First record of the critically endangered great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) in its natural habitat in the coast of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The Great Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna mokarran, is critically endangered around the world. The overwhelming majority of their records are of animals killed, quartered or captured by fishermen, which limit our understanding on its biology and conservation. For the first time, we report on the S. mokarran occurrence in the State of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil, in its natural habitat. On 21 March 2021 a 2-m sub-adult male was captured by two Baited Remote Underwater Video Surveys (BRUVS) at 55-59 m depth, 30 km off João Pessoa, within the Queimado Shipwreck Marine Protected Area (MPA). Our findings suggest that S. mokarran is rare in the region and might be threatened by unmonitored and unregulated fishing activities. There is an urgent need for effective management and conservation actions for the species in the State of Paraíba. This record has the potential to serve as baseline data for future implementation of non-take zones within the Queimado Shipwreck MPA.