The aim of the ‘Supporting Management of Listed and Rare Species’, project (2011 - 2014) was to improve the understanding and management of data-poor, rarely-encountered, threatened riverine and estuarine shark and ray (elasmobranch) species, through the development of innovative population monitoring and integrated assessment strategies.
Threatened sawfishes (Pristis species) and river sharks (Glyphis species) of northern Australia represented the focal species, with an initial focus on Largetooth (Freshwater) Sawfish Pristis pristis and Speartooth Shark Glyphis glyphis in several selected rivers of the Northern Territory.
This project was led by the Marine Biodiversity hub incollaboration withCharles Darwin University, Northern Territory Fisheries and CSIRO and the findings also contributed to a Northern Australia hub project. Funding =was provided by the National Environmental Research Program (NERP).
From 2015, the research will continue as a new project supported through funding from the National Environmental Science Programme (NESP) - Northern Australian hotspots for the recovery of threatened euryhaline species
Check out the latest sawfish news
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- Sharks and Rays of Northern Australian Rivers
The world’s most endangered marine fish - IUCN SAWFISH FAST FACTS: AUSTRALIA
River Shark Surveys of Kakadu's West Alligator River (embargoed until Monday 9 Feb 2015)
Protocols for surveying and tagging
sawfishes and river sharks
A Guide to Sharks of
- Traditional Owners help scientists rescue critically endangered sawfish (March 2014, NERP Northern Australia Hub)
- Tagging sharks amid crocs in the Top End newsletter article (December 2013, NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub)
- Sawfish news
Species Information Sheets
Marine Hub research findings are also contributing to a Northern Australia Hub project - River to landscape connections and biodiversity
Images from field trips
- Images of field work in the South and East Alligator, Daly, Victoria Rivers
Website image credits: Miguel Clavero, Pierre Feutry, Peter Kyne & Kate Buckley.