The construction of the world's biggest shark treadmill could help save dugongs and turtles in the wild says an expert at James Cook University.
Researchers are trying to discover the metabolic rate of some sharks to help determine how much they need to eat.
Richard Fitzpatrick says the data will help manage certain sharks that tend to eat protected species.
"Believe it or not we still don't know how much sharks eat, so we want to work out what their energy budget is," he says.
"So say for example one tiger shark needs to eat 20 turtles a year, then you'll know what impact predators have on their prey."
The treadmill structure will be 12 metres long and allow sharks to be observed in a confined space.
"It's like a doughnut race track, sort of velodrome type thing on its side," he says.
"It's made of transparent clear polycarbonate which apparently is bullet proof.
"The sharks swims in the straight section but it doesn't swim around.
"We generate a current inside it and we can change the speed of the current so the shark is basically swimming on the spot."
Designed for sharks about three metres long, Mr Fitzpatrick says tiger sharks will be the first to test the treadmill out.
Juvenile great white sharks will be tested near Port Stephens in New South Wales towards the end of the year.
To use the treadmill a team of researchers will submerge it underwater, catch a shark nearby and then insert the animal inside the treadmill.
Mr Fitzpack says he hopes to test the treadmill next month.