Monday, May 12, 2014

Pioneering DNA Shark Research Methodology?

Source.

Have you seen the above - impressed?

Me, not so much.
I don't know what planet those dudes are living on - but both we and all Shark researchers I've ever talked to take DNA samples with a simple biopsy probe that can be deployed underwater via Hawaiian sling or spear gun (or even a ROV!), or from the boat via a lance, etc. As tested multiple times, e.g. here, the methodology is highly innocuous and leads to zero post-impact mortality.
Those probes have been around for decades, and contrary to what is being suggested, nobody has been hauling any Sharks out of the water and exposed them to potential injury that could result in serious health consequences and even death of the animal merely in order to obtain a tissue sample.
This is simple, proven research that needs no fixing let alone revolutionizing.

But maybe I'm missing something here.
If so, may I suggest to remove the highly misleading wording and replace it with some pertinent information.

Or not.
And if so... :)

8 comments:

Sam Cahir said...

WOW.... I really don't know what else to say. I thought pioneering was being the first? All these years of getting GWS DNA samples when tagging using a tagging pole...damn i knew there was a better way...oh wait is that the new pioneering method? .... so I thought i'd click to find out more and headed over to the website.....The first page I go to is the Biosketch of the White Shark. Here I learn that the eyes äre small but conspicuous, black with no visible pupil.....
hmmmm i guess it does depend on how close you get but they certainly do have cat slit like pupils oh and that lovely blue ring around the outside. But maybe he just gathered this info by looking at the dorsal fin as I hear that's the new way to estimate length from a picture.
Anyway I got that far into the website and then realized I was wasting valuable moments of my life......

DaShark said...

Indeed.

We're either both totally missing the point - or, a) this may be some attempt at scamming ingenuous Shark lovers or b) the dudes simply don't know what they're talking about.

As always, we shall see shall we not!

Megalobomb said...

A and B!

Unfortunately, most white shark researchers are banned from the "White Shark Interest Group/White Shark Advocacy" by D.Schmidt or SvS. They pick their audience very carefully so they can "get away" with things like the above.

jsd said...

I see on Collier's website he claims SRI is 'headquartered at Princeton' thus repeating M. Levine's grammatically wrong and misleading claim that SRI was 'founded at Princeton'.

Aren't coincidences great???!!!

Shark Diver said...

Sam,

in Ralphs words, "you can question my credibility all you want,.... let's look at your years of experience and publications (that would be peer reviewed publications)"

He even went on to say "stop referring to the picture as fake", in the recent hoopla about the faked gws pic that he authenticated on TV.

When confronted with facts, he responds with insults... isn't that what scientist are supposed to do?

BTW still working on beating your pic. It's not looking good ;-)


DaShark said...

Worry not Megalobomb!

Thankfully, the bloviating fireman has seen it fit to excrete yet another one of those moronic FB groups where the usual dipshits can continue to post their crap and debate their opinions - and, apparently, everybody is welcome!

Just as a heads up - in case you should once again feel the urge to lobotomize yourself by engaging with the frothy Shark whacks!

And if so, don't forget to use plenty of CAPS LOCK!

DaShark said...

Lemme put it this way.

The longer nobody steps up and substantiates

a)the allegation that somebody has been, and I cite, removing a shark from its natural environment and exposing it to potential organ and vascular injury that could result in serious health consequences merely to obtain DNA samples from Sharks and

b) why and how this new methodology is a direct alternative to such alleged procedures,

the more I'm inclined to call this a scam aimed at defrauding naive Shark lovers.

Ibrahim Abdullah said...

Greetings from Egypt!!!!

I tihink you should lay off (is that how you say it my aAMerican comes from watching Starksy and Hutch?) Ralph Collier. i mean the REAL HuSky and Starch. This one:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NllNL9w4G-0/UexttrbmdYI/AAAAAAAAiMI/9nMxfKFfqh0/s1600/Starsky-620x804.jpg

He is a sicentist.

aAfter the Red Sea shark accidents he so cleverly explained were due to dead camels in the water off Fiji or something I sent him a phot o of the shark that accidented me in the rRed Sea to within a cms of my life.

this is the shark!!!!

He said that judging by the shape of the shark, the shape of the fins, the shape of the waves and the color of my swimingsuit (it change color a second later!!!!), it was a REAL GIRISH (sharck) not a FAKE!!!! A 9.34 metere basking shark Setorhinu didymus. vVery rare in the rRed Sea!!!! In fact unknown!!!! He showed the photo to his colleagues aT the Global SharK aApprication fFaculty and they agree!!!!

I asked him why it accidented me by swimming so close and he said because in fFrench Polynesia there is a seagull called Sam that learnt to accident tourists in yellow hats. And their hats changed color.

P.S. again. Ralph says even tho its definitely a Bbasking shark it is just possble it may have been photoshopped from somewhere else. But it is still a basking SHark!!!!

P.S. again. I also like this show:

http://www.cmt.com/show/dukes_of_hazzard/series.jhtml

--except for the girls

P.S. Again. Peace to you all! I love America!!!! Come and visit the pyramids!!!! They are awesome!!!! Does anyone kno w the blond actors in those cop shows? We have police in Egypt, lots and lots of police, but they are not blond.:-( I could visit!!!!

P.S. last time. You guys were awesome in Iraq!!!!

P.S. We have Turkish baths in Cairo!!!! Is this photoshopped?:

http://sara-merry99.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/1838/220873