New shark research begins at Cape Eleuthera

CAPE ELEUTHERA, Bahamas -- At the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) the last survey for the baited video validation study was completed in early June and the results were quickly worked up to be presented at the annual American Elasmobranch meeting in Portland,
Oregon at the end of July.

Edd Brooks, the shark program manager, presented on the seasonal abundance, demographics and habitat use of the Caribbean reef sharks in the waters off Cape Eleuthera.

The second half of the summer saw the start of a new study aimed at quantifying the effects of longline capture on post-release survivorship and behavior of Caribbean reef sharks. The project began with the rearrangement of CEI’s array of 32 acoustic receivers and the deployment of 15 acoustic transmitters on Caribbean reef sharks.

This new type of transmitter transmits the depth of the shark as well as the average three-dimensional acceleration of the shark giving an overall measure of activity. Digital hook timers monitor the exact hooking duration of the candidate shark prior to the transmitter being deployed.

In addition to the attachment of the accelerometer a blood sample was taken from all sharks giving a snapshot of the physiological stress that an animal experiences across different hooking durations.

Thank you to the Save Our Seas Foundation for supporting us for another year, and also many thanks to the numerous Island School families who have also jumped onboard and supported this important work.