Paul A Butcher

New South Wales Department of Primary Industries · Fishing and Aquaculture (Fisheries NSW)

The co-occurrence of people and sharks within nearshore areas raises concerns about human safety. Unprovoked shark bites are one of the most renowned negative human–wildlife encounters. White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are implicated in most fatal unprovoked shark bites globally, but there is limited knowledge of white shark behaviour in the p...

White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) play a crucial ecological role, shaping ecosystems through direct predation and risk effects. On the east coast of Australia, immature white sharks are broadly distributed, inhabiting a wide range of habitats and ecosystems from temperate Tasmania to tropical North Queensland. Using stable isotopes and fatty ac...

Background Acoustic telemetry has become a fundamental tool to monitor the movement of aquatic species. Advances in technology, in particular the development of batteries with lives of > 10 years, have increased our ability to track the long-term movement patterns of many species. However, logistics and financial constraints often dictate the locat...

The impacts on marine species from secular warming and heatwaves are well demonstrated; however, the impacts of extreme cold events are poorly understood. Here we link the death of organisms from 81 species to an intense cold upwelling event in the Agulhas Current, and show trends of increasing frequency and intensification of upwelling in the Agul...

Shark-human interactions are some of the most pervasive human-wildlife conflicts, and their frequencies are increasing globally. New South Wales (Australia) was the first to implement a broad-scale program of shark-bite mitigation in 1937 using shark nets, which expanded in the late 2010s to include non-lethal measures. Using 196 unprovoked shark-h...

Identifying sex-linked markers from genomic data has both theoretical and applied importance, especially in conservation. Yet, few methods and tools exist to detect such markers from Restriction-site-Associated DNA sequencing reads and even fewer tools can identify sex-linked markers from existing genotyped data. Here, we describe a new R function...

Monitoring marine fauna is essential for mitigating the effects of disturbances in the marine environment, as well as reducing the risk of negative interactions between humans and marine life. Drone-based aerial surveys have become popular for detecting and estimating the abundance of large marine fauna. However, sightability errors, which affect d...

Identifying the species response to changing environments can contribute towards proactive and adaptable resource management and, although obtaining observations can be logistically challenging for aquatic species, can be postulated through monitoring. A network of acoustic tracking receivers ( n = 93) across south‐eastern Australia was used to ide...

Simple Summary: Conflicts between humans and sharks have often been dealt with by catching and killing sharks. However, there is now a growing demand for methods that protect water users from shark bites while minimizing harm to all species. Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time (SMART) drumlines, a new non-lethal shark mitigation method, alert respo...

Unprovoked shark bites have increased over the last three decades, yet they are still relatively rare. Bull sharks are globally distributed throughout rivers, estuaries, nearshore areas and continental shelf waters, and are capable of making long distance movements between tropical and temperate regions. As this species is implicated in shark bites...

The wave-impacted waters off exposed sandy beaches support marine megafauna, including dolphins, whales, sharks, rays and turtles. To characterise variation in megafaunal assemblages in this challenging habitat, we used drone-based remote sensing to survey marine megafauna off 23 beaches along 1050 km of the New South Wales (NSW, Australia) coast f...

The white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias ) is one of the world's largest apex predators found throughout the world's temperate and subtropical marine environments. However, the species has suffered significant declines in recent decades and effective conservation programs require a sound knowledge of white shark biology and ecology. In particular,...

There is increasing support for shark bite mitigation measures, such as SMART (Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time) drumlines that minimise impacts on target sharks and other marine animals. On the east coast of Australia, SMART drumlines are used in a shark management program to catch and relocate white (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger (Galeocerdo...

In the original publication [...]

Knowledge of the 3-dimensional space use of large marine predators is central to our understanding of ecosystem dynamics and for the development of management recommendations. Horizontal movements of white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in eastern Australian and New Zealand waters have been relatively well studied, yet vertical habitat use is less...

Unifying models have shown that the amount of space used by animals (e.g., activity space, home range) scales allometrically with body mass for terrestrial taxa; however, such relationships are far less clear for marine species. We compiled movement data from 1,596 individuals across 79 taxa collected using a continental passive acoustic telemetry...

Drones enable the monitoring for sharks in real-time, enhancing the safety of ocean users with minimal impact on marine life. Yet, the effectiveness of drones for detecting sharks (especially potentially dangerous sharks; i.e., white shark, tiger shark, bull shark) has not yet been tested at Queensland beaches. To determine effectiveness, it is nec...

Over the last five years remotely piloted drones have become the tool of choice to spot potentially dangerous sharks in New South Wales, Australia. They have proven to be a more effective, accessible and cheaper solution compared to crewed aircraft. However, the ability to reliably detect and identify marine fauna is closely tied to pilot skill, ex...

There is still limited information about the diversity, distribution, and abundance of sharks in and around the surf zones of ocean beaches. We used long-term and large-scale drone surveying techniques to test hypotheses about the relative abundance and occurrence of sharks off ocean beaches of New South Wales, Australia. We quantified sharks in 36...

In eastern Australia, white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are targeted in shark control programs, yet the movement of subadults and adults of the eastern Australasian population is poorly understood. To investigate horizontal and vertical movement and habitat use in this region, MiniPAT pop-up satellite archival tags were deployed on three larger...

The perceived and real threat of shark bites have significant direct health and indirect economic impacts. Here we assess the changing odds of surviving an unprovoked shark bite using 200 years of Australian records. Bite survivability rates for bull (Carcharhinus leucas), tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier) and white (Carcharodon carcharias) sharks were ass...

Knowledge of the three-dimensional movement patterns of elasmobranchs is vital to understand their ecological roles and exposure to anthropogenic pressures. To date, comparative studies among species at global scales have mostly focused on horizontal movements. Our study addresses the knowledge gap of vertical movements by compiling the first globa...

This report presents the results of the Queensland SharkSmart Drone Trial, which ran from Sept 2020 - Oct 2021. The results include the number of shark sightings, the influence of environmental and operational factors on the ability of drones to detect sharks and a comparison of shark sightings vs catch in shark control nets and drumlines. The repo...

There are increasing concerns over the possible effects of aquaculture pens on the local abundance and residency of sharks, and its associated risk for shark bites at nearby beaches and surf breaks. We used acoustic tracking and a before-during-after-control-impact design to assess the residency and local abundance of 117 bronze whalers and 843 whi...

Identifying sex-linked markers from genomic data has both theoretical and applied importance, especially in conservation. Yet, few methods and tools exist to detect such markers from Restriction-site-Associated DNA sequencing reads and even fewer tools can identify sex-linked markers from existing genotyped data. Here, we describe a new R function...

Multisensor biologging provides a powerful tool for ecological research, enabling fine-scale observation of animals to directly link physiology and movement to behavior across ecological contexts. However, applied research into behavioral disturbance and recovery following human interventions (e.g., capture and translocation) has mostly relied on c...

Large marine predators exhibit high concentrations of mercury (Hg) as neurotoxic methylmercury, and the potential impacts of global change on Hg contamination in these species remain highly debated. Current contaminant model predictions do not account for intraspecific variability in Hg exposure and may fail to reflect the diversity of future Hg le...

Globally, marine animal distributions are shifting in response to a changing climate. These shifts are usually considered at the species level, but individuals are likely to differ in how they respond to the changing conditions. Here, we investigate how movement behaviour and, therefore, redistribution, would differ by sex and maturation class in a...

Over the last decade, an increase in the annual rate of shark bites on people has stimulated the development of new techniques aimed at reducing their occurrence, while minimising negative impacts to marine wildlife. One such technique is the SMART (Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time) drumline, which allows for the capture and relocation of white...

Understanding the use of sandy beaches underpins strategies for effective management of this valuable ecosystem. In this context, remote-sensing platforms and aerial imagery could, theoretically, provide novel and cost-effective solutions to identify and map beach visitor use. Recreational beach use patterns were examined using data collected via a...

Understanding the movement ecology of marine species and connectivity of populations is required for effective fisheries management. This is especially the case for species with wide-ranging distributions for which movement can span across several jurisdictions with different management regulations. We used the Australian national network of acoust...

White (Carcharodon carcharias L.), bull (Carcharhinus leucas, Müller & Henle) and tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier, Péron & Lesueur) sharks are the primary species responsible for unprovoked shark bites. Historically, management practices were based on culling “target” shark species (i.e. white, bull and tiger sharks), which resulted in high levels of byca...

Delineation of population structure (i.e. stocks) is crucial to successfully manage exploited species and to address conservation concerns for threatened species. Fish migration and associated movements are key mechanisms through which discrete populations mix and are thus important determinants of population structure. Detailed information on fish...

The number of human–shark interactions has increased worldwide during the past decade resulting in injuries and fatalities. In Australia, the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) are responsible for the majority of fatal incidents. On the southeast coast of Australia, monitoring...

Aerial surveys are increasingly used for assessing the presence and abundance of many large faunal species. However, detection rates often suffer significant sightability errors. Using sensors that capture thermal infrared can sometimes improve the detectability of fauna by increasing the contrast of target animals against their surrounds. However,...

The disposal of whale carcasses in beach burials has raised perceptions of shark attraction to the adjacent water. Understanding the concerns and perceptions of the community is key to creating sound management practices and educational resources. We surveyed community perception of the disposal of whale carcasses and the factors influencing public...

Inferences regarding animal presence from passive acoustic receiver arrays are driven by the spatial configuration of receivers. Large, dense arrays provide more information, but maintenance of multiple receivers is costly. Configuring acoustic receiver arrays to maximise coverage while minimising cost is therefore paramount. This study used data f...

COVID-19 restrictions have led to an unprecedented global hiatus in anthropogenic activities, providing a unique opportunity to assess human impact on biological systems. Here, we describe how a national network of acoustic tracking receivers can be leveraged to assess the effects of human activity on animal movement and space use during such globa...

White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are attracted to and scavenge on floating whale carcasses. However, little is known about how stranded whale carcasses may affect their behaviour. With increasing whale populations and beach stranding events, sharks may be attracted to nearshore waters at carcass sites, increasing the potential conflict with hu...

Over the past decade, drones have become a popular tool for wildlife management and research. Drones have shown significant value for animals that were often difficult or dangerous to study using traditional survey methods. In the past five years drone technology has become commonplace for shark research with their use above, and more recently, bel...

Population size is a central parameter for conservation; however, monitoring abundance is often problematic for threatened marine species. Despite substantial investment in research, many marine species remain data‐poor presenting barriers to the evaluation of conservation management outcomes and the modeling of future solutions. Such is the case f...

Unprovoked shark bites are one of the most recognised human-wildlife conflicts in the marine environment. Historically, management of this threat to public safety largely involved the implementation of lethal strategies. However, there is increasing environmental necessity and social pressure to adopt alternative strategies that minimise harm to sh...

Habitat use and movement patterns of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) in eastern Australian waters. Understanding the movement of marine predators is vital for effective conservation and management. Despite being targeted by shark control programs, the tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, is poorly studied off eastern Australia. To investigate the horiz...

Understanding and predicting the distribution of organisms in heterogeneous envi- ronments is a fundamental ecological question and a requirement for sound management. To implement effective conservation strategies for white shark Carcharodon carcharias populations, it is imperative to define drivers of their movement and occurrence patterns and to...

• Recent advances in aerial drones offer new insights into the biology, ecology and behaviour of marine wildlife found on or near the ocean’s surface. While opening up new opportunities for enhanced wildlife monitoring, the impacts of drone sampling and how it might influence interpretations of animal behaviour are only just beginning to be underst...

Management of human-wildlife conflict is often challenging and complex, particularly when the conflict involves sharks. New technologies are being trialled in New South Wales, on Australia's east coast, to accommodate the community demand for increased beach-user protection that does not harm marine wildlife. Drones (or unmanned aerial vehicles), a...

The use of drones to study marine animals shows promise for the examination of numerous aspects of their ecology, behaviour, health and movement patterns. However, the responses of some marine phyla to the presence of drones varies broadly, as do the general operational protocols used to study them. Inconsistent methodological approaches could lead...

Understanding fishing participation assists sustainable fisheries management. Relative to commercial fisheries, however, accurate quantitative data on recreational fishing is often more challenging to collect. The quality and robustness of recreational fishing surveys to assess fisher numbers may be improved with cost‐effective remote sensing platf...

In Australian and New Zealand waters, current knowledge on white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) movement ecology is based on individual tracking studies using relatively small numbers of tags. These studies describe a species that occupies highly variable and complex habitats. However, uncertainty remains as to whether the proposed movement pattern...

New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) presents new information exploring the shark catch of the NSW Ocean Trap & Line Fishery and developing methods to ensure an accurately reported, sustainable and profitable fishery for large sharks is maintained. A combination of novel genetic techniques, extensive field work, and numerical...

Many large coastal sharks are vulnerable to population declines, however, conflict with human activities often results in unselective culls. Successfully and non-destructively, addressing human-wildlife conflicts requires understanding of animal behavior. However, knowledge about white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) behavior near surf zones, where...

Illegal fishing is a global issue that threatens the viability of fishing industries and biodiversity conservation. Management agencies typically use on‐ground surveillance to monitor and minimise illegal fishing practices, the efficacy of which may be enhanced by integrating emerging remote sensing technology. Affordable drones may contribute to c...

Management of species with wide-ranging migrations is a complex issue, made more challenging when the species is both protected and poses a risk to humans. Understanding the oceanic conditions associated with shark habitat use can help develop mitigation strategies or warning systems that meet both conservation and human safety objectives. Using sa...

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Here, we provide baseline information about the relative abundance and group size of the Australian cownose ray Rhinoptera neglecta on the central east coast of Australia. Using drone monitoring over 2 years, we completed 293 transects, each 2 km in length, at four locations distributed along c.100 km of coast. In total, 5979 R. neglecta were obser...

Empirical evaluations of how overexploited marine fishes respond to capture stress (physiologically and behaviourally) have become increasingly important for informed fisheries management. These types of studies are, however, lacking for many protected species. Here, we conducted a novel study on the physiology of juvenile white sharks Carcharodon...

Aerial surveys of large marine wildlife in nearshore areas can support management actions to ensure conservation of this megafauna. While most aerial surveys of marine wildlife have been carried out using manned aircraft, unmanned aerial systems (commonly known as drones) are being increasingly used. Here, we compare the relative accuracy and preci...

"pre-print" of poster to be displayed at RISE conference 2019