Courses with SRC 

Elasmobranch Field Research Skills (RSM 630)

The team at the Shark Research and Conservation Program (SRC) offers this field course (RSM 630) to introduce students to essential principles of responsible fieldwork with elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). Through a combination of readings, structured discussions of primary literature, guest lectures, opportunities to learn about and contribute to fishing gear construction, practice with the administrative requirements for working with animals (including approvals from Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees and state and federal permitting processes), and hands-on experience with elasmobranchs, students leave with a strong understanding of the practical aspects of best practices for conducting field research on fishes.

The course is taught by Shark Research and Conservation Program staff, including Dr. Catherine Macdonald (Program Director) and Jake Jerome (SRC Intern Coordinator and Lecturer), and is designed primarily for graduate students in the Master of Professional Science (MPS) program at the University of Miami.

Shark Research and Conservation Academy

Shark Research and Conservation Academy (SSA105) is an immersive non-credit academic experience offered through the University of Miami’s Pre-College Academies. This program provides high school students with a unique opportunity to explore shark science through a blend of classroom instruction and authentic field research.

Over the course of the program, students will:

  • Engage in classroom learning on shark biology, ecology, and conservation. Topics include shark anatomy, sensory biology, movement and behavior, and how environmental change affects shark populations. Students learn the research skills and methods scientists use to study sharks.
  • Gain hands-on field experience with the SRC team aboard a research vessel. This includes deploying and retrieving sampling gear, participating in night fishing for sharks, and collecting biological data and samples from shark species of varying sizes. All field work is conducted with a strong emphasis on animal welfare and responsible research practices.
  • Learn directly from working scientists. Instruction is provided by SRC faculty and research staff from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. Students will also interact with graduate and undergraduate researchers conducting shark research at UM.

You can learn more about the application process for UM Pre-College programs here.