Authors: Genevieve Sylvester and Emma Pawlik
Date: April 26, 2023
What do you get when you mix 43 students, 10 sharks, and 4 days of cruising on a 78-foot research vessel? Well lots of learning, of course!
In late April, FAU undergraduate and graduate students were able to take to the high sea on the Research Vessel W.T. Hogarth in Fort Pierce, Florida to learn about and put into practice a variety of fisheries research techniques! Trawling nets, which look like giant mesh bags, were used to survey benthic (bottom dwelling) species in the area, while long lines (a series of baited hooks suspended from a main line) and drum lines (a baited line attached to an anchored buoy) were used to catch different shark species. The sharks were tagged and released by the FAU Marine Lab’s ElasmoLab for their ongoing shark migration research project under the direction of Dr. Stephen Kajiura.
Although tough weather conditions plagued a couple days of the trip, ten different sharks representing five different species (blacknose, blacktip, lemon, nurse, and spinner sharks) were measured, tagged, and released back into the ocean. In fact, the largest shark of the trip was reeled in right after the boat experienced an unexpected, but strong, squall! The excitement of the over 8-foot-long nurse shark dissipated the nerve-wracking experience of the storm and is pictured being released below.
In addition to shark data collection, students identified various fish and invertebrates living on or near the bottom of the ocean from the benthic trawls and even employed some problem-solving skills when a large blacktip shark bit through the rope of the long line! The hands-on experience was an invaluable teaching tool for this group of students. After four long, exhausting days, the group headed home, ready for some rest, but no doubt dreaming of their next opportunity to get out on the water again.
We can’t wait to hear about the next cruise!
