Blacktip Reef Sharks,
Carcharhinus melanopterus, are the most gorgeous of sharks in my opinion. So it was a bit difficult for me to punch a hole in the crisp, sharp edged dorsal fin of a little female Blacktip so we could mark her with an ugly plastic tag. But to put it in perspective, it probably felt like getting an ear pierced or less and it was for part of a pHD student's research, to examine the trophic level and interactions of sharks in Cleveland Bay off the coast of Townsville, QLD. This research will, in the long run, hopefully be used in conservation efforts.
Being on a boat is the best cure for anything, not that I'm ailing from anything in Australia except maybe the heat, but there is nothing like the smell of the sea, the wind in your face and the mainland at your back. The day was spent baiting, setting and hauling in long lines. Anything that was caught, including eels, catfish, travoli and other fish, were accounted for and released. But when we caught a shark we would pull it in, lasso it's tail and tie it off alongside our little research vessel. We took measurements, tagged and released them. In total we caught 6 Blacktips and 1 Hammerhead,
Sphyrna mokarran. Unfortunately the study is mostly focusing on Nervous Sharks,
Carcharhinus cautus, and a few other species that we didn't catch that day, but if we had we would have taken blood samples in addition to the measurements in order to run stable isotope analysis. Either way it was still an awesome experience and it is things like this that make me remember how fortunate I am to be in this awesome country and to be studying something so fascinating.
Blacktip Reef Sharks, Carcharhinus melanopterus, are the most gorgeous of sharks in my opinion. So it was a bit difficult for me to punch a hole in the crisp, sharp edged dorsal fin of a little female Blacktip so we could mark her with an ugly plastic tag. But to put it in perspective, it probably felt like getting an ear pierced or less and it was for part of a pHD student's research, to examine the trophic level and interactions of sharks in Cleveland Bay off the coast of Townsville, QLD. This research will, in the long run, hopefully be used in conservation efforts.
Being on a boat is the best cure for anything, not that I'm ailing from anything in Australia except maybe the heat, but there is nothing like the smell of the sea, the wind in your face and the mainland at your back. The day was spent baiting, setting and hauling in long lines. Anything that was caught, including eels, catfish, travoli and other fish, were accounted for and released. But when we caught a shark we would pull it in, lasso it's tail and tie it off alongside our little research vessel. We took measurements, tagged and released them. In total we caught 6 Blacktips and 1 Hammerhead, Sphyrna mokarran. Unfortunately the study is mostly focusing on Nervous Sharks, Carcharhinus cautus, and a few other species that we didn't catch that day, but if we had we would have taken blood samples in addition to the measurements in order to run stable isotope analysis. Either way it was still an awesome experience and it is things like this that make me remember how fortunate I am to be in this awesome country and to be studying something so fascinating.
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