When Nature is Uncooperative…

[Aug 19, 2010]

I wish I could say that today went without too many kinks, but to say so would be dishonest.  However, the troubles the team faced today were not due to their sloppiness or negligence, but to mother nature wanting to do things her way!

The day was another scorcher, if Virginia though it was hot yesterday, she should have been there today.  No breeze and faint cloud cover offered anyone relief.  Just a little reminder of the power of the sun… The team dropped 10 drumlines in the water and greatly anticipated the swim break after lunch.

The group takes a time out during lunch to beat the heat. (click to enlarge)

After a short swim and some delicious lunch, the team climbed aboard and anxiously awaited to check the lines.  As the boat was cruising towards the anticipated drumline locations, several of the drumlins had been moved far off their mark.

The first drum line was hauled in with the help of several South Broward students.  Dr. Hammerschlag pulled in the first line, which seemed to be something rather large.  After fighting the line for about 15 minutes the catch was hauled aboard- it was an old rope that had become entangled on the hook.  Though it seemed like a disappointment, several students had fun examining the rope for marine creatures like crabs and shrimp.

A small crab found while examining the old rope brought up on one of the drumlines (click to enlarge)

Because the current was getting strong and the drumlines moving apart, each drumline was brought in and stowed.   After yanking in each float line and fighting strong current, line after line was coming up empty, a slight disappointment, especially after all the hard work that went into setting them out.  But on the fifth line brought in, there was a reminder of the power of nature.  A large male bullshark appeared and the team worked quickly to secure him.  The male shark was large enough to secure a satellite tag on his dorsal.   The team named the shark John, after the gracious satellite tag donator.  See Jon’s movements under the tracking section of our website (http://www.sharkresearch.rsmas.miami.edu/learning-tools/follow-sharks/track-jon.html)!

The interns secure Jon the Bull Shark while the satellite tag is attached to his dorsal (click to enlarge)

After tagged, the shark swam away proudly and the team’s buzzed with excitement.  After equipment was retrieved, the team headed back in.  Though no other sharks were caught, the team was reminded by the power of nature both by element and beast.

Until next time shark friends,

Laura Rock

Rockin’ n’ Rollin’ with Sharks

On Friday, August 19, we set out to our research spot in the Everglades with a boat full of eager donor participants. It’s always great to give young children the chance to get up close to sharks and let them formulate their own opinions before being tainted by false information—this trip was a great opportunity to do just this.

In addition to our standard shark surveys, some of our most recent trips have involved the implementation of new methods and technologies. With the academic year in a few days away, the RJ Dunlap program is busy inserting some new graduate research projects into the arsenal.  It’s pretty cool to see so many different projects flowing together at once while we are on the boat.

On the way out, the boat was thoroughly entertained by musical samples from Pearl Jam’s extensive catalogue. With Dr. Hammerschlag on lead vocals and Austin on drums, good sharky vibes must have permeated the boat reverberated into the murky shallows of Everglades National Park.

The male representatives from RJD (Dr. Hammer, Curt, Austin) post Pearl-jam session, captured by one of our baited-underwater video systems. Eddie Vedder would be proud. Click to enlarge.

Soon after, we were pulling in our first shark of the day–none other than a healthy, 8 foot, male Carcharhinus leucas—a bull shark.  Working with these predators seriously never gets old, and it is so humbling to be right on top of an animal so powerful and efficient.  It’s hard to look this animal up and down and not see a perfectly designed creature—I challenge all of you—next time you see a shark up close, try to find an imperfection in design…there really aren’t any.  Anyways, we affixed this shark—later named “Bubbles”—with a SPOT satellite tag. Throughout our entire sat-tag workup, we quantified the shark’s stress levels through behavioral observations, as well as assigning a release condition to gauge the efficiency of our tagging program while promoting shark health.

The day’s impromptu Pearl Jam session must have worked—as we ended up sampling a nice representative range of species including: blacktip, blacknose, nurse and lemon sharks.  In addition to our standard sampling scheme (conventional tagging, measurements, biopsy), we also sampled and analyzed blood and gauged behavior (for stress physiology research) of these sharks.

In addition to the satellite tags and portable blood analyzers, we just began implementing more technology gear—underwater video systems—into our research program. The small cameras we use offer several advantages (size, durability, etc.) to our researchers. Our camera rigs allow for some interesting comparative work in conjunction with our standardized surveys, as well as using them to get unobstructed estimations of community structure and predator/prey interactions.

From one of our GoPro cameras: the business-end of a barracuda (after it hit the bait). Data to be used in predator/prey comparative study. Click to enlarge.

We also have some interesting novel applications of these cameras, which are evolving as we speak. After a few months of ironing out details and losing cameras (depressing), we have refined our methods with the camera systems …I can honestly say that we have already captured some pretty useful data and some really awesome predator behaviors…stay tuned to the RJD media pages for future updates.

Austin G.

Research Assistant

Last set of shark trips for the summer!

August 18th, 2010

Under the hot summer sun of August, I could feel the germs multiplying in my sinuses. Yes, that’s right, I was deathly ill on today’s trip…ok, maybe not deathly ill, but sick. Once I laid down for a little nap on the way to our beloved “Curt 1” spot, I never got back up. Ironically, however, I am responsible for the day’s recount. Our first catch of the day was a 200 cm male bull shark, just under our requirements to set out a satellite tag, which was a bit frustrating for some of us (i.e. me!).

We caught a beautiful bull shark who wasn’t yet big enough for one of our fancy satellite tags, but we still tagged, took samples, and released the shark in great condition. (click to enlarge)

Luckily, our next round was great. We (although I should say “they” as I thereafter saw NONE of what happened!) caught another bull shark (also below sat. tag standards in length), two lemon sharks, one of which was our longest for the day at 210 cm and who was particularly skinny.  (Brendal said she believed this to be because the lemons have been pupping, so they were still recovering from expending so much energy on birthing pups), and one more blacktip.

A very thin, but healthy lemon shark coming to collect her new tag! (click to enlarge)

Another lemon shark that was thin, but looked great! (click to enlarge)

Another exciting catch was the basket star that had wrapped its arms around one of our leaders.  We kept the basket star on the boat in a bucket for a while and watched it open itself up to full form.

A basket star was found on one of our lines, so we put it in a bucket of water so the students could check it out and watch in unravel. (click to enlarge)

ANDDDD a 400 lb. grouper!!  All the proper authorities were contacted and the grouper was released quickly and in the best condition possible.

We caught a 400 lb Goliath Grouper by mistake. A beautiful site for the students to see such an amazing creature, but we released it as soon as possible, minimizing any harm to the animal. Appropriate authorities were notified (click to enlarge)

Another picture of our Goliath Grouper caught by mistake in only 10 ft of water. Appropriate authorities were notified (click to enlarge)

I faintly remember coming to and sitting up to hear one of our fabulous crew members from South Broward say “Its something huge!” Dom yelled to everyone to have the satellite tagging gear ready, it was something big! I then proceeded to pass out again with a pounding headache and when I awoke again I saw pictures of a giant Goliath Grouper that had taken one of our baits (although I expected to see pictures of a satellite tagged shark). Weird. Anyway, we quickly let her go and that was that for the day. Success, for all but me, lol. 🙂

Thank you to all involved,

Virginia Ansaldi (Shark Intern)

Another hammerhead added to the family!

July 15th, 2010 (All photos taken and credited to: Terry Gibson)

The day after my birthday, a mere 27years old, still young and spunky at 5:00 am, I was ready to drive to the keys and do some shark tagging!  Normally, I wake up around 4:30 am and drive down myself; a very lonely drive and you begin to talk to yourself, probably not healthy:) However, today I had the pleasure of riding down with Terry Gibson, an experienced fisherman, esteemed writer, and ocean conservationist, a great mix if you ask me! Terry is working with the greatest names in the conservation and fishing world, namely, Florida Sportsman, PEW, Ocean Conservancy, and Outdoor Life Magazine.  Terry decided to join us because Outdoor Life Magazine wanted him to get the scoop on what the RJ Dunlap Program has been up too and a photo gallery to go along with it!  Throughout the day, Terry asked some important questions on the program and took some amazing pictures.  It was important for Terry to come out and see that there are anglers working directly with scientists, achieving similar goals and maximizing brainpower, otherwise known as collaborative efforts.  This example of course would be Dr. Neil Hammerschlag and Captain Curt Slonim, who with out each other would never achieve the same results.

Dr. Hammerschlag and Captain Curt talk research and fishing. (click to enlarge)

A journalist and advocate, Terry Gibson covers issues related to fisheries conservation in diverse locales. (click to enlarge)

Cooperative research between fisherman and scientists is essential to collecting data on the economic and social impact of fisheries, restoring habitats, helping reduce by-catch through group innovations, and improve recreational fishing data through angler action programs.  For the RJ Dunlap Program, the combined efforts of angler and scientist have helped collect data on large coastal sharks in the State of Florida that is essential to their enhanced protection and improved fisheries management.  This working relationship between angler and scientist should be replicated across global fisheries and research facilities and could be if the Coastal Jobs Creation Act goes through.  Check out the link and find out how you can support giving fish a break but allowing fisherman to keep working and help rebuild depleted fish stocks.

Dr. Hammerschlag asked the students to form a circle and do the bull shark and hammerhead sign, hoping to conjure up a shark. (click to enlarge)

Students come together information of a bull shark! (click to enlarge)

On to the trip!  The day started out normal, getting gear on the boat, chatting away to everyone I hadn’t seen in awhile, due to an overwhelming amount of schoolwork!  Captain Curt looked at me and said, “Brendal, we need more of your hair”.  You may be asking yourself, why would anyone want my hair?  Long story short, Captain Curt and Dr. Hammerschlag believe that my hair is good luck for catching Great Hammerheads.  Since I started my internship with the RJ Dunlap over a year ago, almost every trip and I do mean almost every, we have caught one or more Great Hammerheads.  So, Captain Curt proceeded to cut a piece of my hair without me knowing and let’s just say he has never cut hair before.  I went to the bathroom to take a look at his handy work, and well I had a nice chunk missing and looked like a devil child. I suppose it gives me character.  By the way, I have received a new shark tattoo, so I can literally wear my heart on my sleeve, a great hammerhead of course!

Sandy, our new great hammerhead, a front view of her binocular vision. (click to enlarge)

A new tattoo to add to my shark collection, a great hammerhead. (click to enlarge)

The shark team quickly attaches a satellite tag to sandy, while letting water flow through her gills. (click to enlarge)

I was not upset in the least though, because I do what I can for the program, even if it means losing a big section of my hair:) Guess what, it worked!  We did catch a hammerhead that day and named her Sandy.  She got a satellite tag and swam away in great condition.  Also that day we caught, two lemon sharks, a blacktip, and a nurse shark.  A good variety of apex predators can put a smile on everyone’s face.

An unusually calm lemon shark takes a rest while we attach a tag and take samples. (click to enlarge)

In addition to Terry being on the boat, we had another group of kids from Miami Science IMPACT program.  Let me tell you something about these kids, they rock!  I mean they are so excited to be out there, learning about sharks, let alone see and tag one! My passion is this, giving kids an opportunity to be apart of field work and letting them see that just a few people can change the world, or at least help save sharks. They had a great time and they put in a lot of effort and got the job done, thank you so much guys!

End of day smiles with students from IMPACT and Shark Team. (click to enlarge)

This may be one of the last blogs I personally write for the program, at least for awhile since at the end of August I will be leaving for one year to complete a Master’s Degree in Marine Resource Management from Dalhousie University, in Nova Scotia.  However, I will still continue to maintain the blog site for all other sharky interns..  It has been an absolute pleasure to work with these people; everyone involved really shows their dedication to science and conservation. GO TEAM GO! Can’t wait to come back one day soon.

The Shark Team works with kids from IMPACT to deploy our shark lines and bait. Great job guys. (click to enlarge)

All my sharky love,

Brendal Davis (Shark Program Intern)

A stormy shark trip….

July 14th, 2010

When we woke up this morning, the weather didn’t look very good.  We walked outside to an ominous sky, and the sounds of not so distant thunder.  Even with the possibility of bad weather, the shark team eagerly loaded the boat at Keys Marine Lab, checking to make sure all of our gear was ready to go before the group from the Miami Museum of Science’s IMPACT program arrived.  Upon arrival, we warned the students that we were still checking the weather forecasts to determine whether or not we would be able to go on the water.  The radar showed some heavy storm activity moving over our fishing sites and moving towards Keys Marine Lab. We took shelter at Keys Marine Lab, just in time to watch the storm unfold around us.  After a dazzling lightning show, the weather started to clear, and the radar indicated that the threat of thunderstorms had finally passed, so we headed out on the water for a fun day of fishing.

An excited student from IMPACT is pondering on what today’s trip will bring. (click to enlarge)

Once on the water, we quickly got to work.  All of the students were eager to help in any way possible.  They all took turns baiting hooks and dropping our drumlines in the water.  Halfway through setting our first round of drumlines we watched another set of rain showers build and slowly roll towards us.  Luckily, there was no lightning in the storm, but we were pummeled by the rain as we put out our last 5 drumlines.  Even though we were getting drenched by the rain, the students and interns seemed to have a great time putting out the drumlines and fish traps.  Once all of our fishing gear was set, we all huddled up under the hard top that covers the helm and cabin.  Scrunched in like sardines we tried to enjoy our lunch, and avoid the torrent of rain.

The rainy weather didn’t stop the students from IMPACT from having a great time. (click to enlarge)

Once lunch and our hour and a half soak time expired, we headed back to pick up our lines.  As we started to pull up to our first line, the rain stopped and we enjoyed sunshine for the rest of our day.  We started putting out shark vibes and started making guesses about the sharks that we would catch on our lines.  Luckily we caught 6 sharks on 10 lines.  It was a day of nurse sharks and blacktips, we caught 3 of each.  The nurse sharks ranged in size from 7.7 ft to 8.5 ft.  One of our nurse sharks started to death roll, tangling itself up in the monofilament.  As one of the interns reached down to try to unwrap it, it slapped its tail and spun around again.  After shaking the water that was splashed on us out of our eyes we realized the nurse shark had bitten down on its own tail.  A few seconds later the nurse shark seemed to figure out that it was biting itself, and then released its tail and calmed down so we could sample it.  We used an in water crew member to help measure and tag the nurse sharks.  We’ve found that this method is a lot easier on the crew and the shark, so we can cut down the time the shark is on the line.  The three blacktips were all fairly small, all a little over 5 ft long.

A nurse shark tries to grab its own tail and succeeds in the excitement, which it quickly realized and then calmed down. (click to enlarge)

Fiona, a shark intern helps straighten out a nurse shark. This method is much easier for the shark team and for the nurse shark. (click to enlarge)

After we got samples from the 3rd blacktip we headed for our fish traps.  We normally pull in smaller pinfishes and grunts, but were surprised to find a larger variety, number and length in our specimens.   There were over 15 yellow-tail snapper in one of our fish traps.  We also found a few mutton snappers, red grouper, and lots of flannel mouth grunts.  We made sure to get plenty of fin clippings from our commercially important species, as the students help get the many grunts back into the water quickly.  Once all of our lines and fish traps had been retrieved we headed back to the dock.  I think the stormy weather really took it out of us, because almost the entire group slept the whole way back to the dock.  Thanks again to our group from IMPACT.  They were a great group to have on the boat, and were easily able to tackle every hurdle that was thrown at us over the course of the day.

A blacktip shark gets ready for some tag and release action. The shark is only out of the water for a few minutes. (click to enlarge)

Thanks to everyone involved,

Dominique Lazarre (RJ Dunlap Shark Program Manager)

July 13th, 2010 Shark Trip, an unexpected catch!

July 13, 2010

I usually do not like morning radio shows.  Seriously, I just want some music to keep me awake on my drive to the Keys.  However, this morning was different.  One of the radio stations was reading horoscopes.  When they got to mine, Aries, they predicted a day full of adventure and ranked it a 10.  I am not usually one to buy into all of that, but take luck where I can get it on days on the water with the shark team.  When I arrived at the Keys Marine Lab to set up for the next four days I shared news of my good fortune with Fiona, another shark intern on the trip.  I then found out Fiona is a Scorpio, the only other horoscope with a 10 day.  We expected nothing less than an exceptionally awesome day out on the water.

We loaded the gear, ran through the checklist and headed out on the water.  Even at 9:00am the sun was beating down intensely and there was no breeze to speak of to cool things down.  Getting the boat moving and “turning on the air conditioning” was welcomed even more than usual.  We had students from the always-wonderful South Broward High School helping out for the day.  Many of them had been out with us before so setting out all 10 drumlines, 4 baitcages, 3 fishtraps and reading water quality data from the YSI was a fairly quick process.

Dom and Fiona assisting a SBHS student bait and set out one of our ten drumlines. (click to enlarge)

As we moved away from our lines to allow them to soak in peace, the crystal clear waters of Florida Bay called out to us.  Although this point of the day is usually lunchtime, most of us were hot and sweaty so opted to delay eating to go for a swim.  The still, hot air made even the lukewarm seawater very refreshing.

Cooling off as we wait for the sharks to bite, on the drumlines several hundred meters away that is. (click to enlarge)

As we headed back to our lines, Fiona and I reminded everyone we were supposed to be having “10” days and that our catch expectations were high.  The kids shared in our enthusiasm and, with Dom’s fabulous cheerleading, began cheers for hammerheads, tigers and bulls.

A couple of SBHS students cheering intensely for bull sharks. Although we didn’t get any bulls, I don’t think they were disappointed with our catch. (click to enlarge)

The first shark on the line was a large nurse shark.  Although these animals are typically docile when you run into them on a snorkel or a dive, when you get them on a line they are quite frisky.  To make things less stressful on the animals and on us, Captain Curt threw on a mask and fins and got in the water to collect the data once the “business end” of the shark was secure.  We sampled several more nurse sharks throughout the day, each one seemingly larger than the previous, topping the charts for the day at eight feet.

Captain Curt collecting data on one of the 7 nurse sharks of the day. (click to enlarge)

It was at line number six that the day took an incredible turn.  Captain Curt later told us he was pretty sure he knew what was on the line when he hooked the buoy from the bow.  However, he said he didn’t let on because he didn’t want to get our hopes up, just in case.  Luckily, he was right!  As we pulled in the line the beautiful and unmistakable coloration of a tiger shark approached the surface.  He lay fairly still, almost as though he were posing for us, until he got to the side of the boat.  It was then that he showed us the incredible power of his species and proved to be tough to wrangle onto the boat.  After the data was collected, the 215 cm (7 foot) shark was released in wonderful condition leaving behind only minor shark burn on Dom’s legs and arms.  Although a prime target species for one of our SPOT satellite tags, he was just slightly too small to place one.  Nonetheless, absolutely the highlight of the day!

Notice the amazing coloration of the tiger shark. Even less than full grown, this guy is strong and has been through a lot. Notice the scar on his side. Sharks are known for being incredibly quick to heal from most injuries. (click to enlarge)

The lines started coming in quickly as a couple of South Broward guys, self-named “Team Awesome,” made it their mission to accomplish everything not only quickly, but efficiently as well.  They, along with their classmates, pulled in six more sharks for a total of 10 for the day.  That is a 50% catch rate, which is basically unheard of!  Way to go!  Guess that explains Fiona’s and my 10 day!  The stars were definitely aligned in our favor!

Thank you to our interns and crew and of course to the students from South Broward.  Oh, and thank you to Fiona’s and my parents for ensuring our birthdays fell during the right zodiac. 😉

Until next time,

Rachael Kraemer (Shark Intern)

A great end to a wonderful weekend of shark research.

June 29th, 2010

Despite a long drive and early morning wake up, everyone was ready and pumped for a day full of sharks! We had another excited group of high school students from the South Florida Urban Ministries that joined us. We all quickly loaded the boat, had a quick briefing, and departed Keys Marine Lab headed for our sites in Florida Bay. All the students got a chance to let out the bait and drumlines, send out the bait cages, and read the YSI for environmental conditions. Austin also set up and baited his new apparatus, attached with a camera in hopes of getting some footage of sharks feeding on the bait. After we had ten drumlines, three bait cages, and one camera apparatus in the water it was time to catch some rays, relax and eat some lunch while we waited the allotted hour and a half of soak time.

Dominique, the RJ Dunlap Coordinator and a student from the SFUM are setting out a fish trap. (click to enlarge)

Round one of picking up the drumlines was off to a slow start. No matter who pulled up the bait or what shark vibes we put out, each line seemed to come up empty. It wasn’t until the 9th drumlines that we pulled up a strong male Nurse shark. It measured about 248 cm. The students were literally screaming with excitement and were highly encouraged to touch the shark after the proper tagging, measurements and samples were taken. The students seemed truly impressed with how beautiful these creatures were up close. Luckily drumline number ten also had a shark on. It was a female Bonnethead shark, although the students felt it more appropriately to be called a “shovelnose shark”. This shark was a little weaker then we would have liked, so the students made an extra effort to be quick and efficient at tagging and measuring. Definitely some great teamwork going on!

Students from SFUM tag a blacktip shark. (click to enlarge)

Round two of picking up drumlines brought us a female, 239 centimeter Nurse shark. The seventh drumline ended our trip with a gorgeous female Blacktip shark. It measured to about 163 centimeters. The excitement only intensified when we pulled up Austin’s camera apparatus. The bait was gone, the zip ties broken, and it looked to Curt that a shark was responsible. We also pulled up the bait cages and found a plethora of pin fish. The students eagerly jumped in and helped to count and release them all.

A student from SFUM is setting out a baited line, hoping for a shark! (click to enlarge)

Overall, it was a great day out on the water! Many thanks to the students at South Florida Urban Ministries! They did a wonderful job and we hope that they can help us in our effort to conserve sharks and our ocean!

Don’t forget to track our sharks live, we have up to 15 sharks and 4 different species to follow now.  Follow the link and explore…Track Our Sharks.

Happy sharking!

Katie Titley (shark intern)

South Florida Urban Ministries joins us for the day…

28 June, 2010

At first rise it seemed as though we would be in for some rain; however, we checked the weather report and realized it would all blow over.  With this knowledge we set out with all gear to meet up with a new batch of high school students from the South Florida Urban Ministries (SFLUM) program.  They are a dynamic non-profit organization that empowers people to move from poverty to prosperity through holistic youth development, small business development and hunger relief ministries in South Florida. We had the pleasure of taking 8 students and 2 chaperon’s with us this time.  We went through a quick briefing, signed everyone in, and got everyone excited for the day to come. Then we went through the checklist and made sure all the gear was accounted for, gathered up the bait, called in the permits, and were on our way.

We set out once again from Keys Marine Lab and headed to our site out of Florida Bay a few miles from the Long Key Bridge.  The students were all strapped up with life jackets, as some of them had never been out on the water or on a boat, let alone, knew how to swim or even tag sharks!! Today was a real treat for them, and although they had no clue what the day would bring, they seemed more enthusiastic rather than apprehensive, which was awesome! Upon arrival at our site, we began setting out the drumlines and explaining the gear and procedures.  It seemed to take no time for the students to catch on and before we knew it they were readily volunteering to perform tasks and get involved.  Once we set out all 10 drumlines, 3 fish traps, the camera, and took water/air quality data it was time for lunch, even though it was still 10 in the morning.  We needed to make sure we ate in preparation for the day to come because once we got going there really were no more breaks.  Time becomes crucial for both the consistency of the data and the safety of the marine life.  During soak time, sandwiches were passed out and we went over gear.  Without a shark it is hard to picture everything, so we used hand puppets for visual effects, which got some laughs out of the kids and kept their attention.

A student from the SFLUM Program is helping set out our deeper lines on the reef, hoping to catch a glimpse of a shark. (click to enlarge)

On our way back to check our first line, all the students volunteered and were assigned a job.  We pulled up the first few and had no luck, but we placed up our shark signs, sent out good vibes, and finally caught a shark.  It was a 121cm (TL) female blacknose.  The blacknose shark was an experience for the students.  Some people only imagine sharks as these huge scary creatures because they are unaware that they vary in size, depending on the species, and neglect to remember that all mature animals grow from small juveniles.

A wonderful group shot of students from SFLUM and Captain Curt and Intern Leann, size is not always everything when it comes to sharks. Sometimes it’s the little guys that are super powerful and amazing. (click to enlarge)

On the very next line there was a Nurse shark.  It was a 220 cm (TL) male.  Since it was a Nurse shark, we left it in the water and secured it to the side of the boat because of its behavior and size.  We only measured total length, took a fin clip, and inserted a spaghetti tag.  Afterward the students were able to see and feel the shark. Some students were timid only touching the sharks with a finger or two, but gained confidence throughout the day working up to using their entire hand to gain full perspective of what a shark feels like.

SFLUM student’s are pondering over the magnificent strength of the nurse shark. (click to enlarge)

On the next drumline there was a 220cm (TL) female Lemon shark.  While we secured the shark on the boat and placed the pump into its mouth the students were ready with the gear.  By this time the students seemed to have the procedure down pat and were ready for experiencing a mature size shark.

SFLUM students help secure and tag a lemon shark, go team go! (click to enlarge)

As we continued the day, the students were always ready and anxiously hoping for another shark with duties in mind as we pulled up drumline after drumline.  Throughout the day everyone engaged by asking questions: learning not only about sharks, but many conservation issues surrounding the ocean.  Later in the day we caught 2 more male Nurse sharks, both being over 200cm, the largest measuring an estimated total length of 241cm.

In total we were able to catch, collect samples from, tag, and record 5 sharks.  When it was time for the fish traps to come up, the students were ready to catch and count fish.  We set these traps out to see the species diversity as well as abundance.  Today we caught some pinfish, and 1 mutton snapper.

A student prepares to set out our fish trap to determine the abundance of commercially important fish vs. how many sharks are in the area. (click to enlarge)

I hope that everyone was able to take away some interesting facts to share with others and were able to learn something they had never known before.  On behalf of the Shark team that day, I would like to thank the SFLUM group.  It was a pleasure to have a group with so much enthusiasm and desire to participate and be engaged.  We hope you all had a great experience and enjoyed the day as well.

Yours,

Leann Winn (Senior Shark Intern)

Day two of CNN Interview and Shark Research…

June 27, 2010

The combination of an early morning rise to make the drive from Miami to Islamorada and the thrill of my first day out with the shark team made for an early bedtime on the eve of today’s trip.  I awoke refreshed after 10 hours of sleep and was good to go for day two of shark weekend number one of my internship.  The clouds and sun shared the sky and there was a nice breeze to keep us somewhat comfortable as we arrived at the Keys Marine Lab dock. We then prepared the boat for what could be, an amazing day of shark research!

As we cruised away from the dock yesterday, my excitement was slightly dampened by some feelings of cluelessness.  After one day on the water and 7 sharks under my belt, I by no means considered myself an expert just yet.  However, I felt much more confident in what to expect and was able to be genuinely excited for what was to come.  We had the other half of the Lakeview Academy high school students from Gainesville, GA to help us for the day and they were determined to catch more sharks than their classmates had the day before.  Again, the bar was set at seven.

Dr. Hammerschlag helping Lakeview high school students set out the baited drumlines. (click to enlarge)

One of our other guests on board had a different goal in mind.  After failing to catch any of the big three (bulls, hammerheads and tigers) to satellite tag the day before, 2/3 of the CNN crew had to move on to document another story.  The crew left their producer to complete and wrap up the story.  CNN was with us this weekend to report on the research conducted by Dr. Hammerschlag and his shark team and its potential to determine the effects the Gulf oil spill will have on sharks in the area.  They were particularly interested in our satellite tagged sharks like Hurley, to track the animals’ movements as the oil moves throughout the gulf.  Kim Seagal, CNN producer, was hoping to obtain footage of us attaching a satellite tag to a shark, but unfortunately we did not meet Kim’s goal.  Even despite our “hammer cheers” and enthusiasm from our Lakeview “researchers for a day”, we did not bring in any bulls, tigers or hammerheads.

A Lakeview student hoping to imitate sharks using a “fish-eye view” that would help bring in the big ones. (click to enlarge)

We were however able to tie yesterday’s catch, totaling seven sharks for the day. We figured that would provide for a more pleasant 12 hour drive back to Georgia, now that the student’s had shark catching bragging rights.  The catch consisted of a blacktip, a blacknose, a lemon and four nurse sharks.

This pump flushes water over the sharks’ gills while the data for the animal is being collected. (click to enlarge)

Unlike yesterday, the students were able to experience the challenge of working with “enthusiastic” nurse sharks, moving quickly to place a spaghetti tag or sneak in a length measurement when the animal decided to stop rolling.  However challenging they are to work with they are equally as beautiful with their impressive brown coloring and muscular bodies.

Caroline working to tame one of the nurse sharks mid-roll so we are able to collect the data. (click to enlarge)

Although the shark count for each day remained at seven, the fish count in our three fish traps set a new record – 150 pinfish in a single trap!!!!  We are setting the traps out to determine the fish community composition near the areas we are catching sharks.  This will give us some idea of the menu these sharks have to choose from.  We needed all hands on to get the fish back in the water quickly.   Squeamish at first, the students picked up “pinfish handling and release 101” very quickly, but Caroline proved to be our fish release champion.   I think she may have had a bit more practice with this than the rest of us.  We also caught a very upset puffer fish baring some impressive teeth.  Don’t worry, the puffer had deflated by the time it ended up back in the water and looked to be in good condition.

Caroline measuring a commercially important fish, while pinfish a non commercially important specie is being tossed back. (click to enlarge)

When the last drumline was pulled in and all the fish were released, we headed back to the dock with one producer diligently typing away to wrap up the story and a boatload of exhausted students and interns. 14 sharks in two days!  No wonder everyone was wiped out.  The shark team ended the day with some pizza and watching the 2 minute and 17 second story on CNN back at Captain Curt’s.   If you missed it on air, you can check it out online!

We were all pretty worn out after seven sharks and over 200 fish! Catching a few zzz’s before we docked at the lab. (click to enlarge)

Four different sharks species and fourteen total individual animals in two days, not a bad way to start out, but it looks like I will have to wait for another trip to deploy my first satellite tag.  Can’t wait to get back out on the water again!

Thank to everyone that helped out and to CNN for bringing attention beyond the ocean’s surface and coastline to life underwater and the challenges our sharks are facing.  Feel free to check out the CNN interview for the RJ Dunlap Program at CNN INTERVIEW.

Until the next adventure,

Rachael Kraemer (Shark Program Intern)

CNN Reports on the RJ Dunlap Program!

Virginia’s Blog – Saturday June 26, 2010

The day’s events were highlighted by the attendance of a CNN film crew and producer.  Their presence called for a chase boat, a smaller faster vessel, to follow us on our journey.  Austin, our team’s newest addition and researcher, boarded the boat with CNN producer.   He had his diving gear in hand, smile in place, ready to dive in, for closer in water footage, with any shark drawn to our delicious barracuda steaks (a favorite amongst our finned friends).  With sunny skies and just a light chop across the bay, the day appeared promising.

The RJ Dunlap Crew is pondering on what sharks may be caught today. (click to enlarge)

We set out with a group of high school students from LakeView Academy joining us all the way from Gainesville, Georgia.  Happy to have them and excited about the CNN reporter and film crew and our eagerness to set out a satellite tag in their presence was more than obvious.  Pulling in our first line with a beautiful 180cm lemon shark, we thought the day’s outcome had been positively defined in our favor, but line after line thereafter proved us wrong, we weren’t going to get that money shot.  We did, however, catch a total of seven sharks: three lemons, three blacktips, and a blacknose.  Overall, a good outcome for the day, regardless of our unfulfilled desire to further expose our recent work, and the amazing equipment and technology that we have the joy of working with.

Measuring a beautiful blacktip. (click to enlarge)

The high school student’s are putting in a spaghetti tag and taking a skin biopsy, followed by antibiotic cream which helps the shark heal faster. (click to enlarge)

A water pump is slowly placed in the sharks mouth, allowing the shark to breath easier at the surface. The RJ Dunlap Program takes every precaution to minimize harm to the shark. (click to enlarge)

Hopefully we can, however, draw attention to the 210,000 gallons of oil a day that are coming out of a hole in the Gulf of Mexico and the tremendous effects it has on the ecosystem. The effects of the spill will be far reaching, giving scientists the major task of quantifying the ramifications and trying to determine ways to reduce the negative impacts of the spill.

It was a great weekend, thank you to CNN and everyone involved.

Feel free to check out both a video and a separate related article on the CNN Interview at the following link:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/28/oil.spill.sharks/?hpt=Sbin

Regards,

Virginia Ansaladi (Shark Program Intern)