Further research is to be conducted by the West Australian Department of Fisheries on a marine heatwave that has been linked to a recent spate of fatal shark attacks there.
Scientists say an unprecedented heatwave occurred off the WA coast between 2010 - 2011, could be responsible for declining fish stocks and increased shark activity.
Ocean temperatures rose by up to five degrees last summer, which the department said that has led to pockets of cooler water developing near the coastline.
Research director Rick Fletcher said this may be causing sharks to move closer to shore.
"If there is a relatively smaller area of cooler water inshore, then the sharks could be concentrated in that smaller area," he said.
Dr Fletcher said further studies will be carried out to determine the long-term effects of the heatwave on fish stocks and shark activity.
"If we actually understand a little bit more about what conditions are more or less likely to have concentrations of White Sharks or Tiger Sharks, than we can inform the public about what the conditions are likely to be," he said.
The ABC reports there have been five fatal shark attacks along the coast of West Australia in the past two years.
