Sharking for Dummies

     Many people watch shark week in awe of the scientists that are privileged enough to spend all day on a boat, enjoying the sunshine and tropical waters while interacting with the large creatures of the sea. Today, our group of Tropical Ospreys became novice shark taggers while assisting with research for Guy Harvey Research Institute. How does one tag a shark without losing any limbs? The researchers have the process down to a science.

     Set up: The first step to catching a shark is to set up the equipment. This consists of a 50 pound weight with a buoy line attached to it, allowing us to find our sharks after setting the buoys. Also attached to the weight is a durable fishing line with a circle hook. This particular hook minimizes damage to the shark. Once the hook is baited with a chunk of fish, the line and weight are thrown overboard. Now it's time to wait. After setting all ten buoys, we snorkeled to pass the time, allowing the scent of the bait to attract the sharks.

     Reeling in and Processing: After the wait period is up, the buoy is snagged and pulled aboard, along with the weight. Everyone was quick on their feet if the line was taut when reeled in, as that meant a shark was on the line. The researchers handled the shark, using rope and the line to subdue the shark in a position where we could finish the process. A punch was used to make a small hole in the shark fin. The fin is cartilage, so the process is similar to an ear piercing. Then, a small tag is attached with the phone number to call if the shark is recaptured. A sample of skin is cut from the dorsal fin. Again, this is a relatively painless experience for the shark. If necessary, we swabbed DNA from the sharks' teeth, skin, gills, and cloaca. Measuring the shark provides even more data and allows for comparisons if the shark is ever recaptured. 

     Release and Reset: Once all sampling and tagging is finished, the hook is cut from the shark's mouth and the shark is released. The hook is then rebaited and reset in hopes of finding another shark willing to donate some time to science. 

  

   The research done using these sharks allows researchers to answer questions about shark migration, diet, size, etc. These studies allow a better understanding of the formidable creatures that many people fear. In gaining more knowledge about sharks, the hope is to find a way to ensure that shark populations are able to persist for future generations to study. 

Interested in the shark tagging process? Check out Guy Harvey Research Institute here

Still scared of sharks? Check out this graphic that depicts the number of shark attacks on humans per year versus the number of sharks killed by humans per hour.