A ‘SharkCam’, developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institutions (WHOI), has been used in the waters of the Inner Hebrides to observe basking shark behaviours.

Images captured by the AUV are helping researchers gain a deeper insight into the species’ underwater behaviour, social interactions and courtship rituals. The project is part of an initiative between Scottish Natural Heritage, the University of Exeter and WWF, with the SharkCam technology owned and operated by WHOI.

Dr Jenny Oates, WWF SEAS programme manager, said: “As our oceans come under increasing pressure, innovative technology like the REMUS SharkCam Robot can reveal our underwater world like never before and help to show why it must be protected.

“It is essential that we safeguard our seas, not just to enable magnificent species like basking sharks to thrive, but because all life on earth depends on our oceans.”

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Researchers used the AUV to follow basking sharks below the surface and collect high-definition video footage of their behaviour from a distance. Footage captured off the coast of Coll and Tiree in July showed the sharks searching for food, swimming close to the seabed and also feeding near the surface.

Towed camera tags attached to the sharks, as well as sonar imaging, also provides researchers with a wealth of data to work with.

Fieldwork for the project took place in the proposed Sea of the Hebrides Marine Protected Area (MPA), which is one of four potential MPAs currently under consultation by the Scottish Government. The protected zones are used to protect marine ecosystems, habitats and certain species.

This particular area is believed to be one of just a few worldwide where large numbers of basking sharks can be found feeding every year. It is also suspected that the elusive shark species could breed in waters off the coast of Scotland – an event that has never been captured on film.

Footage gathered by the SharkCam might also add weight to the case for the MPA designation and provide a deeper understanding of measures that can help protect both the species and its habitat.

Dr Suzanne Henderson, marine policy and advice officer at SNH, has worked on the basking shark tagging and research project since 2012. Already, Dr Henderson explained, the project has led researchers to reassess basking shark behaviour.

“This year’s collaboration has allowed us to use a combination of camera technologies and given us a glimpse of basking sharks’ underwater behaviour – a real first and very exciting,” she said. “The footage has already made us reassess their behaviour, with the sharks appearing to spend much more time swimming just above the seabed than we previously thought.

“It really brings home why it’s so important that the species and its habitat are protected by designating the Sea of the Hebrides as a Marine Protected Area.”