Konservasi Indonesia
This study reports the first confirmed records of neonatal whale sharks in Indonesia, including one of the smallest free-swimming individuals ever documented globally, providing unprecedented evidence that Saleh Bay may function as a pupping and early nursery area. Observations and an incidental capture of neonates (≈1.2–1.5 m TL) around lift-net fisheries highlight the bay’s highly productive, semi-enclosed conditions as potentially critical for early life-stage survival. The findings significantly elevate the conservation importance of Saleh Bay, underscore the urgency of protecting nearshore nursery habitats from fisheries interactions and coastal pressures, and demonstrate the vital role of long-term collaboration and citizen science with local fishers in advancing conservation of this endangered species.
Authors:
Ismail Syakurachman, Yasman Yasman, Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra, Mark Erdmann, Mufti Petala Patria, Edy Setyawan
Publisher:
Diversity
Keywords:
citizen science, endangered species, marine megafauna, reproductive biology, lesser sunda seascape, elasmobranch
Group Species:
Elasmobranch
Species:
Whale shark
Scale:
Saleh Bay
Year:
2025
