Shark expert at Sunrise

Shark expert Maddison Cross will be the guest speaker at this week’s Rotary Club of Redcliffe Sunrise meeting.

The PhD candidate at UniSC specialising in the biology and ecology of scalloped hammerhead sharks will be at Deception Bay Environment Hub on Thursday, 7-9pm.

Scalloped hammerhead sharks, an apex predator, are known to use Moreton Bay to give birth and as a nursery.

They form schools, or "shivers," which help them hunt prey and provide safety in numbers, especially for young sharks.

Maddison’s research aims to improve understanding of this critically endangered species by examining habitat use, movement patterns, age and growth and post-release mortality.

She uses a range of innovative methods including drones, acoustic telemetry, laboratory analyses and fishery-based data.

Maddison is also a Technical Officer in the Department of Primary Industries, with the Queensland SharkSmart drone trial team, analysing and documenting aerial footage.

She is analysing shark footage and tracking movements by putting drone GPS coordinates into Quantum Geographic Information Software and RStudio Integrated Development Environment.

Maddison has a Bachelor of Environmental Science with a Minor in Coastal and Marine Environments and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Marine Science.

Her interests are marine megafauna biology and ecology, fisheries management, and marine ecosystem dynamics.

Deception Bay Environment Hub is at 7 Joseph Crescent, Deception Bay.

Rotary Club of Redcliffe Sunrise meets on the third Thursday each month. For more information email secretaryredcliffesunrise@gmail.comor phone 0418 540 891