Elasmobranch Exploration: The Turning Tide of Shark Research
Recent Articles
Categories
For the vast majority of Atlantic Canadians—affectionately referred to as “East Coasters” and “Maritimers”—it is no surprise that waters off the coasts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island are home to a wide variety of shark species. Fisheries and Oceans Canada provides a list of over 20 of these species that have been identified in Atlantic Canada—ranging from the porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) to the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), and of course, the world’s most notorious ocean predator: the great white (Carcharodon carcharias).
What remains extraordinary, however, is the lack of research that is being done with these phenomenal creatures off the coasts of the Eastern Canadian provinces. Of the shark species listed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, several are listed as endangered by the Species at Risk Act and the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), including the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), the porbeagle, and the great white. Only now in what some argue is the eleventh hour for these marine leviathans are they being recognized for what they truly are: endangered, overexploited, and under-protected pillars of oceanic ecosystems that are vital to maintaining food chains and indicating health levels of seas everywhere. Advocating for these remarkable creatures and garnering support for their protection, however, can prove difficult. From citizens who have been conditioned to fear them for decades and unsustainable fisheries practices to climate change and mass finning and culling, shark species around the globe are relying on research and conservation to protect and promote their longevity now more than ever.
Dr. Robert Hueter—accomplished marine biologist, former Director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota, Florida, and current chief scientist of OCEARCH—has authored more than 150 scientific papers related to marine biology. Most recently, he has turned his attention to addressing the research gap in great white shark data collected in Nova Scotian waters. First completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Science degree in Marine Biology at the University of Miami, Dr. Hueter went on to receive a Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology degree from the University of Florida. Ten years after the founding of OCEARCH in 2007, by expedition leader and skilled mariner Chris Fischer, Dr. Hueter participated in his first OCEARCH expedition in 2011, and later joined Mr. Fischer’s team in 2017. Today, as OCEARCH Chief Scientists, Dr. Hueter is instrumental overseeing the organization’s scientific endeavors and expeditions. In all, OCEARCH has conducted 39 expeditions to date, wherein a total of 416 animals have been tagged and almost 200 scientists have been involved in groundbreaking shark research.
“What we are doing with OCEARCH is pulling the curtain back so that we can see all the places where white sharks live and have always been” says Dr. Hueter of OCEARCH’s annual “Expedition Nova Scotia”. Starting in 2018, this work exposed the province as a “hotspot” for white sharks and has now become a fundamental source of data that pertains to the biology, physiology, health, behaviour, and reproduction of this species. Each year, scientists working with OCEARCH aim to increase the number of animals tagged and sampled to develop the “most advanced understanding yet” of the world’s most renowned shark species, and guide both public safety and conservation policies alongside the Canadian government. To date, OCEARCH has participated in cutting edge research pertaining to the fields of shark ecology and conservation, physiology and functional morphology, and even medical research. From studying white shark habitat usage and blood composition to microbiology and antibiotic resistance in the treatment of shark bite victims, the work that this team continues to spearhead in Nova Scotia has thrust the maritime peninsula into the scientific spotlight.
“We take the historical data, which is fairly scarce, and then we add in our new observational and tracking data, which shows that the animals are regularly going to Nova Scotia. We then ask, ‘why wasn’t this known before?’, and there are a number of hypotheses about the answers to that question,” says Dr. Hueter. Following the precipitous decline of 75-80% of great white populations spanning from the 1960s through to the mid-1990s, the numbers of these sharks are slowly starting to rise, which is one possible explanation for why organizations like OCEARCH can tag, sample, and track a relatively large number of them off of Nova Scotian shores. The warming of sea temperatures in the North as a result of climate change may also impact the movements of great white sharks in Atlantic Canada—a relationship that Dr. Hueter and the OCEARCH team are continuing to investigate. “What we knew about the white shark in the Western North Atlantic, we were really behind what had been done in the Eastern Pacific, off of California, Mexico, and so on—what had been done in Australia, and what had been done in South Africa,” says Dr. Hueter. “As far as really understanding the whole life history, critical habitats, dynamics of finescale and broadscale movement—we were still in the dark ages in the northwest Atlantic. Responding to this need, Chris Fischer turned his organization’s focus to understanding white shark biology on the East Coast—and thus began our work in Nova Scotia.”
Understanding where these animals can be found, tagging them with a multitude of different types of tracking devices, developing a biological understanding of each life stage, and piecing together a dataset large enough to demonstrate patterns has been the focal point of OCEARCH’s research in Nova Scotia since the program launched its first expedition there three years ago. Age and sex-related variables in addition to copious individual variability and environmental changes have shown Dr. Hueter and his team that further work that must be done to assemble the “jigsaw puzzle” that is the complete life history of great white sharks. Spatial distribution and movement patterns of these sharks, their reproductive cycle, and responses to climate change comprise some of the OCEARCH’s ongoing research, which Dr. Hueter refers to as a “work in progress”. Out of 70 great whites studied by OCEARCH of the U.S. and Canadian Atlantic coast so far, 26 were found off the coast of Nova Scotia, and the future of this research by OCEARCH in Eastern Canada is bright. “Over time, and given enough patience, we are beginning to assemble enough of these puzzle pieces to start seeing the big picture in a way never seen before, for any ocean basin,” says Dr. Hueter about current efforts to continue and develop research initiatives happening in Nova Scotia through this organization. “Finally, the patterns are starting to come into view.”
Smart positioning and temperature tags, also known as SPOT tags, are attached to the white shark’s first dorsal, where there are few nerve endings or blood supply. These tags “ping” when sharks swim at the ocean surface and transmit data via satellite back to the lab, where Dr. Hueter and his team use the information to follow the sharks long after they are released. This technology allows scientists to track these creatures for up to five years after they have been tagged, and OCEARCH’s tracking program allows the general public to become involved in their research initiatives by following the tagged sharks themselves through the Tracker smartphone app and on the OCEARCH website (www.ocearch.org).
For Amani Webber-Schultz, getting involved with shark science is especially important—not only as the spatial distribution of these creatures expands, but as the demographic of aspiring researchers does, too. Alongside Jasmin Graham, Carlee Jackson, and Jaida Elcock, Webber-Schultz has successfully founded the Minorities in Shark Science organization, or MISS. “Striving to be seen and take up space which has largely been inaccessible for women”, especially Black women and women of colour, the founders of MISS work tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusion in the field of shark science. With an ultimate goal of an equitable path for everyone in marine science, Webber-Schultz and her colleagues have been prioritizing the development of the female-identifying, non-white community of shark researchers and aspiring scientists. Through removing financial barriers to experiential learning, providing workshops and resources pertaining to research and data collection methodology, and cultivating long-lasting mentorships, MISS is already responsible for a commendable amount of diversification, education, and opportunities provided to Black women and women of colour in science.
For Webber-Schultz and her colleagues, getting aspiring, new minds into shark science—and marine research, as a whole—is crucial to the development of the field. From collaboration and innovation to academia and fieldwork, her best advice for hopeful students looking for experience is to start reaching out to scientists, lab groups, and researchers. “Respectful persistence is key”, Dr. Hueter adds, recommending that younger scientists focus on developing their biological education and close in on shark research as they become more advanced through learning opportunities like internships and summer jobs. According to Webber-Schultz, “funded internships and opportunities are scarce; as young women or if you are coming from a financially disadvantaged background, you have to work harder to find a way to get your foot in the door”, and instead of dwelling on unanswered emails or rejection letters, it is best to move onto the next opportunity until the right one comes along.
As observational and tracking data shifts, the effects of climate change continue to affect marine ecosystems, and more and more scientists fight for diversity in the field, the tide of shark science is continuing to turn. Researchers like Dr. Hueter and the OCEARCH team following great whites to Nova Scotia are shedding light on the biological drivers behind their continued presence in the Maritimes. Moreover, scientists like the founders of MISS, who advocate for equity and intersectionality every day, are making shark science more and more accessible to passionate, young researchers who aspire to work in this field. Additionally, those who are interested in the activity of great whites off the coast of the Maritimes can follow tagged sharks through the OCEARCH app and website, where a variety of other educational resources are available. From scientists and researchers to fisher-folks and citizens of seaside, Maritime towns, collaboration and support helps to drive the conservation of great white sharks and collection of data that can help teach experts more about the behaviour and preservation of these saltwater wonders. Afterall, what is far scarier than an ocean full of sharks is an ocean without them.
References
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2020). Identifying a shark species in the Atlantic. https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/sharks/identify-eng.html.
Minorities in Shark Science. (2020). Who are we? http://www.misselasmo.org.
OCEARCH. (2020). Expedition Nova Scotia 2020. https://www.ocearch.org/expeditions/2020-expedition-novascotia/.