oceans and the creatures within it. She fed her fascination by renting David Attenborough films from her local video store in São Paulo, Brazil.
Her parents, including her biologist mother also ensured she experienced many of her own country's natural wonders.
"We visited many of Brazil's most famous ecosystems, like the rainforest. We also went to lesser-known ones, like this location in southern Brazil where fishers and dolphins work together to catch fish," Dr Ferreira, who is based in AIMS' Perth office, said.
"The dolphins herd these huge schools of fish into the shallow waters so that the fishers can cast their nets near to the shore, and there are always enough disorientated fish available for the dolphins to snap up.
"It's a phenomenon that's well documented and studied now, but we went there before it was really famous. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen, and I never forgot it. It was a factor as I grew older and came to decide what to learn more about."
After studying oceanography at an undergraduate level, Dr Ferreira realised it was the animals in the ocean, and not so much its physics, that really fascinated her. A stint volunteering at her university's elasmobranch lab sealed the deal.
Working on tiger shark projects in Brazil led to her moving to study them for a PhD at The University of Western Australia in 2012 where she was co-supervised by former AIMS fish ecologist Dr Mark Meekan (now with UWA) and threatened species researcher Dr Michele Thums.
During her post doc at AIMS, Dr Ferreira has gone on to research threatened marine megafauna including whale sharks, marine turtles and pygmy blue whales in some of Australia's most remote and challenging locations. The data she is collecting helps to inform the management and protection of these species.
Most fascinating creature to research
"Tiger sharks. They are generalists and flexible and so challenging to study! I've researched their movement to help inform their management and conservation but there are inconsistencies, even in a localised region like Ningaloo. I like that unpredictability about them and the fact they still manage to surprise scientists, but it can be difficult to discern patterns in their behaviour. I always warn students about this whenever they tell me they want to study tiger sharks!
"During my PhD, we did a really cool cruise with an NGO called ' Ocearch '. They had a massive Bering Sea modified vessel which allowed us to lift the tiger sharks out of the water - it allows you to attach tags, collect samples and take measurements in a 10 minute period, whereas, if you were working with the animal over the side of the boat it would take over 20 minutes to get all done! That was an incredible experience."
Most difficult creature to research
"Pygmy blue whales. They do not migrate close to the shore, particularly in WA, so it is difficult to reach them. They are not in large numbers, you cannot use baits to help you study them like you can with tiger sharks and when you are near them in a boat you could pass right by them without seeing them (we find them by looking for the blows when they take a breath). They swim really fast and get spooked by the noise of the motor on our vessel, and they surface to breath for about three or four seconds, so this is the only time you get to tag them. At AIMS we are currently tagging pygmy blue whales during their northward migration off the WA coast to understand their movements and where they are feeding, so it is important we tag as many as possible to build evidence about their behaviours. We are currently looking into ways to make the tagging process easier for both the whales and ourselves."
Favourite threatened species encounter
"While they are difficult to study, I have had some wonderful days in the field tagging pygmy blue whales. The day we managed to tag three was very satisfying. On our most recent field trip to the offshore waters near Ningaloo, we managed to tag a small - so still 15 metre - whale we called Nyinggulu. It was the most beautiful looking whale without the usual scars from cookie cutter shark bites."
Most challenging day in the field
"I have a few of these with different animals and for different reasons:
- In Florida, while studying sharks, we were caught in quite a scary thunderstorm.
- I also tagged turtles in northern Australia all while being watched by a 6m crocodile resting on the beach.
- There was also the time we were trying to tag a pygmy blue whale in a five metre swell with 12-knot winds. Our boat was trying to surf the waves as was the pygmy blue whale and we all couldn't outrun the swell!
- Back in Brazil, I was on a fishing vessel that began to take on a lot of water and on the way back to shore I remember regularly discussing with the captain how far is too far to swim! We made it back okay!"
Most remote location for field work
"There is an island off the Northern Territory coast that has cultural and spiritual significance for the Maringa People. It's known as Gurriba Island and is one of the Crocodile Islands. The Traditional Owners of the region gave permission for us to access the island to study the turtles with the Crocodile Island rangers. We felt very honoured to be able to work there. Our turtle studies have allowed us to work closely with different Indigenous ranger groups to look after their sea Country. This work has enabled me to see parts of Australia most people will never see."
For more on Dr Ferreira's work, see our web pages on marine turtles , whale sharks and whales .
Main image: Micheline Jenner/ Centre for Whale Research
