The Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) in Hobart celebrates the first birthday of the first captive-born Maugean skate, a milestone in their breeding program to restore the endangered species.
Scientists at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) in Hobart are celebrating the first birthday of the first captive-born Maugean skate. The male skate was the first wild egg to hatch last Christmas Eve, as part of a breeding program set up to restore the declining population of the endangered marine animal.Breeding program leader Professor Jayson Semmens says he has a 'high level of confidence' the skates can be reintroduced back into the wild in the future.
It's a strange and novel sight — a prehistoric species of stingray-like fish only found in Tasmania's remote south-west pushing around a dog toy in a tank. For the the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) team overseeing the endangered Maugean skate's captive breeding program, it's a triumphant moment. In a long year peppered by doubt and tempered with cautious optimism, 59 Maugean skates have now been born in captivity, and the eldest captive-hatched skate celebrated its first birthday on Christmas Eve. It came from a clutch of eggs that were taken from the wild and put into the captive breeding program.'It has a very specialised diet, lives in a very unique environment in Macquarie Harbor.'The Maugean skate, a species of ray, is only found in one waterway and it is thought there are fewer than 1,000 left. The endangered Maugean skate population has been shrinking quickly over the past decade — largely in part due to reduced oxygen levels from salmon farming in its only known habitat.But the birthday celebration caps off a successful year for the Hobart-based team.'I would have never dreamt in my career that I would be contributing to helping maintain the existence of a species,' Professor Semmens said.'High-class hotel' experience for baby skates Part of the challenge for breeding the skate in captivity, Professor Semmens said, was trying to replicate the environment the skate has adapted to over an incredibly long tim
ENDANGERED SPECIES MAUGEAN SKATE CAPTIVE BREEDING TASMANIA Conservation
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