The diving behaviour of sharks has been shown to be affected by the moon, water temperature and time of day.
Research on 40 grey reef sharks found that they tended to stay in deep waters on nights with a full moon, while rising to shallow waters during new moon periods.
Water temperatures were also seen to have an effect, with the sharks diving to an average of 35 metres during winter and 60 metres in spring. Time of day also affected diving patterns, with the sharks diving deeper during the morning and rising to the surface during the afternoon.
The data has given researchers a greater understanding of shark behavioural patterns and it is hoped that it will aid in conservation efforts by improving fishing methods in order to avoid sharks.
Read more at The University of Western Australia