Tag Archives: R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation Program

Sharks: Turning Fear into Fascination

Posted on by
Reply

Despite the diversity of shapes and sizes in the animal kingdom, there is truly nothing like the shark. As ocean predators, they command our ultimate attention. The shark is something we learn about at a young age, a creature whose reputation becomes indoctrinated in our deep psyche likely before our first conscious foray into the ocean.

This is how I – like many others – first considered these predators. But alongside our reservations, comes a parallel sense of fascination. As I grew up, this fascination took over, and I now spend my time studying, researching, and engaging these species as much as possible.

In my film, “Coastguards,” I hope to illustrate humanity’s obsession and mixture of fear and fascination for sharks, while bringing their ecological importance – and plight – into the spot light. Told through my perspective with footage compiled from expeditions and research trips from the last 3 years, “Coastguards” is a metaphor for the role sharks play in maintaining the health and stability of our precious blue planet.

-Austin Gallagher
PhD Student, Research Assistant
RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program
Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy
www.austingallagher.com

Clap Your Hands for Sharks

Posted on by
Reply

How many of you are having Shark Week withdrawal? I know I am. It is true that Shark Week doesn’t always have themes of education or conservation in mind (insert mental image of a hydraulic-powered Megalodon biting kegs in half from this years lineup). But despite this, there is obvious value in making ocean science cool for the masses, even if only for one week a year. But alas, Shark Week has come and gone and we are left with a year of waiting before our television screens light up with that hypnotic blue that only the ocean can deliver.

If you find yourself reeling in despair over this, fear not, the sharks are coming! Next week a group of RSMAS graduate students from Waterlust will be releasing a video that delivers sharks, sharks, and more sharks. Created by Ph.D candidate and R.J Dunlap shark guru Austin Gallagher, Coastguards explores how childhood fears can evolve into fascination of arguably the most misunderstood animal on the planet. Always at the forefront of social media technology, Waterlust has teamed up with a New York based startup called Thunderclap to add some spice to the release of the short film. What is a Thunderclap you ask? More than just an information sharing service, a Thunderclap allows users to coordinate the release of a certain message (in this case a video release) by a large group simultaneously – essentially sending a shockwave of awesomeness through the interwebs.

Will this strategy of crowdspeaking allow groups like Waterlust to get their content to more people? Find out next Wednesday, September 12 at High Noon when Coastguards goes public.

Join the Thunderclap here.

Patrick Rynne
Waterlust Founder/AMP Graduate Student
Follow the Rosenstiel School on Twitter: @UMiamiRSMAS
“Like” the Rosenstiel School on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Rosenstiel School
Circle the Rosenstiel School on Google+ : Rosenstiel School

RJD Satellite Tags Sharks at Tiger Beach

Posted on by
Reply

Last month, members of the R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation team joined Jim Abernethy aboard the Shearwater for a week of shark research and diving. The RJD research team included myself, Dr. Hammerschlag, Captain Curt Slonim, and Fiona Graham. Visiting researcher Dr. Duncan Irschick from UMass Amherst, and Marco Flagg of Desert Star Systems also joined us for a chance to see how RJD performs our research and to interact with some awe-inspiring animals, as did a group of citizen scientists. The goal of this expedition was to gather biological samples and apply satellite tags to as many Tiger Sharks as possible, while still making sure the research was carried out in a way that did not stress the sharks.

Along with the blood, muscle, and fin samples that we usually take on our research subjects, we also took a series of morphometric measurements for Dr. Irschick’s research. He will be using these measurements to look at, among many things, how the shark’s related to the way they move. We also used an ultrasound machine on each female Tiger shark to determine if the sharks in the area are pregnant. On the first day of research, the team satellite tagged the largest Tiger Shark of the trip, a 305 cm (9.5 foot) female. We were also able to place dart tags and collect data on a few lemon and Caribbean reef sharks as well. On the second day of research, we satellite tagged and sampled four tiger sharks including one small male. This was surprising, as most of the Tiger sharks seen at Tiger Beach are females. On our third and last day of research, we satellite tagged one more female Tiger shark.

After 3 days of research, it was time to go scuba diving with these beautiful animals. Jim Abernethy and his crew have been diving in the waters of Tiger Beach for years and no operation knows the sharks that frequent the area better. After a safety briefing on the proper way to dive with sharks, we made our way into the water and onto a beautiful reef. There were Caribbean reef sharks swimming all around us, but the real star of the dive was a charismatic goliath grouper named Max. Max is known to frequent this reef and is very friendly – he even let me scratch under his chin! On my second dive on the reef, I got a quick glimpse of a large Tiger shark as soon as I got in the water, but it (probably a she) left and the rest of the dive was filled with more Caribbean Reefs and some time with Max.

On the last day of the trip, the group was treated with a visit from Emma. Emma is a 14-ft Tiger shark who frequents the area. Jim Abernethy has interacted with her on countless dives over the past 8 years. While Emma has safely interacted with SCUBA divers many times, it is important to remember that she is still an apex predator who is curious of what these strange divers are doing around her. I had a close encounter with Emma myself as she became very curious of both my camera and me. It was truly an amazing experience to get so close to so many beautiful sharks of so many different species. Not only was the experience amazing, but the team also collected valuable data on some of the most important predators in Bahamian waters. The satellite tags are transmitting and everyone will be able to see where these sharks are going.

If you would like to join Dr. Hammerschlag on a future Bahamas expedition, please contact him. The next trip to Tiger Beach is 10/17/13-10/23/13. The RJ Dunlap Team would love to have you on a future research expedition!

Kyra Hartog
R.J. Dunlap Intern
Follow the Rosenstiel School on Twitter: @UMiamiRSMAS
“Like” the Rosenstiel School on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Rosenstiel School
Circle the Rosenstiel School on Google+ : Rosenstiel School

GetGlue and TOMS Help Support Shark Conservation During Shark Week

Posted on by
Reply

To help promote Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, GetGlue is running a contest featuring an exclusive version of “The Shark Shoe” TOMS and the University of Miami’s R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation Program recently launched to help support shark conservation worldwide. GetGlue’s official blog reads:

“Make sure to check-in on GetGlue everyday leading up the the premiere to collect all seven “Countdown” stickers. Unlock all seven and you’ll earn something even more jawsome. Tune in to the first night of Shark Week on August 12th at 9pm ET/PT only on Discovery. Be sure to check-in every night of shark week to earn fintastic stickers! If you check-in to Shark Week every night, you will be entered to win a jawmazing prize! 25 GetGlue users will be sporting EXCLUSIVE Tom’s Shark-themed shoes. You can’t get these anywhere else!”

“The Shark Shoes” featured, display the shark design on the outside of the shoe, opposed to inside like the current version available. Below is an image of the 25 exclusive pairs up for grabs.

Have you purchased your pair of Shark Shoes from TOMS? What do you think of this unique collaboration? Tell us in the comments.

Follow the Rosenstiel School on Twitter: @UMiamiRSMAS
“Like” the Rosenstiel School on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Rosenstiel School
Circle the Rosenstiel School on Google+ : Rosenstiel School

TOMS Shoes Presents: The Shark Shoe

Posted on by
Reply

TOMS has teamed up with the University of Miami’s popular R.J. Dunlap (RJD) Marine Conservation Program to help preserve an awe-inspiring and highly threatened group of marine animals: sharks.

After experiencing an-eye-opening shark research trip, TOMS founder and chief shoe giver, Blake Mycoskie, was inspired by both the passion and cutting-edge research techniques used by RJD scientists to help track and save threatened sharks. That inspiration evolved into The Shark Shoe. These vegan, limited edition Classics are lined with lots of shark silhouettes, and proceeds from each pair go to protect sharks and their environment. Plus, as always, with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.ª

“We are excited to be partnering with TOMS,” said Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, University of Miami faculty member and director of the RJD Program. “Many shark populations have been decimated on a global scale due to destructive overfishing. As top predators, sharks play an important role in maintaining the health and balance of our oceans. This unique collaboration provides an unparalleled platform from which we can spread awareness of these important issues and engage mainstream audiences in a dialogue that supports marine conservation.”

This limited edition Shark Shoe is available for online purchase here – so grab a pair and wear it proudly!

Andrew DeChellis
Follow the Rosenstiel School on Twitter: @UMiamiRSMAS
“Like” the Rosenstiel School on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Rosenstiel School
Circle the Rosenstiel School on Google+ : Rosenstiel School

The Biggest Bull Shark…Ever?

Posted on by
Reply

Every once in a while, the ocean presents us with something truly amazing – whether it’s a crazy storm or a record catch, these events serve to remind us of the awesome power and beauty of the sea.

It was early June, and we were conducting another day of our continual catch and release shark surveys in the Florida Keys. In general, April, May and June tend to be some of the heaviest months for large sharks in the Keys, a time when these coasts are visited by the “semi-pelagics” that are following the fishes that spawn offshore. As our team hauled in the final drumline (shark-friendly, passive fishing device) of the day, something big tugged on the other end, almost pulling our team into the water.

“It looks bull-y,” remarked Dr. Neil Hammerschlag.

“I see the football-y shape,” I responded, looking 70 feet down on the shadow coming towards me.

Turns out we were right, it was indeed a bull shark – Carcharhinus leucas – a large female. As we brought her closer to the boat, it soon became evident that this wasn’t just any bull—she was over 8 feet long, and was thicker than any shark I have seen in the Caribbean (including 14 foot tigers and 12 foot hammerheads).

Bull sharks are a fascinating species, and our tagging experiments tell us that they are constantly on the move, timing their movements with prey such as tarpon and ladyfish in the Everglades, while also alternating to deeper oceanic locations for mating and birthing. Of the 80 or so bull sharks we have tagged and released in the last several years (one of the more rare species we encounter), most are around 6-6.5 feet, a size representing a mature adult. This bull shark dwarfed every other bull I have seen, and there is no doubt in my mind this bull is part of a very elite club in Florida-and probably Western Atlantic. After measuring her length and sampling her blood for reproductive hormones and stress parameters, she was released in great condition, swimming away to reclaim her seat on the throne of apex marine predators.

Members of the R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation Program with the Bull Shark.

Reports of the tagging of the massive bull made national news in a few days, with stories commenting that the animal could have weighed up to 1,000 pounds. While we didn’t have a scale on board, this fish was every bit of 800-850 pounds. There is a chance she could have been close to 1,000 pounds, perhaps making it the largest bull ever caught. And while we will never know her true weight, it would be a slap in nature’s face to ever sacrifice an animal this size for a record book. When the news reports spread of this amazing catch and tag, I was excited – knowing it would be seen by many fishermen worldwide, hopefully serving as an example of not needing to sacrifice large animals to still get an amazing experience. And it is great that many anglers are subscribing to this conservation ethic. Pictures last forever, and so will my memory putting my arms around her belly and feeling truly humbled and impressed.

Austin Gallagher is a PhD student at the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy at the University of Miami. He is also a research assistant for the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation program, focusing his doctoral studies on shark conservation biology.

-Austin Gallagher
PhD Student, Research Assistant
RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program
Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy
www.rjd.miami.edu
www.austingallagher.com