HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Misión Tiburón is a non profit organisation established in 2009, based on the Pacific coast of
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
. Founded by marine biologists and conservationists Ilena Zanella and Andres Lopez, the organisation focuses on marine research concerning sharks, sea turtles and rays as well as education programs targeted at local coastal communities.


Operations

Misión Tiburón has its operations center in Guanacaste Province, in the North Pacific of Costa Rica. Since 2019, Misión Tiburón also carries out regular shark tagging operations from Golfito, in southern Costa Rica. The organisation focuses its efforts on three main areas: marine education, marine research and political and social advocacy. The main aim of its marine education operations is to raise awareness within Costa Rica as well as globally of the importance of sharks in the oceans, the threats that they are facing and their sharp population decline. The scientific marine research area focuses on sharks and other marine species in order to determine management strategies, hence promote their conservation and responsible use. It is the aim of its political and social advocacy area to use technical and scientific information as a tool for influencing civil society and public policy to promote the conservation of sharks and others marine species.


Notable initiatives and programs


Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Project

The
scalloped hammerhead shark The scalloped hammerhead (''Sphyrna lewini'') is a species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. It was originally known as ''Zygaena lewini''. The Greek word ''sphyrna'' translates into "hammer" in English, referring to the shape of thi ...
(''Sphyrna lewini'') suffered global population decreases of 95% as a result of horrific “ finning” practices, as well as accidental bycatch in long line fishing in pelagic waters. Juveniles, despite having too small fins, are still kept and used as bait for larger sharks. The scalloped hammerhead is one of the sharks most affected by such practises, and according to
IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...
is endangered; being a highly migratory species, it is very vulnerable, as conservation efforts have to take place across many nations. In Costa Rica, the traditional dish
ceviche Ceviche, cebiche, sebiche, or seviche () is a cold dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. Different versions of ceviche are part of the culinary cultures of various Latin American countries along the Pacific O ...
incorporates Hammerhead shark meat, contributing to the decline of these vulnerable populations. Following empirical observations in the waters surrounding
Cocos Island Cocos Island () is a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean administered by Costa Rica, approximately southwest of the Costa Rican mainland. It constitutes the 11th of the 15 districts of Puntarenas Canton of the Puntarenas Province, Province of ...
off the pacific coast of Costa Rica, it was found that populations of adult scalloped hammerhead sharks declined by 45% despite
Cocos Island Cocos Island () is a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean administered by Costa Rica, approximately southwest of the Costa Rican mainland. It constitutes the 11th of the 15 districts of Puntarenas Canton of the Puntarenas Province, Province of ...
being a protected national park. Misión Tiburón collected scientific data using satellite
telemetry Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots ''tele'', 'far off', an ...
and acoustic telemetry shark tagging methods providing evidence, from a high abundance of juveniles, that the coastal waters in Golfo Dulce were critical to the scalloped hammerhead’s survival. Misión Tiburón’s data indicated that whilst adult sharks feed in the rich pelagic waters surrounding
Cocos Island Cocos Island () is a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean administered by Costa Rica, approximately southwest of the Costa Rican mainland. It constitutes the 11th of the 15 districts of Puntarenas Canton of the Puntarenas Province, Province of ...
, they must migrate over 300 miles – along an underwater mountain range – to reach the
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...
coastal region of Golfo Dulce where females give birth to live young. The pups then remain in the sheltered root system, thriving off rich nutrient waters and benefiting from the protection by avoiding predators. As a result of Misión Tiburón’s work, the coastal regions of Golfo Dulce were assigned as the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary by the government of Costa Rica: this marked the first shark sanctuary in Costa Rica as well as the first shark sanctuary in the world focused on protecting juvenile sharks. The protected area covers over 10,000 acres of habitat in the Golfo Dulce region.


Whitetip Shark Project

The whitetip reef shark (''Triaenodon obesus'') gains its name from the unmissable white tipped dorsal and caudal fins, inhabiting global tropical coastal waters as well as
coral reefs A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. ...
. The Whitetip shark populations are threatened by multiple human activities including fishing; in Costa Rica, Misión Tiburón is focusing on conserving these sharks through tagging programs to track their populations, of which little is currently known. The program focuses around Cocos Island National Park and other hot spots off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.


Bull Shark Project

The
bull shark The bull shark (''Carcharhinus leucas''), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in riv ...
(''Carcharhinus leucas'') is a migratory species distributed globally – in mostly warm, shallow waters such as rivers and estuaries, being fresh or
salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish wate ...
. Juvenile sharks require the protection of mangrove coastal regions, such as Potrero Grande Mangrove and Punta Respingue Mangrove in Costa Rica, to thrive. These important habitats and populations lack scientific data, which could aid in the conservation of this species vulnerable to fisheries. Misión Tiburón aims to collect such data using acoustic and satellite tagging programs, utilising their findings to promote conservation of the Bull Sharks by working with local communities and approaching the governmental sector.


Marine Education

Misión Tiburón recognises that conservation involves education, their motto being “conocer para proteger”; as part of their work to conserve the
scalloped hammerhead shark The scalloped hammerhead (''Sphyrna lewini'') is a species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. It was originally known as ''Zygaena lewini''. The Greek word ''sphyrna'' translates into "hammer" in English, referring to the shape of thi ...
, they run educational activities in local coastal communities as well as participatory workshops with local fishermen operating in the Golfo Dulce region. By communicating with such fisheries, they can prevent mortality rates of juvenile hammerhead sharks. “Shark Route” is another scheme that focuses on educating elementary aged students about marine resources and the importance of the sharks’ role in aquatic ecosystems, as well as their vulnerability to human activity. Misión Tiburón aims to help educate over 3,000 public-school students with the message of “Save the Hammerhead Shark”, with plans to construct a learning station in the port town of Golifto, situated in the Golfo Dulce region along the pacific coast.


Cocos Island's Training Program for Rangers

Cocos Island National Park is a marine life hotspot, hosting a variety of biodiversity, 530km from mainland Costa Rica in the Pacific ocean. There are no permanent residents inhabiting the Island apart from park rangers, visiting scientists and tourists on day trips. Misión Tiburón is working with the rangers, conserving the island through education of new biological skills. By training the park rangers on how to obtain scientific data on the pelagic species through technical assistance, Misión Tiburón can collaborate with the research station on Cocos Island to help tackle illegal fishing.


Awards, Sponsors and support

Misión Tiburón signed a Cooperation Agreement with the National System of Conservation in March 2010, formalising an alliance with Cocos Island Marine Conservation Area (ACMIC) allowing collaboration of education and technical training. Misión Tiburón also worked with the Rainforest Trust for the establishment of the juvenile shark sanctuary in Golfo Dulce. Through Misión Tiburón's efforts, in 2018 Golfo Dulce was nominated and assigned a " Hope Spot” following the regions recognition for being critical to the survival of the
scalloped hammerhead shark The scalloped hammerhead (''Sphyrna lewini'') is a species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. It was originally known as ''Zygaena lewini''. The Greek word ''sphyrna'' translates into "hammer" in English, referring to the shape of thi ...
species; in particular, the vulnerable juveniles and pups. Misión Tiburón is thus supported by the global organisation Mission Blue, a charity created by the oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle. After being presented with the Whitley Award in 2019, Ilena Zanella secured £40,000 of funding for one year and her organisation Misión Tiburón gained support from the Whitley Fund for Nature. This UK-registered charity, established in 1993, supports conservational organisation globally with funding and by helping to raise awareness, through social media.


In the media

As part of the Whitley Award recognition to Ilena Zanella in 2019, a short film of Misión Tiburón’s work was released, narrated by
Sir David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature d ...
. In July 2020, Ilena Zanella was interviewed by Kate on Conservation and the article was published in
National Geographic Kids ''National Geographic Kids'' (often nicknamed to ''Nat Geo Kids'') is a children's magazine published by National Geographic Partners. In a broad sense, the publication is a version of ''National Geographic'', the publisher's flagship magazine, ...
Ocean Special issue. Several other articles on Misión Tiburón and its founders Ilena and Andres have been published nationally and internationally: * * * * * *


References

{{Reflist Shark conservation Organizations based in Costa Rica 2009 establishments in Costa Rica