University of Miami Shark Research and Conservation Program 2019 Annual Report

2019

Annual Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS 02

Letter from the Director

11 Graduate Projects

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Shark Research and

12 Where was SRC?

Conservation Mission

13 Increasing Education

How Citizen Scientists are

14 Sponsors

Helping Research

15 What’s New?

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By the Numbers

16 What’s Coming Up in 2020?

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Scientific Publications

17 People

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In the Media

18 Group Photos

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Making an Impact

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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR As we look back on 2019, I am pleased to report that it was another great year for the Shark Research and Conservation Program (SRC). Thanks to your support and grants, we continue to expand our cutting edge research agenda and provide more undergraduate, masters and Ph.D. students unprecedented opportunities in marine conservation education. This expansion also translated to our hands-on, STEM outreach programs for K-12 school groups.

When I was a graduate student at the Rosenstiel School, I envisioned creating a program that would allow me to do exactly what we are doing at SRC today. For every step of the journey, you have been there, as an advocate, counselor and connector to new opportunities for research and educational outreach.

Throughout the year, we receive hundreds of letters from parents and teachers explaining how a shark tagging trip transformed their child, a middle schooler, or an at-risk youth.

By engaging many school groups and underserved communities in our field research, we become the catalyst that inspires these kids to achieve excellence in STEM, while enhancing their appreciation for sharks and marine conservation.

As you will see in the report, 2019 broke records: 250 days of field research conducted, 1,600 citizen scientists contributed 10,000+ hours of volunteer services, 575 sharks of 19 species sampled, published 13 research papers and over 600 million people worldwide saw and interacted with news and social media about SRC. Your support emboldens us to continually innovate, for which my team and I are most grateful.

Sincerely, Neil Hammerschlag, Ph.D. Director, Shark Research and Conservation Program, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

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SHARK RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION MISSION Based at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the Shark Research & Conservation Program (SRC) conducts cutting-edge shark research, advancing marine conservation through peer-reviewed publications and public outreach.

Every year, SRC brings out thousands of children, especially from under-served groups, inspiring scientific literacy and environmental ethic in youth through unique hands-on field research experiences SRC could not achieve any of this without its hardworking team who are dedicated to the research and conservation of sharks and the ecosystems that depend on them.

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HOW CITIZEN SCIENTISTS ARE HELPING RESEARCH Our 1,622 citizen scientists represented 46 countries (highlighted in brown) and 49 states. That is the most representation from around the U.S. that we’ve ever had! They helped us collect data with us in almost 100 shark tagging trips.

What do our Citizen Scientists do while on the boat?

Shower the shark

Measure

Take a fin clip

The data collected by our citizen scientists supports several different SRC projects, including assessing shark population genetics, movement and habitat use, age and growth, reproductive biology, immunology, and the effects of climate change and urbanization on behavior and health.

Tag the shark

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BY THE NUMBERS

The largest shark was a 13 ft great hammerhead!

Total Sharks:

543 Great Hammerhead Number Tagged: 38 Maximum size: 18 ft

Scalloped Hammerhead Number Tagged: 4 Maximum size: 13.5 ft Bull Number Tagged: 24 Maximum size: 11 ft Lemon Number Tagged: 41 Maximum size: 11 ft

Blacknose Number Tagged: 26 Maximum size: 4.5 ft

Caribbean Reef Number Tagged: 8 Maximum size: 9.5 ft Atlantic Sharpnose Number Tagged: 11 Maximum size: 3.5 ft

Our team of divers logged 259 dives to deploy and maintain our acoustic receivers in Miami, the Bahamas, and South Africa. The receivers also showed that other tagged species, including fishes, sea turtles, and mammals tagged by other researchers, are using the study areas.

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Total Lines Set in the Water: 3,447

Total Satellite Tags Deployed: 14

Total Acoustic Tags Deployed: 52

Tiger Number Tagged: 44 Maximum size: 15 ft Smooth Hammerhead Number Tagged: 26 Maximum size: 13 ft Nurse Number Tagged: 268 Maximum size: 10 ft Sandbar Number Tagged: 29 Maximum size: 8 ft Blacktip Number Tagged: 61 Maximum size: 8 ft

Pyjama Catshark Number Tagged: 7 Maximum size: 3.5 ft Leopard Catshark Number Tagged: 2 Maximum size: 3 ft Dark Shyshark Number Tagged: 7 Maximum size: 2 ft

Spotted Gully Number Tagged: 2 Maximum size: 7 ft Bonnethead Number Tagged: 5 Maximum size: 3.5 ft Puffader Shyshark Number Tagged: 1 Maximum size: 2 ft

The smallest shark was a 1 ft 9 inch juvenile smooth hammerhead!

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SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS Bohaboy EC, Guttridge TL, Hammerschlag N, Van Zinnicq Bergmann MP, Patterson WF. (2019). Application of

three-dimensional acoustic telemetry to assess the effects of rapid recompression on reef fish discard mortality. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 77(1), 83-96.

Flecker AS, Twining CW, Schmitz OJ, Cooke SJ, Hammerschlag N. (2019). Aquatic predators influence micronutrients: important but understudied. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 34(10), 882-883.

Shipley ON, Gallagher AJ, Shiffman DS, Kaufman L, Hammerschlag N. (2019). Diverse resource-use

strategies in a large-bodied marine predator guild: evidence from differential use of resource subsidies and intraspecific isotopic variation. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 623, 71-83.

Queiroz N, et al. (2019). Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries. Nature, 572(7770), 461-466.

Hammerschlag N (2019). Quantifying shark predation

effects on prey: dietary data limitations and study approaches. Endangered Species Research, 38, 147– 151.

Shiffman DS, Heithaus MR, Kaufman L, Hammerschlag, N (2019). Intraspecific differences in relative isotopic

niche area and overlap of co-occurring sharks.

Aquatic Ecology, 53(2), 233-250.

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Martin KL, Abel DC, Crane D, Hammerschlag N, Burge EJ. (2019).

Blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus presence at fishing piers in South Carolina: fidelity and environmental drivers. Journal of Fish Biology, 94(3),

469-480.

Merly L, Lange L, Meÿer M, Hewitt AM, Koen P, Fischer C, Muller J, Schilack V, Wentzel M, Hammerschlag N. (2019).

Blood plasma levels of heavy metals and trace elements in white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and potential health consequences. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 142, 85-92.

Graeme HC, Bailey H, Bograd SJ, Bowen WD, Campagna C, Carmichael RH, Casale P, Chiaradia A, Costa DP, Cuevas E, Bruyn PJND, Dias MP, Duarte CM, Dunn DC, Dutton PH, Esteban N, Friedlaender A, Goetz KT, Godley BJ, Halpin PN, Hamann M, Hammerschlag N, et al. (2019).

Rooker JR, Dance MA, Wells RJD, Ajemian MJ, Block BA, Castelton MR, Drymon JM, Falterman BJ, Franks JS, Hammerschlag N, Hoffmaer ER, Kraus RT, McKinney JA, Secor DH, Stunz GW, Walter JF. (2019).

Population connectivity of pelagic megafauna in the Cuba-Mexico-U.S. triangle. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 1-13.

Wosnick N, Niella YV, Navas CA, Monteiro-Fiho ELA, Freire CA, Hammerschlag N. (2019).

Multispecies thermal dynamics of air-exposed ectothermic sharks and its implications for fisheries conservation. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 513, 1-9.

Check out this paper!

Translating Marine animal tracking data into conservation policy and management. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 34(5), 459-473.

Hammerschlag N, Schmitz OJ, Flecker AJ, Lafferty KD, Sih A, Atwood T, Gallagher AJ, Irschick DJ, Skubel R, Cooke SJ. (2019). Ecosystem Function and

Services of Aquatic Predators in the Anthropocene. Trends in Ecology &

Evolution. 34(4), 369-383.

Hammerschlag N, Williams L, Fallows M, Fallows C. (2019). Disappearance

of white sharks leads to the novel emergence of an allopatric apex predator, the sevengill shark.

Scientific Reports, 9(1), 1-6.

The great hammerhead (a) has a much more pronounced temperature change after 5 minutes of air exposure versus the scalloped hammerhead (b). SRC updated our workup methods to include showering the shark with cool water during data collection.

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IN THE NEWS Shark Week Air Jaws Strikes Back - SRC joined forces once again with Chris Fallows to study great white sharks in South Africa, where the team investigated the hunting behavior in their new study site at Plettenberg Bay. Andrew Mayne: Ghost Diver - SRC director Dr. Neil Hammerschlag assisted master illusionist Andrew Mayne in the creation of a diving suit that would render him invisible to the senses of a great white shark (left).

Local Media

Other News

Shark Research & Conservation director Dr. Neil Hammerschlag and SRC M.S. student Trish Albano were featured on NBC6 South Florida talking about sharks around Florida with correspondent Willard Shepard.

Check out more of SRC in: •

The Miami Herald

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The New York Post

•

Forbes

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NPR

•

... and more!

Keep up to date with SRC on social media! @sharktagging @SharkTagging @sharktagging

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MAKING AN IMPACT USX

Mahogany Youth

SRC has continued to work with several groups spreading awareness of shark research and conservation to under-served populations. This year, SRC was able to bring hands-on field work to veterens and active duty service members, under-priviledged youth in Miami, and young women.

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GRADUATE PROJECTS Shannon Moorhead - Urbanization and Shark Health Shannon’s thesis explored how nurse shark energy storage and use can vary with life stage, sex, season, and location with a special focus on urbanization. By analyzing nurse shark blood samples and assessing their body condition, she found evidence that adult male and female nurse sharks use energy differently - with males allocating energy to vigorous mating activity and females saving up energy to produce nutritious egg yolk to feed growing offspring. Her results also indicated that juvenile sharks in urban areas may be storing more energy than those in more natural habitat - possibly because they are feeding on highly concentrated prey populations and/or taking advantage of the ample man-made structures that provide refuge from predators. Congrats to Shannon on successfully defending her thesis!

Left: Sharks sampled in a metropolitan area (Miami) versus non-metropolitan areas (Biscayne National Park) Chelsea Black - Bacteria on Sharks

Chelsea’s project identifies the bacterial communities found on bull, tiger, and blacktip sharks here in Biscayne Bay. Examining bacteria will be a useful tool for assessing both shark and ocean health. Sharks face multiple stressors including climate change, urbanization, and deteriorating habitats- how their health is affected by these issues will be essential to understanding how they will adapt and survive in the future. (Above: Chelsea sampling the mouth of a shark)

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Patricia Albano - MPAs in South Africa Trish’s research focuses on evaluating the efficacy of a marine reserve for threatened and endemic sharks off South Africa.

Using baited remote underwater video surveys (BRUVS) and acoustic telemetry, she is examining the spatiotemporal movement patterns and habitat use of five species of South African endemic sharks and the threatened smooth hammerhead.

(Left: Trish releasing a smooth hammerhead after deploying an acoustic tag)

WHERE WAS SRC? SRC members attended several scientific conferences to showcase their research projects. Here is a glimpse of those projects: American Elasmobranch Society Annual Conference Several SRC students presented at AES including MS students Elana Rusnak and Mitch Rider (left) and PhD student Rachel Skubel.

They presented on topics such as perspectives of shark fisheries, acoustic tracking of bull sharks in South Florida, and immunology of sharks.

Saba Sea and Learn MS student Chelsea Black spoke to schools, senior centers, scientists, and the general public in Saba, Dutch Caribbean, about the importance of shark research and its benefits to the world’s ecosystems.

Other Conferences OceanObs ’19 - Laura McDonnell International Conference on Fish Telemetry - Mitch Rider Ocean Tracking Network Symposium - Mitch Rider American Anthropological Association - Rachel Skubel Ocean Visions 2019 - Rachel Skubel Duck Family Graduate Workshop - Rachel Skubel International Whale Shark Conference - Neil Hammerschlag

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INCREASING EDUCATION SRC increased education and outreach in 2019. That includes two summer programs for citizen scientists and two classes through the Summer Scholars Program for high school students, as well as several outreach programs.

Summer Programs • 378 lines deployed • 62 sharks caught, including a 10 foot long great hammerhead

Summer Scholars • 4 days in the laboratory • 5 days in the field • 165 lines deployed • 23 sharks caught, including a 9 foot long nurse shark.

Outreach SRC spoke to almost 1,500 people at events such as: • Tortugas Music Festival • Deering Estate Seafood Festival • SEED Food and Wine Festival • Miami Seaquarium Beach Cleanup

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SPONSORS We would like to thank our contributors for their generous support in 2019

Contributors The Batchelor Foundation

The Ocean Tracking Network

Ruta Maya Coffee

The Alma Jennings Foundation

Canon Solutions America

The Shark Conservation Fund

Vinyard Vines

The International Seakeepers Society

Rock the Ocean Foundation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Give Back Brands Foundation The Heffner Fund

H.W. Wilson Foundation

University of Miami Citizens Board

The Disney Conservation Fund

Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale

Interphase Materials

The Joshua Tree Foundations, Inc.

The Isermann Family Foundation

Andrew Wichser

The Herbert W. Hoover Foundation

Emilie Wiggin

William J. Gallwey III, Esq.

Patrick Clarke

Waterlust

Burton Saltzman

Hook & Tackle

Craig Elliot

Cape Clasp We would like to say an additional thank you to all the friends, family, and shark lovers who donated on behalf of Olivia Wigon, an incredible SRC intern who sadly passed away in 2019. We are incredibly thankful for your support so we can continue her legacy in shark research and conservation. Visit our website at sharktagging.com/olivia-eve to track “Olivia Eve� - a beautiful tiger shark that was adopted in memory of Olivia.

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WHAT’S NEW? Waterlust

Hook & Tackle

SRC and Waterlust teamed up again to create their new pattern: Nurse Shark Nirvana, using photos taken

by SRC’s own media intern, Julia Saltzman. You can feel

right at home in the ocean sporting dermal denticles of a nurse shark (See a close-up photo of dermal denticles at the top of this page)!

Support shark research with these, and other SRC Swag, at: sharktagging.com/ shop

Cape Clasp

Enjoy new sun-protecting hats and shirts with Hook & Tackle, or keep the hammerheads close with a Cape Clasp ring.

Shark Research and Conservation has included two new study sites, both in South Africa. From tiny, threatened, juvenile smooth hammerheads to 13 ft long great whites, it is important to know what populations of sharks are doing outside the United States too! Some of those highlights include:

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6 new study species, including catsharks and shysharks

65 days spent observing great white sharks in Plettenburg Bay

45 trips tagging endemic species in De Hoop Nature Reserve

Plenty of incredible data to help shark research and conservation in South Africa!

WHAT’S COMING UP IN 2020?

SRC is excited not only to continue building on the science and research from 2019, but also excited to start several new projects in 2020! Some sneak peeks into our upcoming research include:

New urbanization studies, like studying the effects of artificial light Several new school groups to increase our outreach to youth New study site in the Galapagos Islands More outreach and social media

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PEOPLE SRC is run by a lab of incredibly dedicated undergraduate interns, graduate students, and a few esteemed staff. None of the accomplishments in 2019 could have been achieved without them.

SRC would also like to thank the community of people who help our research lab function smoothly, including: Rosenstiel School Advancement, Sponsored Programs, Business Office, Small Boats & Marine Operations, Campus Safety, Facilities, IT, Communications, and Division of Continuing and International Education. We could not perform our research without their help on a daily basis.

Annual report made as a collaborative effort by: Alex Anstett Julia Saltzman Victor Bach MuĂąoz Stephen Cain Abby Tinari Diana Udel

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Photos by: Alex Anstett Julia Saltzman Victor Bach MuĂąoz Angie Del-Llano Peter Aronson Nicole Lin Gammon Koval

Tanya Houppermans Paola Roldan Maria Geoly

THANK YOU TO ALL THE GROUPS WHO “TAGGED” ALONG WITH US IN 2019