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University of Hawaii researchers and state officials today confirmed that it was a tiger shark that fatally attacked a surfer in Honolua Bay earlier this month.
A pair of shark researchers at the UH Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology used new DNA barcode technology to determine the type of shark – and said it was undoubtedly a tiger shark . Measurement of bite marks on the last surfer’s board determined it to be approximately 14.3 feet long.
On December 8, a 56-year-old man later identified as Robin Warren of Napili encountered the shark while paddling from the old Honolua Bay ramp around 7:50 a.m., according to the Land and Natural Resources Department.
He was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, but eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Historically, researchers have relied on sightings of the victim or bystanders, according to renowned shark scholar Carl Meyer, but sharks can be difficult to identify.
In Hawaii about 40% of shark incidents, the species is not definitively identified, according to Meyer, compared to 70% globally. A scientific approach reduces uncertainties.
“Prior to the development of these new techniques, uncertainty as to the size and species of sharks responsible for bites to humans was common,” Meyer said in a press release. “We’re absolutely sure it was a great tiger shark (in the 98th percentile for size) that bit this man.
State education specialist Adam Wong used a swab kit developed by the researchers to collect traces of DNA from the bite print left on the surf victim’s board. State officials who responded to shark encounters are now equipped with the collection kits for this purpose, and the new technique will be used in the future.
“Once we received the sample from Maui, we used these new techniques to determine the species and size of the shark involved in the recent Honolua incident,” said Derek Kraft, a UH Sea Grant Fellow, in the press release. “These new techniques can be applied to future incidents to help us better understand these events… which fortunately are quite rare.
Swab Kits can retrieve shark DNA from anything that comes in direct contact with the shark, including surfboards, wetsuits, and fish. Swab samples are ideally collected within hours of an incident. In this case, they were taken after two and a half days.
Officials and researchers have offered condolences to Warren’s family and friends for the tragic incident, and hope the new technology can lead to better understanding.
“There’s a lot we don’t understand about shark bite incidents,” said Meyer, “and so we’re trying to get as much factual information as possible to make sure first of all that we are able to inform ocean users as much as possible about the risks of their activities. And with any luck, in the future, find ways to reduce the risk. “
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