Shark Tagging with National Geographic

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By Shannon Moorhead, SRC Intern

As I set out for Crandon Marina early Tuesday morning, my hopes were not high: the sky to the north was a dark, foreboding gray; there was a wall of thunderstorms moving towards Miami on the radar; and I had received multiple worried texts from my parents concerning tornado warnings throughout south Florida.  Despite the circumstances, I was eager to get out on the water.  Today was our second day on the boat with a film crew, who were shooting a hammerhead shark special for Nat Geo Wild’s “Sharkfest”.  Unfortunately, the first day of filming was rather windy, confining us to inshore waters where we caught no sharks.  It was the first time I had struck out on a trip and I was afraid the morning storms would keep us in the same location.

Just as the team assembled in the parking lot, the storm hit.  My fellow interns and I watched from the safety of Diver’s Paradise dive shop as a torrential rain and whipping winds made the marina look like a scene from a disaster movie about hurricanes.  But as we waited out the storm, our luck began to turn.  First, I received an email that could turn any day from bad to good: it was my acceptance letter into University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science!  I was so excited (and relieved) that my attitude changed, and with it so did the weather.  The skies cleared and revealed a beautiful, calm, sunny day: perfect for going offshore.  We loaded the gear onto the boat, the film crew arrived, and we set out to tag some sharks!  When we reached our location for the day, the team deployed our first set of 10 drumlines, in addition to a fish trap (to better understand the assemblages of fish species in the areas where we fish for sharks), and took environmental readings (data on seawater temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen content).  Then the waiting began.

SRC interns Robbie Roemer, Jake Jerome, and Shannon Moorhead secure a female hammerhead shark to the platform

SRC interns Robbie Roemer, Jake Jerome, and Shannon Moorhead secure a female hammerhead shark to the platform

After letting the lines soak for an hour, we moved to pick up the first drum.  There was a small twinge of disappointment as the first line came up shark-less, but lack of sharks was not a problem we had for long.  On the third line of the day we pulled up exactly what we were looking for: a beautiful great hammerhead shark!  A wave of excitement washed over the entire crew; it is fishing after all, and we had been unsure of whether or not we’d be able to catch a hammerhead while we had the film crew with us.  We got the shark on board (a 251 cm female, over 8 feet long!) and proceeded to do a quick workup: hammerheads get stressed more easily than other shark species, so we wanted to get her back in the water as soon as possible!  Luckily, the SRC team performed like a pit crew for sharks and measured, tagged, drew a blood sample, took a fin clipping, and released her within just a few minutes.  As the shark briskly swam off, the team celebrated a job well done and moved on to pick up the rest of the first set.

There was little downtime after the first workup, as we discovered a shark on the very next line!  Our program’s director, Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, worked on bringing the shark towards the surface and it became apparent by the way it was fighting that this was a big one.  As the shark emerged from the depths we identified it as a massive male lemon shark, indicated by the large second dorsal fin, which is similar in size to the first dorsal.  He fought hard, but the team was able to work him up onto the platform to be processed.  Measurement revealed he was a whopping 266 cm long, just under 9 feet!  Much of the team agreed, it was the largest lemon shark most of us had ever seen.  After a quick work up, he was successfully released back into the water and we proceeded to check the rest of our lines.

SRC intern Robbie Roemer preps for surgery to implant an acoustic tag in the abdomen of a recently mated female bull shark.

SRC intern Robbie Roemer preps for surgery to implant an acoustic tag in the abdomen of a recently mated female bull shark.

Though line 5 came up empty, set 1 continued to be lucky when we found a bull shark on line 6!  At 245 cm, about 8 feet, she was the shortest shark we caught that day, but what she lacked in length, she made up for in girth.  As we began to collect data on the female bull, we noticed fresh scars on her pelvic fin: a sign of recent mating!  The in-water photographers told us they could see another bull shark circling below the boat; perhaps this was her mate.  After the usual workup procedure was completed, an acoustic tag was surgically implanted in the shark’s abdomen.  The acoustic tag will “ping” when it comes within a certain distance of receivers placed under the water, allowing for better tracking of the shark’s movements around Miami as part of a study on bull shark utilization of urbanized habitat.  The surgical incision was sutured and the girthy female was released in great shape.

SRC interns Rachel Skubel and Shannon Moorhead secure a female nurse shark while SRC director, Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, discusses the shark for the National Geographic film crew.

SRC interns Rachel Skubel and Shannon Moorhead secure a female nurse shark while SRC director, Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, discusses the shark for the National Geographic film crew.

Just when we were beginning to think set 1 couldn’t get any luckier, we pulled up a large female nurse shark on the very next line: back-to-back sharks twice in one set!  She measured 267 cm, nearing 9 feet long.  After a quick workup, the shark was returned to the water for a healthy release.  The team pulled up and redeployed the rest of set 1 and went back to check on set 2.  Unfortunately, the tide had turned between sets and with it our luck: the next 30 lines came up empty.  The team remained in good spirits for the strong first set made up for the lackluster rest of the day.  We picked up our fish traps and processed what we found inside (a filefish and cottonwick, a species of grunt) then headed for home, thrilled with the data we had collected (on four different species, nonetheless!) and excited to get back on the boat for our third and final day with National Geographic.

SRC director, Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, thrilled after a great day of tagging!

SRC director, Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, thrilled after a great day of tagging!

Shark Tagging with National Geographic

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By Rachel Skubel, SRC Intern

This was our third and final day with the National Geographic film crew. By now, the Nat Geo team was familiar with how our research team operated; I can’t say enough about how fantastic they were to work with. After yesterday’s great hammerhead/bull/lemon/nurse shark progression, we were all optimistic about the day’s outcome.

Captain Eric set a course for Sandbar Palace, a few miles off of Key Biscayne. The depth was up to 100 feet, which meant we were able to deploy our longer drumline setups – and also that chances were good for encountering larger bodies pelagic species! Excitement grew with taking environmental measurements – water temperature was 24°C, certainly warm enough for great hammerheads!

As we pulled in the first set of 10 drumlines, our first animal of the day was to be an energetic nurse shark (GInglyostomo cirratum). We got a tonne of great data from this animal, including a series of morphological measurements, whole blood and plasma samples, and thermal imaging.

The UM shark research team working up a nurse shark

The UM shark research team working up a nurse shark

A few minutes later, as graduate student Jake Jerome was pulling in a drum, our director Neil Hammerschlag noticed the line scoping out – a possible sing of a great hammerhead, as they swim near the surface! Indeed, a beautiful Sphyrna mokarran was brought onto our platform, and was a perfect candidate for a satellite tag. We were even able to take a valuable blood sample, to be used for hormone, energetic, and genetic analyses among others. The amount we can learn from one animal is just astounding, and given their status as endangered, this is critical information for uncovering effective conservation regulation. The satellite tag will let us know where animals of this species migrate to, which (for example) informs policies regarding habitat protection.

Pulling in a great hammerhead shark, before a swift work-up by our team – including the attachment of a satellite tag!

Pulling in a great hammerhead shark, before a swift work-up by our team – including the attachment of a satellite tag!

After releasing this animal back into the water, and watching it swim away in good condition, we were thrilled about what we had caught so far. The day was far from over, as we lucky enough to capture another individual of each species (nurse and great hammerhead) for a total of four sharks! We felt fantastic about all the data we captured these past three days, and are eager to work this into the ongoing projects of the Shark Research and Conservation group. Stay tuned for some exciting publications!

The hardworking research and film teams after our three-day #sharkfest

The hardworking research and film teams after our three-day #sharkfest

If you’d like to follow the journey of the great hammerhead shark we tagged today, we will be releasing a link as soon as we get transmissions!

Shark Tagging with South Broward High School

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By Grace Roskar, SRC Intern

The morning of February 12th, 2016 was a beautiful day for the SRC team, the Diver’s Paradise captain and crew, and students of South Broward High School to set out for a day of shark tagging. We also had two citizen scientists on board, ten-year-old Tristan and his father Jivan from North Carolina. South Broward has been a participating school group of SRC for several years, and after enduring traffic from the Miami Boat Show, the group was anxious to board the boat and embark on a day of science, sharks, and sunshine.

The waters were calm as we motored out to a certain location among the group of shallow tidal flats known as the Safety Valve in Biscayne Bay. Drumlines were prepared with tuna or jack for bait and set out to let soak for an hour. Many of the South Broward students had been on an SRC trip before, but they were still eager to listen to trip leader Jake’s demonstration of the workup process for a shark. They were already knowledgeable about different shark species, as well as how they breathe by swimming to actively force water through their mouths and over their gills, allowing for the uptake of oxygen, in a process known as ram ventilation.

Trip leader and SRC Master’s student Jake tells students about the workup process for a shark and uses Sharky, the stuffed shark, to demonstrate the procedures

Trip leader and SRC Master’s student Jake tells students about the workup process for a shark and uses Sharky, the stuffed shark, to demonstrate the procedures

After an hour had passed, we set out to retrieve the first set of ten drumlines. On one line was a blacknose shark, which is a smaller species that SRC does not encounter often. This blacknose was a male and about 119 centimeters long, or a little shorter than 4 feet. Due to its small size, Jake and Rock brought the shark directly onto the back of the boat instead of setting up our large platform, and it was safely secured on deck. Next, our citizen scientists and South Broward students assisted the SRC team with a nictitating membrane test to test the shark’s stress levels, several length measurements, taking a sample of the dorsal fin, and inserting a dart tag into the shark’s dorsal fin. Rock took morphological measurements and Hannah swiftly drew blood from the caudal vein of the shark, to be used for several different measurements such as glucose and hematocrit levels, which is valuable data for Jake’s ongoing Master’s thesis. After a quick workup, students were able to take a few moments to touch the shark and feel its dermal denticles, which are scales that are basically modified teeth, as dermal denticles means “small skin teeth.”

A South Broward student quickly pumps seawater into the shark’s eye to watch for its ‘eyelid’, called a nictitating membrane, to pop up. This reflex is a possible measure of stress levels in the animal.

A South Broward student quickly pumps seawater into the shark’s eye to watch for its ‘eyelid’, called a nictitating membrane, to pop up. This reflex is a possible measure of stress levels in the animal.

The blacknose shark was quickly and safely released, and we moved on to set out to retrieve the rest of the drumlines. There were no more sharks on the lines, so they were set out for two more sets. While pulling up one line, Jake felt tension for a moment, thinking it could be a shark, but then the line was released and the tension dissipated. It is possible there was a shark on the line but was not hooked completely and was able to get away. Even with some South Broward students choreographing their own “shark dance” in hopes of good luck, after thirty lines, we had only caught the one shark. With hopes still high, we had time to set out five more lines, but trip leader Jake and Captain Eric decided to try a new spot. We motored closer to Stiltsville, a group of houses built on stilts in a different part of the general area of the Safety Valve. We quickly set out five more baited drumlines and let them soak for about forty-five minutes. To our delight, another blacknose was hooked! It was carefully brought onto the back deck of the boat and secured by Jake and Rock. Our trip guests helped again with the nictitating membrane test, measuring the shark, taking a fin clip, and tagging the shark. Hannah was able to successfully draw blood once more and I helped with morphological measurements, including the span of the shark, clasper measurements, and taking pictures of its fins to be digitized for scale to see how sharks grow over time.

Tristan and Jivan, our citizen scientists for the day, help insert a spaghetti tag into the sharks dorsal fin.

Tristan and Jivan, our citizen scientists for the day, help insert a spaghetti tag into the sharks dorsal fin.

After thirty-five lines, the team and students were elated and grateful to have caught two blacknose sharks, which is a more rare occasion on the SRC boat! With beautiful weather all day, it was overall an exciting day on the water with South Broward High School and our citizen scientists. Although many South Broward students had been on a trip with us before, their excitement to learn about and see these apex predators never faltered. We were honored to have Tristan and Jivan onboard with us and were grateful for their help throughout the day. The SRC team gathered valuable data from the two blacknose sharks and we hope that South Broward will come out with us again soon!

 

 

 

Shark Tagging with Hialeah High School

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By Casey Dresbach, SRC Intern

On the fairly windy and overcast morning of December 3rd, the SRC team and honorary audience members set sail on yet another successful venture. The SRC team and I met at Crandon Park at 8 AM, along with high school students from Hialeah High School, and a very special guest, a Canadian documentary filmmaker. As we boarded the boat, the skies began to clear up and ensured a day filled with adventure.

Catherine Macdonald, the trip leader for the day, and Jake Jerome, my fellow intern, began to speak to the students about our fishing methods and why we use such specific gear. The two briefed the students on why SRC does what we do and how each and every one of them were about to help in collecting crucial data which impacts both shark research and management. While the explanation took place, I, along with the rest of the team began to set up the gear, bait the hooks, and deploy the drums. This was repeated three times, a total of 30 deployed drums for the day. After the first set of ten, we held tight to let the bait soak in the water for about an hour. Upon waiting, I got to speak with a couple of the students and their very enthusiastic teacher. For some students, it was their first time seeing sharks, let alone being aboard a boat! Having such an avid educator on board made all the difference; the energy was wonderful and not only did the team respond, but the sharks were pretty responsive too! Our first cartilaginous friend hooked onto line four to join our educational soirée. The beautiful male Black Tip came aboard at around 170 cm, about five and a half feet long. To avoid setting up the platform in such rough seas, we landed the shark onto the boat. Little did we know that this little guy would foreshadow the rest of our catches… all to whom were in fact Black Tips! I’m honored to say I took part in such a remarkable set of catches! Teams of four students were set up and each one got to take part in the four primal procedures: nictitating the eye membrane, measuring the shark, taking a fin clip sample, and of course, tagging the shark.

A student conducts a reflex test on the shark’s eye with a stream of ocean water, checking for its ‘eyelid’ called a nictitating membrane. This reflex is being tested as a possible measure of stress levels.

A student conducts a reflex test on the shark’s eye with a stream of ocean water, checking for its ‘eyelid’ called a nictitating membrane. This reflex is being tested as a possible measure of stress levels.

The rest of the day seemed to go by fairly quick; five more sharks were caught throughout the next several hours. We landed a male Black Tip at 157 centimeters (a little over five feet), followed by a male Black Tip at 159 centimeters (a little over five feet), yet another male at 170 centimeters (about five and a half feet), and two female: one with a total length of 170 cm and another at 173 centimeters (almost 6 feet!). The team aided the participants in their tasks, snapped photos of each to get accurate measurements to scale, and drew blood from each shark, which that was taken to the back of the boat and examined by my fellow intern, Stephen Cain. Eager students head back to join him and soak in his masterly shark blood handling. Catch after catch I was able to see the spark in each and every one of the students. In being apart of such an incredible Shark Research Program, I have learned to appreciate the most satisfying recognition: inspiring high school students to take in new knowledge.

A student assists intern, Casey Dresbach, with measurements of the shark.

A student assists intern, Casey Dresbach, with measurements of the shark.

Honorary Hialeah High School’s biology teacher helps pull in a line, with Blacktip hooked on!

Honorary Hialeah High School’s biology teacher helps pull in a line, with Blacktip hooked on!

Overall, we had an extraordinary day on the sea with Hialeah High School and the Canadian documentary team, in spite of the choppy waters. After catching a record six Black Tips, I can only presume that everyone on board left feeling satisfied and content with the day. The SRC team was able to gain valuable data from our catches and workups. The trip was made best because of the enthusiasm instilled in all of the students, thank you for your hard work and energy! We only hope you continue to instill your passion in the future; it truly is remarkable. Hope to you again soon!

15 things the Shark Research program at UM accomplished in 2015

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It’s been a great year for our team! Here are some of our accomplishments from 2015:

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  1. We published a paper using evolutionary theory to predict extinction risk, and it was featured on the cover of Trends in Ecology in Evolution!

TREE-cover2. We took 1,321 guests from the community out on the shark research boat with us. They ranged in age from 10 to 80, and came from 43 U.S. states and 49 countries.

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3. We published a paper showing that seals hunt and kill sharks, and it was featured on the cover of the African Journal of Marine Science!

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4. Members of our team spoke to hundreds of middle school, high school and college students about marine biology and conservation!

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5. We published ten more scientific papers on a variety of topics!

6. We deployed 1,961 drumlines during 61 days of sampling, and we caught, measured, sampled, tagged and released 323 sharks of 12 species!

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7. We welcomed our largest-ever class of interns!

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8. We deployed 14 satellite tags! You can track all of our satellite tagged sharks here using Google Earth! We also deployed 22 acoustic tags!

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9. Our team participated in community outreach events, including Taste of the Sea, Rock the Oceans, and the Frost Science Museum’s Underwater Festival!

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10. Our satellite tracking data was used by the National Marine Fisheries Service to designate essential fish habitat for Atlantic highly migratory species!

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11. Our team presented research at the American Elasmobranch Society conference!

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12. The biggest shark we tagged this year was a 450 cm (nearly 15 foot) great hammerhead!

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13. Our director Dr. Neil Hammerschlag served on the scientific advisory committee for the Fish at Night conference, and several members of our team presented their research there! Read tweets from the meeting here: 

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14. Our research was widely covered in the media, including Discovery News and Smithsonian Magazine. 

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15. We co-hosted shark trivia night with the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence!

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Shark Tagging with MAST Academy

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By Grace Roskar, SRC Intern

On the overcast morning of November 15th, the SRC team, the Diver’s Paradise captain and crew, and students of MAST Academy gathered at Crandon Marina to brave wind, clouds, and light rain to embark on a day of shark tagging. MAST Academy is one of our oldest participating school groups and although the weather was not the typical Miami sunshine, the students were eager to board the boat and get underway. We motored out through choppy waters to the Safety Valve in Biscayne Bay, which is a group of shallow sand flats that is intersected by the tides flowing in and out. After some quick introductions and a briefing on the process of deploying drumlines, the equipment was set out and allowed to soak for an hour. In the meantime, trip leader Christian Pankow demonstrated the process of working up the sharks to the MAST students. When an hour had passed, we set out to retrieve the first set of ten drumlines. To no avail, there were not any sharks on the first ten lines, so they were set back in the water after being reloaded with fresh pieces of bait. However, several of the hooks came up with the chunk of barracuda steak missing and two lines had bite marks and shredding on the tough monofilament line, so it seemed that sharks could be somewhere close. The second set of ten drumlines was pulled up and again, no sharks. They were set back into the water and were allowed to soak a little bit longer.

A MAST Academy student tosses the barracuda bait into the water.

A MAST Academy student tosses the barracuda bait into the water.

On the 21st line, a blacktip had been hooked! To avoid setting up the platform in such rough seas, the 1.64 meter male shark was brought directly onto the stern of the boat by Christian and grad student Robbie. Once secured, MAST students assisted the SRC team with several length measurements, taking a sample of the dorsal fin, and inserting a dart tag into the shark’s dorsal fin. The shark was swiftly released back into the water in great condition. Since time allowed, a fourth set of drumlines was deployed, bringing our total to 40 drumlines for the day. Another blacktip, slightly smaller at 1.53 meters, was pulled up and worked up via the same process on the back of the boat. Students were able to assist in the work-up process again and also touch the shark, feeling the unique texture of their dermal denticles. Another line later had a nurse shark on the hook, but just as Christian and Robbie were pulling it up to secure it onto the boat, it simply spit the hook out of its mouth and swam off! Although it was disappointing to be so close to pulling in our third shark of the day, Christian was able to estimate it at 1.5 meters in length and the students were glad to still be able to see the day’s second shark species at the surface of the water.

A student helps test the reflex of the shark’s ‘eyelid,’ or nictitating membrane, to measure the shark’s stress level.

A student helps test the reflex of the shark’s ‘eyelid,’ or nictitating membrane, to measure the shark’s stress level.

A student helps measure the total length of the shark.

A student helps measure the total length of the shark.

For the remainder of the trip, Christian dissected a barracuda eye as a demonstration for the students, and the SRC fish traps that had been deployed at the beginning of the trip were pulled up. The fish in the traps, including two filefish, were measured and photographed for the SRC’s ongoing study of fish populations associated with shark populations in the area. Although the weather was a bit less pleasant than we’re used to, it was still a great day out on the water with MAST Academy. For some students, it was their first time seeing sharks, and the whole group seemed pleased and more knowledgeable about these important apex predators after the day was over. The SRC team was able to gain valuable data from the two blacktip sharks and we hope to have MAST Academy back out with us soon!

Thank you MAST Academy for joining us for a day of shark tagging!

Thank you MAST Academy for joining us for a day of shark tagging!

Shark Tagging with Our Lady of Lourdes Acadamy

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By Christopher Brown, RJD Intern

As dawn broke on Saturday, November 7, 2015, eight sharky RSMAS students and one fearless lab manager awoke to the call of the sea. The RJD team assembled at Diver’s Paradise in Crandon Marina at 8:00am to begin loading the boat with the shark-friendly fishing gear that is utilized to conduct tagging and sampling procedures. Everyone was in a great mood because the forecast for the day called for perfect fishing weather. Once the high school students from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy arrived, brief introductions were made, and the crew set out for an eventful day of shark tagging!

As Captain Nick Perni set course for fishing grounds south of Key Biscayne, and the RJD crewmembers cut bait and prepared the drumlines for deployment, lab manager Christian Pankow briefed the high school group on how the fishing equipment is deployed and retrieved throughout an entire day of fieldwork. Even though Our Lady of Lourdes Academy are old hands at tagging and sampling procedures, they were surprised to learn that fish traps are now being utilized by the RJD team to investigate fish morphologies and population assemblages associated with the presence or absence of shark populations. The two fish traps were deployed south of Stiltsville, a group of wood stilt houses positioned on the edge of Biscayne Bay along the sand banks of the Safety Valve. Then, after watching RJD Intern Samantha Owen demonstrate how to safely and properly cast out the baited circle hook and line, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy students helped deploy the remaining nine drumlines.

While the lines “soaked” for an hour, the students assisted with taking environmental measurements, including the salinity and dissolved oxygen content of the surrounding ocean water. Lab manager Christian Pankow gave another briefing to Our Lady of Lourdes Academy to prepare them for the participatory day of shark research, which would include fin clips, measuring, and collecting vital tissue samples and data. However, the briefing was cut short when a blacktip shark was spotted breaching around the first research buoy, which meant a shark was on the line! The first group of students assembled to assist with data collection as the RJD team sprung into action. The 1.46 meter (4.79 ft) blacktip shark, which was one of the smallest sharks of the day, was swiftly and carefully secured onto the stern of the boat and the water pumped was inserted into the shark’s mouth. RJD graduate student Jake Jerome collected a blood sample from the caudal vein and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy students assisted with taking morphological measurements and inserting a dart tag into the shark’s dorsal fin. After completing a successful workup, the blacktip shark was released back into the water in great condition. The breaching blacktip shark was an amazing sight to see and was only the beginning of a fantastic day of shark tagging.

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The largest shark of the day was a 2.00 meter (6.56 ft) great hammerhead that was caught while pulling in the second round of drumlines. Great hammerhead sharks are easily stressed and become quite delicate when kept on the line for an extended period of time, so the students watched from the top deck as the RJD team worked up the shark in less than four minutes. RJD graduate student Jake Jerome was able to collect a blood sample from the caudal vein of the great hammerhead for his ongoing Masters’ research, and the crew worked efficiently enough to conduct an entire workup procedure before the great hammerhead needed to be returned to the water.

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In total, the RJD team landed a 2.00 meter (6.56 ft) great hammerhead shark, a 1.67 meter (5.47 ft) nurse shark, a 1.25 meter (4.10 ft) black nose shark, and six blacktip sharks ranging from 1.18-1.71 meters (3.87-5.61 ft). Each shark was swiftly and carefully brought to the boat and secured on the platform for a brief sampling and tagging procedure. It is safe to say that Our Lady of Lourdes Academy students are now well practiced in tagging, sampling, and morphological measurement techniques. One of the procedures performed by the students included the nictitating membrane reflex test. The nictitating membrane is a clear, inner eyelid that protects the eye of a shark during feeding events. The reflex of the nictitating membrane is one visual factor that can be used to determine the stress impairment of sharks.

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After the remaining drumlines were brought on board, the crew finished the day by checking the fish traps set earlier in the morning. A series of morphological measurements and images was taken of each of the several bony fish caught in the fish traps for future analysis. Overall, the RJD team had a fantastic day out on the water with Our Lady of Lourdes Academy. We hope they enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a day filled with exceptional scientific research and education, and we cannot wait for them to join us again on future shark tagging trips.

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Shark Tagging With Palmer Trinity High School

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By Melissa Soto, RJD Intern

It was a warm November morning as the students from Palmer Trinity high school made their way onto the boat. This was my first trip of the semester so I was just as eager as they were to see sharks. After placing all the gear onto the boat, RJD and our guests were off to tag some sharks.

A Palmer Trinity student kissing the bait for luck.

A Palmer Trinity student kissing the bait for luck.

Our trip leader for the day was Christian Pankow, who kindly greeted everyone on board and continued by explaining the work up the team does on the sharks. After a calm thirty-minute boat ride we started deploying the 10 drumlines around Stiltsville, off of Key Biscayne.

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A student carefully released a drumline into the water.

After waiting an hour, we started to check the drumlines and after a three tries, we found ourselves a shark. A female black tip was safely worked up on the platform. The students broke up into groups of five and began the work up consisting of fin clip, tagging, measuring and two nictitating membrane tests. This beautiful shark was 1.65 meters and healthy. Once the work up was completed, the shark was released.

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Students and the RJD crew quickly work up the blacktip.

We continued to check and redeploy the drumlines but they were no sharks. Our second and third sets of deployments were a success. Three more black tips with lengths of 1.67 meters, 1.58 meters, 1.62 meters and a 2.35-meter nurse shark were pulled up. These four female sharks were worked up with the help of the students and RJD.

Another bait kiss for luck.

Another bait kiss for luck.

After pulling up the rest of the drumlines we made our way back to marina and took some group photos. Palmer Trinity was a great group of enthusiastic children and chaperones. We hope that they come out for another trip soon.

 

Shark Tagging with South Broward High School

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By Dana Tricarico, RJD Intern

Friday October 23, 2015 was officially my second trip as an RJD intern. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to get the day started and to become more familiar with all the jobs on board. It was a beautiful morning for some shark tagging as the team met at the University of Miami’s RSMAS campus to begin the transport of the gear to the dock at Diver’s Paradise. Upon arrival at the dock, we met the group of South Broward High School students, specifically from aspiring marine scientists in the Marine Magnet program, better known as the South Broward “Reef Dogs.”  Many of these students were also part of the high school’s Shark Club and/or were RJD citizen science veterans. We also had local volunteers and two science communicators on board as well to help in our efforts and to document the day!

At the start of the day, the team makes the final preparations before the fish traps and drumlins are deployed.

At the start of the day, the team makes the final preparations before the fish traps and drumlins are deployed.

Our trip leader for the day was David Shiffman, who explained to the group the benefits of our gear and how our team deploys it. While David explained this, our team got the gear ready as the boat headed out to our destination.  Despite the sunny skies, the wind was strong, so the decision was made to tag in shallower areas within Biscayne Bay. Once all 10 drum lines were placed into the water, Eric Cartaya, captain of our ship, gave a brief history of the area while we waiting for the bait to soak in the water. We learned that the area we chose to tag in that day was right near Soldier Key, the northernmost of the Florida Keys. He also explained that although Key Biscayne is further north, it is not a true key because it is made of sand, and not limestone.

After a full hour passed from the deployment of the first drumline, we began pulling up each of the drumlines with the help of our citizen scientists on board. The first set of 10 drumlines was pulled without any sharks, but we definitely did not lose hope. We continued to place them back in and keep our spirits high with several group shark dances! They must have worked because after we pulled up almost half of the second set up drumlines, we got our first shark- a nurse shark! This was by far the largest nurse shark I had ever seen as it was well over 2 meters. The coloration was extremely interesting because it was so dark.

A student assists with taking a series of morphological measurements of a nurse shark.

A student assists with taking a series of morphological measurements of a nurse shark.

The South Broward High School students and other volunteers broke into four different teams. Each person within the team had a job which they helped us with once we pulled the shark onto the platform. These jobs routinely include measuring the shark, taking a fin clip and tagging the shark with something we call a “spaghetti tag.” For other species of sharks, we also have the volunteers help us with a stress test by checking the presence of the nictitating membrane on the eye with a squirt of salt water. All of the data collected through these jobs is used in ongoing research projects in the lab, in order to protect these species and to learn more about them. Additionally, volunteers were able to watch RJD intern Laurel Zaima take photos of some of the fins of the shark for morphology information, and were also able to watch intern Jake Jerome take blood from the underside of the tail for his ongoing Master’s research.

Fin Clip

A student takes a finclip, a small cartilage sample that will help reveal long-term toxicology and dietary patterns. Trip leader David Shiffman, and RJD Graduate intern Emily Nelson assists in the process.

The day moved quickly with small rain showers every once in a while to help and cool us off. Later on in the day we were able to tag another large nurse shark with similar coloration to the first we found. David, who has seen a great deal of nurse sharks throughout his research, said that the two nurse sharks we saw were two of the darkest nurse sharks he had ever seen!  From my experience, sometimes, people tend to overlook nurse sharks and do not realize how incredible they are. As someone who personally has now had to secure a nurse shark in order to get the necessary data collected, the sheer strength of Nurse Sharks is impressive in itself. I was very lucky to be able to work with both of these sharks, and to do so with a very enthusiastic group of volunteers! Not only that, but I was able to learn from experienced RJD interns who made me increasingly more confident in all the jobs onboard, so I can be even more knowledgeable next time!

It was a great day for some shark tagging. Thanks to South Broward High School for all of your help!

It was a great day for some shark tagging. Thanks to South Broward High School for all of your help!

 

Shark Tagging with Christopher Columbus High School

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By Shannon Moorhead, RJD Intern

The sun was just beginning to rise as my fellow intern, Grace Roskar, and I began our drive to Crandon Marina.  On a typical day, waking up so early would leave me tired and irritable, but it’s hard not to be in a good mood when you have a day of shark tagging to look forward to.  We met with the rest of the RJD team at 8, loaded up Diver’s Paradise with the equipment we’d need for the day, and, once our school group was ready, set out to tag some sharks!

As the team cut bait and prepared the drumlines for deployment, our trip leader Pat Goebel briefed the students on our fishing gear and how they would be assisting in our research.  This trip we were joined by Christopher Columbus High School, and they were the most energetic group I’d seen yet!  The boys divided themselves into four teams (which they dubbed Banana, Nemo, Clasper, and Pumpkin Spice) to take turns participating in such critical tasks as taking a fin clipping, measuring, and, most importantly, tagging the sharks.  After the short trip to Stiltsville, a community of houses built on stilts above the waters of Biscayne Bay and our site for the day, the team set two fish traps.  These wire mesh cages are baited to attract nearby fish and give us insight as to what species the sharks are sharing a habitat with.  Then, students helped us deploy the first set of 10 drumlines; spirits were high as each line set was met with a round of cheers and applause from the enthusiastic Christopher Columbus High.

With the help of the RJD team, a Christopher Columbus student measures a blacktip shark.

With the help of the RJD team, a Christopher Columbus student measures a blacktip shark.

After the students assisted us with some environmental measurements and the lines had soaked for an hour, we returned to the first drum.  When a Christopher Columbus student hauled the drum onto the boat, it was apparent we were sharkless for now.  However, we didn’t have to wait long.  Team Banana, proving the fruit may not be bad luck on boats after all, suggested the use of a banana-colored yo-yo (plastic ring monofilament is wrapped around)to pull in the line on drum #4 and sure enough, there was a shark on!  The smallest shark of the day, measuring 1.5 meters (a little over 5 feet), the male blacktip fought hard, running all over the place before we got him on the boat.  Once the shark was secured on the platform, Christopher Columbus students assisted the team with data collection while graduate interns drew blood and took morphological measurements.  The whole process was done in about five minutes and the blacktip swam off in great condition!

Trip leader Pat Goebel and graduate intern Julia Whidden affix a satellite tag to the dorsal of a huge female bull shark.

Trip leader Pat Goebel and graduate intern Julia Whidden affix a satellite tag to the dorsal of a huge female bull shark.

There were no sharks to be found on the remaining lines of the first set, but hopes were still high.  The boys of Christopher Columbus High kept up the energy by singing, treating the team to rousing renditions of tunes ranging from “Bennie and the Jets” to “Hotline Bling”.  “I’ve never met a group of high school boys that likes to sing acapella more” said graduate intern Julia Whidden.  Apparently, the sharks enjoyed the music because on the fourth drum of the second set we had another shark; this time it was a massive female bull shark, 2.7 meters (almost 9 feet) long!  She was enormous, there was barely enough room for the team on the platform with her.  While the RJD team and Christopher Columbus students performed the usual workup, a satellite tag, generously provided by citizen scientist Nika Hosseini, was attached to the shark’s dorsal fin.  Satellite tagging a new shark is very exciting because it provides us with data that can help answer important questions about shark movement patterns, habitat preference, and vulnerability.

Undergraduate intern Grace Roskar helps a Christopher Columbus student apply a dart tag to a bull shark.

Undergraduate intern Grace Roskar helps a Christopher Columbus student apply a dart tag to a bull shark.

We stayed very busy the rest of the day, catching a total of 7 sharks!  We landed a 1.9 meter (6.5 ft) feisty female nurse shark, a small 1.8 meter (6.2 ft) male bull, and three female blacktips, ranging from 1.6-1.7 meters (5.2-5.7 ft).  Once the last drumline was hauled in, we made our way back to the fish traps.  The team measured and photographed the fish caught, primarily pinfish, and returned them to the ocean while the boat headed back to the marina.  This was a great trip; not only did we gain data on several sharks of three species, but we got to deploy a new satellite tag that will gain valuable data on the movement of the bull shark.  The day was made even better by the fantastic attitudes of the students of Christopher Columbus High.  Thank you for your hard work and enthusiasm, hope to see you on the boat again soon!

Christopher Columbus High School students and faculty, our citizen scientists, and the RJD team after a long, busy day.

Christopher Columbus High School students and faculty, our citizen scientists, and the RJD team after a long, busy day.