Scientists at Tasmania’s institute for marine and Antarctic studies have managed a world first, overseeing the birth of a Maugean skate. The captive breeding program is one of a number of measures aimed at saving the skate, which only lives in a remote Tasmanian harbour from extinction.
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00:00This baby Morgian skate is one of a kind, the first of its species to ever hatch from
00:08an egg laid in captivity.
00:11It's been quite a ride working on Morgian's skate.
00:14The skate's mother was already pregnant when she was captured in the Endangered Species
00:18Last Refuge, Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast.
00:22Only a few days into having this female she started laying eggs and has been laying non-stop
00:29since then.
00:30Though I will note she takes public holidays off, there's been two public holidays where
00:34she has stopped laying.
00:36Only two of the four adult skates brought into captivity last year have survived, but
00:41a number of eggs gathered from Macquarie Harbour have hatched.
00:46I'm advised that 24 of those 50 eggs have hatched here at IMAS and that those juveniles
00:52are actually thriving and doing really well.
00:56The captive breeding program is one of the measures recommended by a recovery team to
01:00save the Morgian skate from extinction.
01:03Salmon farming, climate change and other influences have altered its only habitat.
01:08Scientists are celebrating this success, but warn the Macquarie Harbour is very different
01:14to the captive breeding environment.
01:16You can't just put them in and expect them to be able to cope with those conditions.
01:21Baby steps for these baby skates.
01:26For more UN videos visit www.un.org