Heithaus & al - fantastic!

"Research" in Shark Bay - don't try this at home!

And talking about non-consumptive risk effects of Sharks.

This is fantastic, seminal stuff!

Alas, 15 years of research results in Shark Bay (check out the list of Sharks and Rays!) are way to exhaustive to be summarized in a blog post, so I really do invite you to spend those 25 bucks and buy the PdF - or could David and Andrew maybe venture a synopsis hint hint?

Please?

Here's a great video.

And here's a teaser from the paper itself.

The best-studied species with respect to multiple layers of anti-predator behaviour in Shark Bay is the dugong. 

In addition to modifying their use of habitats (Wirsing et al. 2007a), microhabitats (Wirsing et al. 2007b) and patches (Heithaus et al. 2007b), they also modify their feeding modes, diving behaviour and duration of behavioural bouts in response to predation. These responses, however, tend to be concentrated in high-risk, shallow habitats and are less pronounced, or even absent, in safer, deep waters. 

As tiger shark numbers increase, dugongs largely switch their foraging behaviour in shallow habitats from excavation, which allows them to access more nutritious seagrass rhizomes but at the cost of creating large plumes of sediment that could mask the approach of a tiger shark, to cropping the less nutritious leaves of A. antarctica, a feeding mode that does not inhibit anti-predator vigilance (Wirsing et al. 2007c). 

Dugongs observed using the excavation feeding tactic make more and shorter dives during periods of high tiger shark abundance than during periods of low shark abundance, whereas dugongs using cropping do not change their diving behaviour as tiger shark catch rates vary (Wirsing et al. 2011). 

This change in diving behaviour is likely to allow excavating dugongs to be vigilant for tiger sharks more often by rising above sediment clouds.

A final anti-predator behaviour identified in dugongs is modification of behavioural sequencing. 

Dugongs in dangerous shallow habitats, but not in deep habitats, more frequently switch between foraging and traveling, and resting and traveling, during periods of high shark abundance (Wirsing and Heithaus 2012). This sequencing adjustment results in individual dugongs avoiding long, continuous bouts of foraging and resting, during which their capacity to detect sharks is inhibited. 

Interestingly, the multiple layers of anti-predator behaviour in dugongs closely mirror those of elk (Cervus elaphus) foraging under the risk from grey wolves (Canis lupus) (Wirsing and Ripple 2011).

Is this way cool or what!

Anyway, enjoy the paper - required reading if you want to be able to talk about top-down effects other than the usual, and rather suspect, trophic cascades.

Tiger Shark Migrations - it's complicated!

This is Adi.

Very interesting!

Check out this latest paper by Yannis Papastamatiou!

It's quite complex and you can find excellent synopses here, here and here. Quite understandably, those articles focus on the immediate practical implications, i.e. the possible correlation between some of those migrations and the higher risk of Shark strikes in the principal Hawaiian islands during the same period.

But that's not all.

Having read the whole paper, my take-away message is that the reality is far more differentiated as there appears to be great individual behavioral plasticity. Like our Bulls, some of those Tigers are more resident and some, more transient; and the purpose of those inter-island migrations appears to be twofold, i.e. seasonal pupping but also foraging, with the latter highly dependent on external factors like water temperature and chlorophyll concentration = likely availability of prey.

This is a great follow-up on the research by Meyer et al about those Tiger Shark movements and the subsequent papers about cognitive maps by both Meyer and Papastamatiou, explained here.

Fascinating stuff, and kudos to the authors for having collected this impressive body of evidence!

But is this the whole story?

For Hawaii, the answer is quite possibly yes.

But in other locations, those movements may be identical in principle (= due to foraging and reproduction) but different in practice, and I cite.

Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are large (maximum size 5.5 m) generalist foragers, which may function as keystone predators in some areas (Lowe et al. 1996, Heithaus et al. 2009). 

In high latitude locations such as Australia, tiger sharks demonstrate seasonal utilization of bays within larger home ranges, with water temperature being a likely driver of seasonal habitat use (Heithaus et al. 2007, Wirsing et al. 2007). 

However, within tropical areas with milder seasonal changes in environmental characteristics, tiger shark movements appear more ambiguous (e.g. Meyer et al. 2009a). 
Within the Hawaiian archipelago individual tiger sharks will frequently swim between islands of the chain using straight directed walks, although their movements lack any clear overall pattern, seasonal or otherwise (Meyer et al. 2009a, 2010, Papastamatiou et al. 2011). The exception appears to be remote French Frigate Shoals atoll (FFS) where some individual tiger sharks seasonally aggregate to take advantage of fledgling albatross chicks, although other individuals appear to remain at FFS year round (Lowe et al. 2006, Meyer et al. 2010).
Hence, tiger sharks have somewhat unique spatial ecology in that they demonstrate home ranging behavior over large spatial and temporal scales and perform both seasonal/directed and more aseasonal/ambiguous movements within this home range.

In brief, geographical location may have a huge influence.

In fact in places with large temperature swings like Florida and the Bahamas, Guy's and Neil's research shows that those Tigers engage in huge seasonal migrations smack into the middle of the Atlantic (possibly following equally migratory prey?) whereas in tropical Australia where the temperature swings are not so big, the migration activity is indeed much more ambiguous. 

And in Fiji? 

Dunno - but my hunch is that due to the big difference in our seasons, they would be behaving more like the Atlantic ones, however possibly with large yearly variations due to the ENSO!

Anyway, great stuff!

And with Domeier and Meyer having started a new Tiger Shark research cycle in Hawaii where they will deploy modern SPOT tags that will deliver multi-year tracks, we may be in for further surprises!

To be continued no doubt!

2012: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Part One!

Not this year's Picture of the Year, see below - but I found it cute! Source.

Here we go again!

2012 has come and gone and what remains are the results - good and bad!

For us at BAD, it has frankly been a rather mixed bag.

The principal good news have been: several awards, the principal one being the totally unexpected AON Award for Tourism Sustainability that acknowledged our years of hard work and perseverance; the devising and successful rolling out of the first two installments of the Great Fiji Shark Count; our new Nitrox setup that has been a great personal relief; and finally, reaching 1,500 blog posts - tho one has to seriously question whether this is really "good news" or merely proof of masochism!

And above all, we're still standing: the bills are paid, the staff have a secure job - and most importantly, the SRMR is thriving and delivering data for research, and sustainable income to its stakeholders whilst remaining a safe haven for its Sharks!

But unfortunately there have been really bad news, too.

The passing of my friend Ron has left me absolutely devastated; and the failure of the Fiji Shark Sanctuary Campaign, see part two of this recap, has been a major, albeit not totally unexpected disappointment.

But like I said last time, this is really not about us.

Is is about others - and here is the first batch of the infamous nominations! :)

But first a caveat.

This is a blog reflecting personal opinions - not Journalism!

Thus nobody here is claiming that this is the Truth - whatever that may mean in this sharky context! I do make an honest effort to learn about and convey the latest scientific insights when posting about biology and research, to the point that much gets vetted by selected researchers - but otherwise, I actually pride myself for saying it like I see it: strictly subjectively, in a highly opinionated way and completely devoid of political correctness both in content and in style - and let's be frank: that's why you read this blog! :)

Also, keep in mind that I'm posting from a remote island smack in the middle of the Pacific, and I thus raise no claim of even remotely seeing, let alone knowing everything! So if anybody should feel that I may have overlooked him or others, bear with me: I may not have noticed or may have forgotten.

Or I may simply not care - for that cause or for that person!

So without further ado!

The Good

Warning!

Even this section will contain some mild criticism - live with it!

1. Track back: reconfirmed

Please consult last year's introduction.

I stand by what I said there

This year's conservation posts have once again focused on the very same issues and generally reaffirmed and refined some of the same general principles.

With one addendum I am really passionate about.

When it comes to fisheries management, I strongly believe that we need to abandon  the old and largely failed approach and instead, that we must finally invoke the precautionary principle in all of its ramifications - seriously, the bloody procrastination must stop!

This includes acting preemptively wherever there is overfishing, this by drastically reducing quotas and in the case of Sharks, by enacting bans and establishing sanctuaries; and by demanding that the burden of proof  be reversed, whereby it would be up to the the fishing industry (and the trade) to come up with substantiated proof that their activities are fully sustainable and legal - much like a good old fashioned environmental impact assessment that has become so ubiquitous whenever anybody wants to tamper with nature on land!

And at the same time, I equally advocate helping to establish a premium market for sustainably caught Sharks - meat and fins alike!

Too far out there and too controversial?

Again: please do peruse the links and if you believe that rationally (= as opposed to emotionally), this is a fallacy, tell me why - but should you agree with my standpoint, please do spread the word!

Yes it won't happen tomorrow - but it will happen if we keep talking about it!

And now to the line-up!

I must once again say, I largely stand by last year's nominations - but of course that was then and in some cases, things have obviously changed.

So there - are you ready?

• The Pew Environment Group's Global Shark Campaign remains the most impressive Shark Conservation Org.
  
  This is largely due to their awesome achievements in helping establish a further string of Shark sanctuaries, namely American Samoa, the Cooks (! - see below) and Kosrae, and in having been very much at the forefront in the enactment of  new Shark protection measures in Venezuela, in the European Union and at the WCPFC. And yes they may have been involved in more and yes I may have forgotten some - Angelo?
  And they once again scoop the Best Shark Conservation Resources nomination as their reports remain simply the best, e.g. this one!
  
  But it sure has not been all smooth sailing!
  The fishing industry has caught on to their MO and is fighting back vigorously by casting doubt on the effectiveness of those measures, and stupid commentators are gobbling up and propagating that disinformation. This has been one of the major contributors to the Fiji fiasco, see comments in part two.
  And on a strictly personal and probably terribly subjective note, I do bemoan the departure of Matt and accordingly, I sense a lack of leadership and at the same time, signs of unproductive picomanagement; and I just cannot get myself to like what I perceive to be the increasing populism (= dumbing down) of their outreach via the social media.
  
  And yes I shall certainly leave it at that!
  It is certainly debatable and ultimately, who am I to say - the results speak for themselves, and this despite of those real or perceived pewculiarities!

• The Shark Savers have continued to be simply brilliant.
  
  You can check out their yearly recap here.

Love the patrol boat: so much good for so little money! And I want to once again thank them for their invaluable support of the GFSC where I must commend the indefatigable Samantha  for having made a tremendous contribution! Thank you!
And then there is of course the terrific Manta Ray of Hope project, see below!

• Same-same for One World One Ocean!
  
  Check out their website and also their Facebook page - stellar stuff!

• Stefanie Brendl!
  
  We've finally met and I now like her even more!
  As always, she is working hard behind the scenes. I'm not in a position to divulge details - but do expect something real cool in the not-too-distant future!
  But this year, the title of Most impressive individual Shark Conservation Advocate goes to somebody else - and I'm quite certain that she would agree with my choice!

• The Manta Ray of Hope project remains the best Elasmobranch Conservation Initiative - by far!
  
  Scroll down this list of blog posts and you will see that the outreach has been simply awesome - this owing to the tireless efforts of my personal hero and sounding board Da Mary, of Shawn  who keeps cranking out fabulous media but also thanks to people like Lydie Couturier or Simon and Andrea of the Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna - and many others like Sarah Fowler who I hear has co-authored the CITES proposal!
  Like I said then, this is as good as it gets, especially since the project reunites all the very best in that field!

• The outreach by Neil Hammerschlag and the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program remains my favorite, however with the Heithaus Lab a close second - I think!

• What about last year's Most promising Shark Conservation Newcomers?
  
  David has really done himself proud, especially with A  Ray of Light but also his terrific PSAs The Sanctuary and Love Sharks Love Fiji. He is still desperately trying to finally get a major break but he has certainly not been sitting idly but instead, continued to stack the chips in his favor with a new production company, upcoming new websites and shortly, new attempts at marketing and crowd funding. And thankfully, there have been a few jobs allowing him to pay for the bills on the way.
  But he deserves better - so please, if you should be mulling a shoot and are looking for a brilliant all-in-one movie maker: do think of him!
  
  And the others?
  I see that Christine is still with Neil and trust that she is behind some of his stellar media outreach; but I frankly don't quite know what she is currently doing - but whatever it is, I wish her well.
  Same for Madi Pip - however she is off my list. As an example of alas many, check this out - that's not something I would ever want to be seen endorsing in so many ways! I'm sure you understand - and if not, wait for part two!
  Yes I'm frankly disappointed!

• Best Shark Facebook Page: Shark Savers
  
  Once again, a difficult choice - but that (and the Shark Year Magazine, see below) is the ressource I inevitably find myself consulting when I want to inform myself about the latest conservation- and research-related Elasmobranch news.
  
  Shark Defenders on the other hand has shifted towards more and more populism, see my comments above under Pew. Alas - but then again, that's just my personal perception.

And I reiterate what I said then about the BBC (obviously!), Shark Year Magazine, Elasmodiver and of course Doc who doesn't need any further accolades to be the undisputed Grand Mufti of Shark Behavior and one of my very favorite people on top of that!


2. New Winners and New Categories

• Most impressive individual Shark Conservation Advocate: Mary O'Malley.
  
  She's gonna hate me for this because like the vast majority of real conservationists including her predecessor Stefanie, she has no interest whatsoever in standing in the limelight but prefers to shine through her achievements instead of her announcements and self promotion. But let there be no doubt that whenever something is really good, she has likely had a hand in it!
  Among several others, one of her most recent projects is Manta Ray of Hope, see above - and if the Mantas will have any chance at this year's CITES convention, it will undoubtedly be the result of her tireless work and networking where once again, I discern no ego but instead, nothing but the genuine wish to reunite and motivate others to pursue a common goal in the most efficient and effective way.
  
  And I want to say this: it's about bloody time for some public accolades!
  No not this poor little laudatio on an obscure Shark blog, nor this truthful and loving hommage by Stefanie - I'm talking about something major, some Shark and Manta Hero award or the like! DaMary gets nothing - but the Boo Boo keeps getting nominated?!?
  C'mon you award folks - do something!

• Most impressive Shark Conservation Achievements, ex aequo: Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary and French Polynesia Shark Sanctuary.
  
  Just awesome!
  I did not at all expect the declaration by French Polynesia - and knowing how rigidly the French manage these matter in their DOM-TOMs, this will incidentally result in the exact opposite of a SINO, this also owing to the vigilance of the dive operators and the researchers of the ORP!
  
  And in view of all the alleged shenanigans, I was of the firm opinion that the Cooks were a lost cause - so huge kudos to its visionary president Henry Puna, to Pew but also to Steve and Jess of PICI  - details here!

• Best Blog Posts on Shark-related Issue: the coordinated Deconstruction of the infamous Oxygen Myth.
  
  I must say, I'm mighty proud of this effort!
  And it has been loads of fun, too - to wit here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here! Simply brilliantly epic!
  And... have we been successful in eradicating that stupidity?
  Check part two! :)
  
  And i did love love love Cristina's posts on the Shark Savers community pages!

•  Most promising Shark Conservation Newcomer: Michelle Wcisel
  
  I have no clue whether she's to be considered "new" - but I've only caught on to her this year.
  And I must say, I like what I see - and so will hopefully you once you explore the links, including those of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust where she works!

• Ocean Hero of the Year: Tony Burke, current Australian Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
  
  This is the guy who has had the courage and the vision to establish what could well be the largest network of contiguous MPAs in the world - and this against the stiffest political resistance. Backbone and Leadership in politics - stuff the Americans can only dream of! 
  Bravo! 
  
  But Harold Martin of New Caledonia is certainly a close second! 

• Best Conservation Org: Pew Environment Group
  
  Check this out - bloody impressive!
  Not really convinced about the part about Rio+20 where I once again had the impression that nothing tangible was achieved - except, of course, for the decision to reconvene = further millions spent on junkets and a further stupendous incremental carbon footprint!
  But again, that would be me and I've frankly stopped caring.
  On the other hand, the list is just awesome!
  
  Would there be anybody else coming even remotely close?
  Maybe the ubiquitous WWF, or CI with their tremendous Seascapes? Or the fantastic IUCN that achieves so much - and this silently and completely collaboratively?
  Maybe - but for 2012, I stick with my choice!

• Best Elasmobranch Papers, ex aequo:  Neil on Tigers, Heithaus on Shark Bay,  Mantas and Coconuts and of course (!), the Fiji Shark Diving Paper and the Fiji Bull Shark Poster!
  
  Each of those is brilliant in its own way - read them!

• Best Shark Book: Domeier on Great Whites
  
  When it comes to GWS, this is really the bible, with each chapter being a peer-reviewed paper by the most eminent GWS researchers. Don't talk GWS biology if you haven't read it - and you can get it cheaper here!

• Most inspirational Visitors, in no particular order: Le Didier, Stefanie, Tanya, Samantha, ozzie Sam, Lill, Stephen and Takako, Cristina, Demian and Debra, Jaap and Taryn (you know who you are!), Lucia and Andre - thank you!

    My deepest apologies to those I may have forgotten - it has been a very long year and my faculties of recollection have become somewhat fuzzy!

• And a special h/t to you RickMac for being so sharp, erudite and witty, and for what you do for our oceans - truly you are one of our unsung heroes!

• Special Thanks to you Doug and Emily for always having been there for Ron and Val;  to you Gary and Brenda, for always being there for us, and to you Juerg , for the always stimulating excellent cooperation – would you believe it, 10 years now! To you Drew, Nani, Papa and Rusi, for so many fabulous years of loyal friendship and adventure!

3. Not nominated

• Blogs - both about Sharks and about marine topics in general
  
  This is a tough one as I continue to peruse many of them, especially those in the Blog Roll on the side bar. But, I am sensing some widespread fatigue that echoes my own - see the very different monthly counts in the Blog Archive that reflect my work load (turns out that retired really means re-tired) but also, my faltering mojo!
  Yes SFS cranks out the occasional brilliant post like here; yes DNS publishes the occasional epic rant against the latest pseudoscience; yes the Monster continues its valiant fight against climate change denialism - but I sure miss the randalierende Wolf and Patric's incisive sharkasm!
  And then, there's the competition by the one-liners on the zillion FB pages and by those tweets - and the frustration at the seemingly unstoppable creeping progress of the Dolphinization of the Shark Movement.
  The question is, are we merely preaching to the converted in some global circular echo chamber whilst being overrun by that deluge of truthiness and idiocy - and if so, should we be investing our time more productively on other projects?

• Other Media - journalism, pics, television and  movie.
  
  Nothing truly extra-extraordinary has caught my eye - probably my fault for not having paid attention!

• Best Shark dance
  
  Does the Nureyev of Shark dancing continue to dazzle the masses? No idea!
  But above all: eagerly awaiting news of the dance-off with Angelo!
  
  

Phewwww.... that's it I think!
And now, over to the infamous Part Deux!
I'm currently multitasking and honestly drowning in urgent stuff - so bear with me if it'll take a while, as it's gonna be long.

But it's gonna be interesting!
And that's a promise! :)

PS: Dang I've forgotten one - again!
So there: granted, that was late in 2011 - but still!

• Best Shark Sculpture: Victor's Fiji Bull Shark - magnifique!

PS2: Time Danaos et dona ferentes!
In case you thought that being nominated here is good - think again! Public praise by DaShark might just be the beginning of your demise! :)

PS3: Wolf here!

PS4:  Check out Part Two, Part Three and Part Four!

Juvenile Bulls in the Everglades!

A juvenile Bull from one of Fiji's rivers, with a Scalloped Hammer pup in the background - click for detail.

Another nice one from the Heithaus Labs!

This is gonna be one of next year's volunteer projects.
Initially, we'll be investigating their usage of the riverine nurseries and later on, when and how they transition to the reef environment.
Interested? You know what to do!

The paper is here.
And here's the video that thankfully needs no further interpreting.

Enjoy!

Ferretti et al. 2010 - the Facts

The Sharkdive, from lucky man Marty's fantastic new crop - and yes, those are links!

Back to the Sharks and to real science.
This new paper summarizes the current status of Sharks. It’s fascinating reading, sometimes counter intuitive and represents the facts as they are known today.

The good news is that the situation is not uniformly catastrophic but that there are great variations among species, habitats and geographic locations. The bad news is that it is fair to say that most large Sharks are acutely endangered.
Required reading for anybody wanting to speak about the topic.

Bold, italics and links are mine.

From

Francesco Ferretti, Boris Worm, Gregory L. Britten, Michael R. Heithaus and Heike K. Lotze
Patterns and ecosystem consequences of shark declines in the ocean.

Abstract

Whereas many land predators disappeared before their ecological roles were studied, the decline of marine apex predators is still unfolding.
Large sharks in particular have experienced rapid declines over the last decades. In this study, we review the documented changes in exploited elasmobranch communities in coastal, demersal, and pelagic habitats, and synthesize the effects of sharks on their prey and wider communities.

We show that the high natural diversity and abundance of sharks is vulnerable to even light fishing pressure.
The decline of large predatory sharks reduces natural mortality in a range of prey, contributing to changes in abundance, distribution, and behaviour of small elasmobranchs, marine mammals, and sea turtles that have few other predators. Through direct predation and behavioural modifications, top-down effects of sharks have led to cascading changes in some coastal ecosystems. In demersal and pelagic communities, there is increasing evidence of mesopredator release, but cascading effects are more hypothetical. Here, fishing pressure on mesopredators may mask or even reverse some ecosystem effects.

In conclusion, large sharks can exert strong top-down forces with the potential to shape marine communities over large spatial and temporal scales. Yet more empirical evidence is needed to test the generality of these effects throughout the ocean.

From the paper

Here, we attempt to synthesize what is known about the ecological role of sharks, which are among the largest and most wide-ranging predators in the ocean.
This topic has received urgent attention over the past decade, as studies have indicated rapid and widespread declines, particularly of large sharks, because of the direct and indirect effects of fishing.

This has prompted questions about the nature and scale of the ecological consequences.
In this study, we begin by briefly reviewing the ecological features of sharks, highlighting differences from other marine predators. We then analyse the current state and history of shark exploitation, searching for general patterns of community change in coastal, demersal, and pelagic ecosystems. Finally, we synthesize the expected and observed effects of sharks on marine ecosystems from experimental, empirical, and modeling studies. In the conclusion, we attempt to explain under which conditions sharks are expected to play a unique role, and how that role may depend on the ecosystem context.

This study is largely based on all major peer-reviewed papers published on this topic over the past decade, but also includes important earlier work.

Vulnerability to fishing

Most chondrichthyans are characterized by low growth rates, late sexual maturity, and low fecundity compared to bony fish, which makes them vulnerable to fishing mortality. A comparison of 26 shark and 151 bony fish populations found that sharks show twice the fishing extinction risk of bony fishes.
Also their ability to recover after depletion is low on average: rebound potential of 26 shark populations ranged between 14% (Mustelus californicus) and 1.7% (Squalus acanthias) per year with variability explained by a combined effect of size and preferred habitat.
In fact, it was highest for small coastal sharks, intermediate for pelagic and minimal for large coastal species. Deep-water sharks may be among the most vulnerable to fishing, with population growth rates 40–60% lower compared with pelagic, and 55–63% lower compared with coastal species. As a life history trade-off, most elasmobranchs invest more into juvenile survival and growth rather than fecundity.

Elasticity analyses show that changes in juvenile and adult survival and age at maturity have the highest contributions to population growth rate.
This explains why elasmobranch populations generally respond strongly to changes in both predation and fishing. While exploitation often leads to decreased ages at maturity and increased fecundities in teleosts , there is little evidence for such compensating responses in elasmobranchs.

Finally, while life history determines the level of mortality sharks can sustain, their vulnerability depends on the combination of life history, sensitivity to habitat loss and exposure to perturbations such as catchability and availability to fisheries.
The latter relates to many factors including geographic range, habitat use, behaviour, and body size.

Only over the past 5–10 years has the conservation status of many elasmobranchs been systematically evaluated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Its shark specialist groups concluded that elasmobranchs are primarily threatened by fishing (96.1%) including directed commercial (31.7%), by-catch (57.9%), recreational (0.7%) and artisanal ⁄ subsistence fishing (5.8%), followed by habitat destruction (2.9%) and pollution (0.4%, http://www.redlist.org).
Of the 1159 chondrichthyans known, 881 species have been evaluated globally with 42.8% listed as data deficient (DD), 25.7% least concern (LC), 13.9% near threatened (NT), 11.2% vulnerable (VU), 4.1% endangered (EN) and 2.4% critically endangered (CR, http://www.redlist.org).

Status varies by region, with the highest proportion of threatened (VU, EN, CR) species in the Mediterranean and NE Atlantic, while in the NW Pacific the situation appears less critical.
However, there is considerable uncertainty as many species are listed as data deficient or not yet assessed. Three regional IUCN assessments further highlight the critical situation in the Mediterranean and NE Atlantic, while providing a more optimistic assessment for Australia.

Coastal ecosystems

These studies suggest that even light fishing pressure by artisanal and subsistence fishing on remote islands or sharknetting programs along continental shores can be sufficient to cause dramatic declines in populations of large coastal sharks.
This would explain why such populations are now rare or absent in more impacted systems such as the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, shark-netting data suggest some patterns of ecological reorganisation. As large coastal sharks declined, catch rates of more fecund and wide-ranging species such as tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier) or hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna spp.) increased, at least temporarily, in shark nets in New South Wales, South Africa, and Queensland.
However, it is unclear at this point to which extent these reflect changes in abundance, distribution, or behaviour.

Demersal ecosystems

More than 90% of elasmobranch species worldwide inhabit demersal ecosystems on continental shelves and slopes which makes them vulnerable to trawl fishing. When trawling begins, catches of elasmobranchs are usually abundant and diverse including both small and large species despite the lower catchability of the latter. As fishing proceeds, this initial diversity and abundance can be eroded very quickly. Large sharks often disappear from catches, and the community becomes dominated by smaller elasmobranch mesopredators.
Moreover, major restructuring of elasmobranch communities can occur through differential vulnerabilities to fishing gears, variation in spatial occurrence relative to fishing areas, and release from predation and competition. Over time, trawl fisheries often expand towards further offshore and deeper grounds where elasmobranch communities are composed of less resilient species. At this stage, domains of developed trawl fisheries often exceed the habitat and dispersal range of many elasmobranch species, leaving no spatial refuges. This is the case of the Mediterranean, where a century of trawl fishing led to the loss of 16 of 31 recorded elasmobranch species in the Tyrrhenian Sea, six of 33 species in the Adriatic Sea and half of the elasmobranch species recorded in trawl fisheries in the Gulf of Lion since the 1950s

Pelagic ecosystems

Industrial fisheries in the open ocean started in the 1950s primarily to catch tuna and swordfish on the high seas. Fisheries statistics and scientific surveys were available from the beginning, and early catch rates essentially reflect unexploited fish communities.
Sharks constituted a substantial by-catch, and often a nuisance in causing damage to hooked target fish. In the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean, longliners caught about one shark for every two yellowfin tuna and in the Atlantic, 2–3 sharks for every swordfish.

This led to rapid declines in shark catches over the last 50 years.
In the Pacific, standardized catch rates of Carcharhinus falciformis decreased by 91.7%, while in the Gulf of Mexico those of C. longimanus were reduced by > 99% . In the NW Atlantic, 18 coastal and pelagic sharks showed declines in catch rates of 49–89% in <>

At the community level, declines are not uniform across species.
Less resilient carcharhinids usually declined first potentially benefiting more prolific species such as blue and mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus). From 1977 to 1994, pelagic fisheries landings in Brazil revealed the disappearance of 14 species of carcharhinids (dominated by C. signatus), and a concomitant increase of mako and blue sharks. Likewise, in the North Pacific, blue shark biomass is estimated to have increased by 20% relative to the 1970s (Sibert et al. 2006), and this species is now considered the most abundant shark in pelagic ecosystems. Mako sharks appear to have declined less than other large species in the Gulf of Mexico, Central Pacific and NW Atlantic.
However, when intense exploitation continues, all large sharks can be virtually eliminated such as in the Mediterranean Sea.

Approximately 21 oceanic elasmobranch species are commonly caught in high seas fisheries; these are broadranging species with circumglobal distribution.
Although there are no documented cases of local species extinctions, 58% of pelagic species are considered threatened by IUCN, more than any other listed group of chondrichthyans.

The high demand for shark fins in Asian markets is an important factor in the decline of pelagic species, which are often highly priced for their fins.
This has motivated new shark fisheries and prompted others to switch from bony fish to sharks. Pelagic sharks range across extensive, poorly monitored areas, thus the amount of sharks taken globally for their fins is estimated to be four times higher than that reported to FAO.

In summary, sharks have been increasingly threatened by the direct and indirect effects of fishing worldwide.
This has caused marked declines in shark populations, particularly larger and less resilient species such as carcharhinids. These declines have coincided with substantial reorganisation of elasmobranch communities, including the rise of smaller sharks and rays in some regions.

ECOSYSTEM CONSEQUENCES

We are just beginning to understand the potential ecological consequences of shark declines, largely because of the difficulties in studying sharks and their prey in their natural environments. Ecosystem models predict that in some situations sharks will exert considerable top-down impacts on their prey, while not in others.

And here follows a cornucopia of examples from across a wide range of habitats.

CONCLUSIONS

Our overview shows that in natural, unexploited systems, sharks often exhibit high abundance and diversity.
Yet even light fishing pressure is sufficient to cause strong population declines in vulnerable species, particularly large sharks. Such trends have been shown for artisanal and subsistence fishing on remote islands, shark netting programs, and in trawl and long-line fisheries in many regions, resulting in community shifts from large- to small-bodied species.

Population declines of large species often exceeded one, sometimes two orders of magnitude with some local extinctions.
Yet some more resilient species have not declined as drastically or have even increased, possibly via reduced competition or predation. Larger shark populations are still seen in some remote or protected areas, particularly in the Pacific, and may provide valuable opportunities to further understand the ecological role of sharks.

Yet, reported catches of sharks and other elasmobranchs are still increasing in most regions, possibly indicating that more fisheries target sharks where they have not been historically exploited, a trend partially driven by the rising demand for highly prized shark fins on Asian markets.
Many large sharks are the sole predators of smaller elasmobranchs and other marine megafauna, and the depletion of large sharks has likely contributed to considerable increases in these species in some regions. With their wide-ranging distribution and predatory role, large sharks in particular can spread their impacts across different ecosystems. Such spatial connectivity has also been shown to be important in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems and may increase the connectivity and stability of ocean food webs.

Ecosystem models predict that the loss of sharks should result in complex community changes, including trophic cascades, mesopredator release, and consequent declines in some commercial fish.
The strength and persistence of these effects, however, appear to decrease from coastal and reef to demersal and pelagic environments. Observational studies suggest the presence of strong species interactions in some regions, mediated by direct consumption and risk effects, sometimes leading to trophic cascades. As fishing and netting effort has increased, declines in large apex-predatory sharks have coincided with widely documented increases in smaller sharks and rays, as well as mammals and turtles. These mesopredator increases may be partly explained by decreased predation mortality and risk effects, and have in some cases led to increased pressure on prey species, such as invertebrates and teleost fishes or even seagrasses. We must caution that many of the interactions are supported by limited empirical evidence. We are only beginning to study the complex ecological roles that large-bodied, wideranging predators such as sharks play.

Tiger Sharks and trophic Cascades!

Source.

Great stuff!

Check this out.

Yes the Heithaus labs have done it again!

The full paper is here, and here is the press release.

The take-away message?

• Tiger Sharks are badass
• The effects of these large Sharks are much broader than the direct regulation of their prey populations via predation and scavenging - they can also mediate behavioral responses that benefit the ecosystem
• That's another reason why they should be protected, possibly all the way to restoring depleted stocks
• When producing a PSA, make sure u got more than one video clip of your target species :)

Fix those bloody Tags!

About those SPOT tags.
This is gonna be quick&dirty - but I want to quickly follow up on yesterday's comments.

From Neil's paper about satellite tags.
Read it - it is thankfully open resource for which Neil has to be commended.

SPOT tags are usually mounted to shark fins using biocompatible materials.
The attachment process includes punching or drilling holes through the dorsal fin tissue, where after the tag is affixed using bolts or pins, and finally secured with nuts made of a corrodible material.

This design theoretically allows the tag to shed after battery exhaustion.
However, tissue degradation and infection due to a foreign body response may result. To our knowledge, there are no published reports of this condition on the dorsal fins of satellite tagged sharks, however this pattern of fin damage from tagging has been described in other predatory marine animals such as dolphins (Balmer et al., 2010).

Once deployed, the actual satellite tag becomes an extension to the shark's body.
The most obvious behavioral consequence of tagging is a change in swimming efficiency due to hydrodynamic drag incurred by the tag. Transmitters have been linked with abnormal swimming behavior and increased energetic demands in dolphins (e.g. Irvine et al., 1982) and marine birds (e.g. Wilson et al., 1986; Wilson and McMahon, 2006). Various studies have examined possible effects of electronic tags or data loggers on the swimming efficiency of sharks, but results have been variable (Holland et al., 1993; Heithaus et al., 2007; Gleiss et al., 2009).

Another factor rarely considered is satellite tag color and how this may impact shark behavior (Wilson and McMahon, 2006).
It is well documented that white sharks rely on stealth and ambush to successfully capture and subjugate seal prey (Martin et al., 2005; Hammerschlag et al., 2006). A vigilant seal may be cued into the presence of a white shark prior to an imminent attack by detecting a colored satellite tag, resulting in predator avoidance. We have been able to consistently distinguish colored electronic tags on approaching white sharks below the surface, before visualizing the actual shark (Authors, unpublished data).
Brightly colored tags should be avoided due to their potential to alter predator–prey relationships (Hawkins, 2004).

No I'm not gonna repeat myself.
Long story short: those tags suck! Long story: re-read this - and keep in mind that I wrote it before seeing yesterday's shocking pictures! Now that there ARE published reports of this condition on the dorsal fins of satellite tagged sharks, pretending that there isn't a problem will not fly anymore!

To Neil's credit, he is trying his best.
This post documents the extreme care he applies when mounting the tags, clearly in the attempt to minimize those negative effects. Plus, his Hammerhead paper elaborates as follows

To limit bio-fouling of the tag, the transmitter was coated with Propspeed, a non-toxic, nonmetallic, anti-fouling agent comprised of several different types of silicone resins that inhibit attachment of marine growth (Hammerschlag et al. 2010).

The coated SPOT tag was attached to the first dorsal fin of the shark (following Weng et al. 2005) using titanium bolts, neoprene washers, steel washers, and high carbon steel nuts following Hanson (2001).
The attachment metals were selected to ensure that the steel nuts would corrode, resulting not only in tag detachment (Hanson 2001), but also to prevent any metallic corrosion from touching the shark fin (Hammerschlag et al. 2010).

I say bravo, but this may not be good enough anymore!
Now there is new and plausible evidence that those tags may lead to deformities and until this is being dispelled, any further deployment ought to be halted. There are now plenty of Sharks out there lugging around SPOT tags and it is now incumbent on the researchers to make the effort to go and see how those Sharks are faring.
And if they are not faring well - suspend the research and FIX THE GIZMO!

Incidentally, how about this Shark from Lupe.
Apparently, he was equally tagged by Domeier. I already posted the picture here but did not catch on to it til now: does that first dorsal fin look normal to you?


Like lethal sampling, this has now become an ethical, not a technical debate.
David: hint hint!

And yes as announced: this sure aint a contender for a Pulitzer - apologies!

Give Shark Sanctuaries a Chance!

Source.

Wow!

First it was only Juerg.

Now,  the crème de la crème of Shark research has penned a response to that idiotic letter in Science. Please also re-read this.

Re-printed without permission.

Give Shark Sanctuaries a Chance

Several developing nations have established shark sanctuaries, most commonly in the form of a moratorium on both commercial shark fi shing and the export of shark products in Exclusive Economic Zones.

In her Letter “Shark sanctuaries: Substance or spin?” (21 December 2012, p. 1538), L. N. K. Davidson raises concerns that this ambitious strategy might be doomed to exist only on paper and could discourage investments in other types of shark fisheries management.

We agree that enforcement will determine whether these shark sanctuaries live up to their promise, as is true of any new management regime.

We disagree, however, with the argument that shark sanctuaries are more challenging to enforce or are less likely to be successful than typical fisheries management strategies, especially considering that even basic information such as fishery catch is often unknown and underestimated in developing countries.

Shark fisheries management is notoriously difficult and resource intensive, owing to the extreme vulnerability of sharks to overexploitation.

The countries that have successfully managed shark fisheries all possess substantial research, assessment, monitoring, and enforcement capacity devoted to fisheries management. Developing nations typically have much smaller fisheries management capacity; what they do have is national capacity to detect illicit trade of contraband items (i.e., police, maritime authority, port authority, and customs).

By making all shark products illegal, national authorities can work with their fisheries agencies to enforce the moratorium. Enforcing catch or size limits on shark fisheries is more complicated and will generally fall almost entirely under the purview of the fisheries agency on its own.

There is cause for optimism about the conservation potential of well-enforced shark sanctuaries nested within broader international management efforts.

Smaller-scale marine protected areas have been shown to benefit certain inshore shark species, while other species tend to return to certain areas on a regular basis. These studies suggest that large protected areas may benefit these populations and match biological and governance scales.

Well-enforced shark sanctuaries clearly have great potential for shark conservation, and we suggest that the international community and funding agencies should help those developing nations that pursue this approach to ensure that this promise is realized.

DEMIAN D. CHAPMAN,1,2* MICHAEL J. FRISK,1 DEBRA L. ABERCROMBIE,2 CARL SAFINA,1,3 SAMUEL H. GRUBER,4 ELIZABETH A. BABCOCK,4 KEVIN A. FELDHEIM,5 ELLEN K. PIKITCH, 1,2 CHRISTINE WARD-PAIGE, 6 BRENDAL DAVIS,6 STEVEN KESSEL, 7 MICHAEL HEITHAUS,8 BORIS WORM6

1School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. 2Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. 3Center for Communicating Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. 4Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA. 5Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA. 6Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada. 7University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada. 8Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA. 

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: demian.chapman@stonybrook.edu

Thank you thank you thank you!

Oh - and eagerly awaiting the next round of fencing Mr. P! :)

Mike Heithaus - cool Dude!

Source.

Check this out.

Great outreach!

I must say, I like the dude.

Yes he's the Crittercam man and yes, he's obviously nuts (Australian Rules Football - in Florida?) - but haven't we seen that before? :)

The fact is that he's an excellent and prolific researcher.

On top of his research in Shark Bay, he also operates with big predators closer to home as per this Shark River Sizzle Reel - and do read this by Jillian the Shark Girl about what it takes to film that stuff!

And whereas he may come across as being somewhat loud (...), I would put that down to infectious enthusiasm - which is the very stuff that fuels us all!

But check it out for yourself.

Now that's what I call marketing! :)

2013: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Part One!

Are you ready? :)

First things first.

BAD has once again done really well.

Nothing spectacular mind you: but things are ticking along very nicely indeed.

The research has once again yielded one great paper, see below, with three more (!!!) due in the immediate future - and when it comes to the field work, we've successfully completed a massive and (so far) secret  project that will complement the hugely popular GFSC, and are about to embark into a rather monumental research endeavor with Projects Abroad that will undoubtedly result in more useful insights allowing us to ever refine our conservation strategies.

Other than that, business is good, the staff are healthy and happy and the SRMR is thriving - and we will turn 10 in April which is nothing short of a miracle!

And the blog - well, it is! :)

The Good

I've decided that I'm gonna spare myself the lengthy intro.

More and more, I find myself repeating what I've already stated ages ago, so why bother. Should you really not know where I'm generally coming from, feel free to peruse the last recaps here and here, and maybe read the post about Shark diving, that old post about Shark conservation and finally, the post about the need for a change of paradigms - the latter with many links that you should equally peruse!

Granted, some of the data (e.g. the extent of the Shark fishing mortality) are now obsolete owing to new insights - but in general terms, that's what I believe.

Too far out there? No worries, I'll continue carrying the moniker of Judas Conservationist with the greatest pride and satisfaction - and let's then talk again next year! :)

So without further ado.

Remember these are opinions - not the truth!

• Most impressive Shark Conservation Org: The Pew Environment Group
  
  This time, I'm not only nominating the Shark Campaign because there is their Global Ocean Legacy Campaign that is increasingly overlapping and complementing the Shark-centric sanctuaries effort, see e.g. Bermuda and Pitcairn. Talking of which, I also hear that we may be witnessing the reappearance of Matt which would be a great blessing indeed!
  
  Be it as it may, they just simply stand heads and shoulders, and then some, above everybody else - and the unofficial list of their achievements in 2013, foremost of which the CITES win, is once again unparalleled and deserves our admiration and gratitude.
  
  With caveats mind you.
  The principal one being that rightly or wrongly, they continuously stand accused of walking away once they achieve legislative change and leaving the long term implementation = heavy lifting to others, namely to the RFMOs and local governments that often lack adequate resources, and to the local NGOs.
  Of course that's partly pernicious sniping by less successful competitors and partly factually misleading, as the implementation of legislation is obviously a prerogative of governments - but there's certainly also a kernel of truth and more importantly, it's bad publicity that Pew would be well advised to vigorously address, both in words and in deeds!

• Best Shark Conservation Advocacy Group: Shark Savers
  
  Once again, in their own category, they are simply without peer - especially when compared to the con artists in California, NYC and Jersey!
  Yes they don't only engage in advocacy but also pursue research and hands-on conservation at the legislative level - but especially now that their merger with WildAid is about to be sanctioned, I expect an even bigger focus on curbing the demand side in Asia, a strategy that is clearly showing positive results.
  
  But that's the future - for now, huge kudos to DaMary, Shawn, Michael, Sam, Jonn and Jennah for an extremely impressive job, see below!

• Best Shark Conservation Campaign at the Grassroots Level: Pelagic Life
  
  Now this is obviously highly subjective as I'm sure that there are many other groups doing stellar stuff on the ground - but these gals and guys happen to have caught my eye both with their México Pelágico project but above all, with their work in Baja that will result in a stellar ecotourism venture.
  So keep watching this space and by the same token, keep an eye out for Saving Our Sharks, equally from Mexico - it's gonna be challenging but by no means impossible!

• Most impressive individual Shark Conservation Advocate: DaMary
  
  Well what can I say.
  It's her second nomination and she deserves every bit of it, and then some!
  Red her laudatio here, and here is a newer version highlighting the simply brilliant and in many ways pivotal role she has played in getting the Mantas listed at CITES.
  Bravo!

• Best Marine Conservation Videos: Shawn Heinrichs
  
  Well, Shawn is of course much more than just a video producer - foremost of which an eco-terrorist! :)
  The correct technical term is probably, indefatigable - and I must confess that I'm simply incapable of enumerating all of his activities that see him hopping around from one remote corner of the globe to the other like a maritime Energizer Bunny!
  And whereas others (not Shawn!) may sometimes get a tad tired of all that unbridled energy, one thing's for sure: the heart is very much in the right place and whether you like those mermaids or not, the outreach is simply phenomenal!
  Kudos!

• Best Shark Defender: Angelo Taotaotasi aka the Saipan Blogger
  
  He is of course long transcended being a mere person but is instead a brand - and as such, he very much eludes definition! :)
  Pointers for why I like him include smart, innovative, extremely well informed, analytical, pragmatic - and above all: very very witty!
  Pointers for why he is actually an asshole controversial: all of the above!
  
  And the performance?
  Look no further than the rather epic rolling out of the Shark Stanley campaign for CITES, and the continued progress of Pew in closing down the Pacific to Shark fishing! Those are very much his babies - and whereas I have sometimes questioned his strategy and methods, the successes clearly speak for themselves!
  Here's to clever sheepherders! :)

• Ocean Hero: RickMac
  
  And it's not even my own accolade - unsung no more!
  One of my very favorite  people, Rick had a traumatic first half of the year that culminated in his resignation from CORAL. The end of the year finds him greatly diminished physically but greatly enhanced both privately and professionally - and generally speaking simply happy, which is simply great!
  Buddy, can't wait for you to come diving again - this time with bated breath! :)

• Most impressive Shark Conservation Achievement: CITES 2013
  
  This has been simply epic.
  Even I got caught up in the frenzy and partook vicariously with a barrage of posts. Once again, huge congratulations to everybody involved, foremost of which Pew and the Manta Ray of Hope project - and, and I cite, just a hint of a slow hand clap for those who will always believe that they know better, foremost of which the bickering Mobula lovers!

• Best Citizen Science Project: Great Fiji Shark Count.
  
  This is the only such nation-wide citizen science project and my hope is that it will be only the first of a whole array of similar endeavors. Huge thanks to the team, partners and donors who have successfully cooperated during the past four counts, with many more to come!
  And a special tip o' hat to the irreducible Sam and Shark Savers for the great cooperation during the Adopt-a-Bull-Shark project - it has been loads of fun, and the funds are highly welcome!
  Thank you! :)

• Best Kids Education Project: Sharks4Kids
  
  I missed the launch due to absence and have since failed to mention it: but this is the baby of Jillian the one, only and very much original Shark Girl - and it is great!
  Godspeed - and c'ya in Fiji sooner rather than later!

• Best Shark Diving Paper: Bull Shark Provisioning in Fiji
  
  What else! :)
  But seriously, this is really great stuff, and based on a huge amount of data that we have collected over many, many years. Please read it, understand the implications and then share your knowledge wide and far!

• Best Shark Papers, ex aequo: Domeier about GWS, Johann about Lemons, Yannis about Tiger Migrations, Mark about Trophic Cascades, Feldheim about Natal Philopatry, Catlin about Shark Tourism Valuations (toothy debate here!), Heithaus about Tigers, Oliver about hunting Threshers, and then of course the incredibly important Shark Fishing Mortality Paper
  Read them! :)
  
  Yes obviously there has been more (but Guttridge et al is from 2012...) - so apologies for any involuntary (and voluntary) omissions!

• Best Shark Movie: Of Shark and Man
  
  Yes I know, it's not quite yet completed.
  But the teasers are simply stellar, and having seen what I've seen and knowing what I know,  I for one look forward to David delivering something absolutely fantastic and unique.
  No pressure!

• Best Resource for Shark Divers: Shark Angels
  
  Yeah I know I know - but one gotta give credit where it is due.
  Excellent job!

• Best Debunkers of Pseudoscience: Southern Fried Science
  
  That's really where they excel, and in the propagation of important research.
  Alas, I cannot really say the same about some of David's opinion pieces. Yes many of views expressed by the movement are shameful in their ignorance and frustrating to the max - but not everything in Shark conservation pertains to fisheries management in the US, and Sharks are much more than simple objects of research and management!
  Come Shark diving buddy! :)

• Most inspiring Visitors: Kerstin, Taryn and Jaap, Martin, Jero and Ana, Mary and Lupo, Bruno et Antonia, Warren, Ozzie Sam, Ingrid, Mike, Kris and Helen
  
  You know who you are!
  And Mike: thank you so much mate - that was really, really nice of you! :)

• Special Thanks: Gary and Brenda, Juerg, Drew, Nani, Tuma and Rusi
  
  Ten years of friendship and adventure, and counting! :)
  You are the glue that holds it all together - thank you!

• Special Mention: Scamsters, Vampires and Poo Pads, see at top!
  
  I could elaborate but I shall not - for now! :)

And here endeth the ominous list!
The juicy part will follow in due course - keep watching this space! :)

PS - dang I forgot to mention Sharknado!!!
You choose the category!
Humblest apologies.