Why have global shark and ray landings declined: improved management or overfishing?
By Patrick Goebel, SRC Intern A decline in shark and ray landings could be thought of as a success for in improved management strategies. However, in the case of Davidson et al (2015), that is too good to be true. Sadly, the decline in global shark and ray landings has been attributed to overfishing and […]
“Blue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus) optimize foraging efficiency by balancing oxygen use and energy gain as a function of prey density” Blog Review
By Dana Tricarico, SRC Intern Blue whales are thought to be the largest animals to have ever lived, and despite this, maintain their energy and weight through the foraging small crustaceans known as krill. Researchers at NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, as well as Oregon State University and Stanford University looked further into their foraging behavior […]
Innovations in controlling crown-of-thorns sea star outbreaks
By Grace Roskar, SRC Intern Acanthaster planci, commonly known as the crown-of-thorns sea star (COTS), are a species of sea star that can reach up to half a meter in diameter, have up to 15 arms, and therefore are one of the largest species of starfish in the world (Lucas 2013). The “crown of thorns” […]
15 things the Shark Research program at UM accomplished in 2015
It’s been a great year for our team! Here are some of our accomplishments from 2015: We published a paper using evolutionary theory to predict extinction risk, and it was featured on the cover of Trends in Ecology in Evolution! 2. We took 1,321 guests from the community out on the shark research boat with […]
Powering the World with the Energy of Water
By Kevin Reagan, SRC Intern In recent years, as the effects of global warming and carbon emissions become more and more apparent, the need for renewable energy sources has become more critical than ever. Solar and wind power are popular sources and major investments have been increasing, especially in Europe. But both sources pale in comparison […]
Shark Tagging with MAST Academy
By Grace Roskar, SRC Intern On the overcast morning of November 15th, the SRC team, the Diver’s Paradise captain and crew, and students of MAST Academy gathered at Crandon Marina to brave wind, clouds, and light rain to embark on a day of shark tagging. MAST Academy is one of our oldest participating school groups […]