A University of Hawaii program is helping researchers monitor sharks in Palau waters.

The Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa is using funds it obtained from the U.S. federal government to expand a research project that monitors the sharks with acoustic devices.

The funds will increase the density and geographic range of the devices, giving researchers a more precise and complete picture of shark movement in the Palauan archipelago, UH officials said. The array of devices is the first of its kind in Micronesia and supports Palau’s efforts to conserve and protect sharks.

The project was initially established by the Micronesian Shark Foundation, the Save Our Seas Foundation, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.