The Sustainable Oceans Society is receiving a Canon Environmental Grant of $5000 which will help them continue their great white shark study in the Tauranga harbour.

Sustainable Oceans Society is currently undertaking the Great White Project which involves deploying satellite tags on baby and juvenile Great White Sharks in the Tauranga harbour region.

Speaking on how the grant will be used, shark scientist Dr Riley Elliott says it "will go a long way in supporting the Great White Project".

“The camera equipment from Canon will assist with Photo ID work on a new and growing population of Great White sharks in New Zealand’s NE region.

“Photographs of unique dorsal fin and skin pigmentation markings on sharks allows scientists to identify individuals through time and space and enable population estimates.

“The financial contribution of the grant will go towards boat running costs required to be on the water, the tagging work to track these animals and the community engagement both locally and nationally educating the public on where Great White sharks are and what they do via the Great White App.

“This is all in effort to inform the public of where these incredible, yet endangered animals are living and how their presence is a keystone species for the marine ecosystem.”

The project not only helps understand why Great Whites have been migrating to the region but will help reveal habitat use and behaviour.

It also involves scientific photo ID of sharks using their unique markings.

The purpose of this project is to limit the adverse interactions between great whites and the public through widespread knowledge and information where, ultimately, the Great Whites tracks will be displayed live on a website to allow people to decide where to swim in the ocean.

To learn more about The Great White App, visit The Sustainable Oceans Society website.