CENTER FOR SHARK RESEARCH (CSR) AT MOTE MARINE LABORATORY. FINAL REPORT NOAA/NMFS Project NA27FL0142

Transcription

1 CENTER FOR SHARK RESEARCH (CSR) AT MOTE MARINE LABORATORY FINAL REPORT NOAA/NMFS Project NA27FL0142 Submitted to: NOAA/NMFS Southeast Regional Office 9721 Executive Center Drive St. Petersburg, FL Submitted by: Mote Marine Laboratory 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL Robert E. Hueter, Ph.D. Director, MML Center for Shark Research MOTE MARINE LABORATORY TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 402 h December 20, 1994

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY II. INTRODUCTION... 2 III. PURPOSE A. Description of Problem B. Project Objectives IV. APPROACH A. Description of Work Performed B. Project Management V. FINDINGS A. Accomplishments and Findings B. Significant Problems Experienced during the Project VI. EVALUATION A. Original Project Goals and Objectives B. Accomplishments of the Project C. Benefits to the Fishing Industry D. Economic Benefits of Project E. Need for Federal Assistance VII. CONCLUSION A. Conclusions from the Project B. Success of the Project C. Further Work Needed VIII. REFERENCES APPENDIX I. Species Profiles for Sharks of the Gulf of Mexico APPENDIX II. CSR Conference Registration List APPENDIX III. CSR Conference Agenda

3 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An internationally recognized center of research, specifically dedicated to the multidisciplinary study and public understanding of sharks and their relatives, the skates and rays, was established at Mote Marine Laboratory (MML), Sarasota, Florida. In its first year of operation, the national Center for Shark Research (CSR) conducted and supported research and provided facilities for studies of the biology of sharks. The CSR also served as a center for the public communication of information on sharks and for national and international exchanges on issues relating to shark biology, including sharks as a marine resource. The CSR is a coalition effort involving a number of institutions and agencies but primarily involving MML, as host site and chief research institution, working together with the U.S. Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Marine Fisheries Service/Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/SEFSC). 1

4 II. INTRODUCTION Throughout the world's oceans there live about 900 species of elasmobranch fishes, comprising about 300 species of sharks and 600 species of skates and rays. About 60 shark species and 50 species of skates and rays inhabit the coastal waters of the United States. Despite this biological diversity, the general public tends to treat sharks as just another single group of fish. But in fact, these animals are very different biologically from the other fishes, and human interactions with these animals-including utilization of them as a marine resource-call for a special approach to the understanding and conservation of these important members of the ocean environment. Shark research dates back at least to the time of Aristotle, and yet, through over 2,000 years of scientific study, this group of vertebrate animals remains elusive and largely unknown. This is not so much due to a lack of importance or interest in sharks, but rather to the inherent difficulties of working on these large marine predators. Sharks are a challenge to work on in the open sea, while in the laboratory they are susceptible to the stresses of confinement. Despite these problems, significant progress in shark research has been made over the past 50 years, especially during the 1960's and 1970's when funding by such agencies as the Office of Naval Research promoted innovative approaches to understanding the basic biology of sharks. Many comprehensive, published works were produced during this era of shark research (e.g. Gilbert, 1963; Gilbert et ai., 1967; Hodgson and Mathewson, 1978). This period not only provided much new information but also spawned an interest in using elasmobranchs as models in basic research, including biomedical studies, given both their unique biology and their commonality with humans as vertebrate animals. Today, sharks, skates, and rays have become important to man both as a research subject and as a fishery resource. By the late 1980's, the U.S. shark fishery reached an all-time high in commercial landings of shark meat and fins. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) determined that sharks had been overfished during the 1980's by nearly 6,000 metric tons (over 13 million pounds) per year in U.S. waters of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean (NMFS, 1993). In the state of Florida alone-a focal point for the domestic shark fishery-commercial landings of shark meat doubled between 1986 and 1987, and reached over 6.5 million pounds whole weight landed in-state in 1989 (FDNR, 1989). These landings corresponded to well over 120,000 sharks off-loaded in Florida ports alone in The recreational fishery also grew significantly in this region, with a doubling of catches of sharks by sportfishermen in the Florida Gulf in the seven years between 1979 and In recent years, however, catches have declined in certain sectors of the recr_eational shark fishery (Hueter, 1991). 2

5 III. PURPOSE A. Description of Problem The abrupt rate of growth of the domestic shark fishery, coupled with the welldocumented vulnerability, due to their slow reproductive turnover, of shark populations to intensive fishing (Holden, 1974), led the federal fishery management councils on the U.S. east coast (Mid-Atlantic, New England, South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Councils) to call for the implementation of a comprehensive management program for the fishery. The councils' request to the Secretary of Commerce resulted in the implementation of the first Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to cover the U.S. east coast shark fishery in federal waters (NMFS, 1993). The plan, which was implemented in April 1993, includes seasons and quotas for the commercial fishery and bag limits for the recreational fishery. An adjustment procedure for modifying the regulations was also written into the FMP. The research data required to fine-tune this plan are difficult to obtain. In many cases, critical information on the basic life history and population biology of shark species lags far behind the current need for management. Extrapolating such information from teleost models has limited value, for sharks cannot be treated the same way as the other fishes from either a scientific or a management standpoint. Their particular biology, including a reproductive system more like that of mammals than bony fishes, and their special interactions with man, including shark attack, make them unique in the sea. The need for a dedicated Center for Shark Research, therefore, comes from both basic and applied research. Because of their key position in vertebrate evolution, their ecological role as apex marine predators, and their unique relationship to human activities, including their expanding value as a fisheries resource, sharks are a much sought-after subject for a broad spectrum of both basic and applied research. This research ranges from biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, anatomy, and physiology, to behavior, ecology, population biology, and fisheries science. But the logistical difficulties of working on these animals are many, and these difficulties have crippled the advancement of shark research. With the establishment of a national Center for Shark Research, researchers with a cross-section of interests from many scientific fields, and who come from both the U.S. and abroad, can design and implement innovative, multi-faceted programs utilizing the diverse resources of the Center as a home base. In addition, such a Center can serve as a liaison agency with national and international groups interested in shark research and utilization. For example, Mexico has become a major shark-fishing nation, with about 137 million pounds of shark meat landed in their commercial fishery in The impact of this fishery, at least in the 3

6 Gulf of Mexico, is of concern both to Mexican government officials and U.S. interests based in the Gulf. The Center for Shark Research can serve as an independent entity for coordinating the concerns and efforts of both U.S. and Mexican groups in those areas where interaction in the shark fishery occurs. Other nations that could be involved in this way include Cuba and Japan. Furthermore, with the Center as a national and international focal point for issues dealing with sharks, its resources can be made available for information exchange involving a wide variety of users, including public policy makers, the media, and the public at large. Previously, no such center has existed in the U.S. either for concentrated scientific study or for public exchange of information on issues dealing with, or related to, the biology, life history, and utilization of sharks, skates, and rays. The result of this void has been twofold: a lack of scientific data on many aspects of basic shark biology, thereby limiting such applications as management decisions for shark fisheries; and a perpetuation of myths and misinformation about sharks among the public and the media, leading to a vicious circle of misunderstanding of the value of sharks and shark research. Such misunderstanding manifests itself in many ways. One example is the practice of "finning" sharks for commercial gain, in which only the fins of sharks are cut off and the rest of the anima 1 is discarded, in some cases still alive. Such an abuse of a valuable marine resource can only be deterred through an increased public understanding resulting from good research. B. Project Objectives The primary goal of this project was to establish the national Center for Shark Research (CSR) at Mote Marine Laboratory (MML) in Sarasota, Florida, and to meet the following objectives in the first year of CSR operation: 1) conduct and advance basic and. applied scientific research on sharks, skates, and rays; 2) communicate scientific research and news about sharks;. 3) provide scientific information on sharks to public policy makers; 4) expand scientific cooperation in national and international issues involving sharks and shark biology; and 5) increase public understanding of the biology and importance of sharks, skates, and rays. The primary scientific purpose of the CSR is to bring together and support a working group of scientists, both in-house and visiting, in conjunction with a unique combination of research facilities for shark research, in order to.advance contemporary, interdisciplinary studies of the sharks, skates, and rays. These studies cut across both basic and applied research. The CSR is designed to provide a focus 4

7 as well as longer-term stability for these studies, so that innovative approaches to the solution of research problems involving sharks can be utilized. With the need for research data relevant to the management of the commercial and recreational shark fishery, an emphasis was placed initially on research projects on the population biology, life history, and ecology of sharks, and other biological information relating to shark fisheries and stock assessment. The Center is designed to work closely with NMFS staff to facilitate research in those designated areas. MML was the most logical choice to house the national Center for Shark Research for many reasons. The Laboratory has a long history of shark research spanning nearly four decades, beginning with the directorship of Dr. Eugenie Clark and continuing through that of Dr. Perry Gilbert. With recent additions to its facilities and staff, MML is today one of the world's premier research institutions at which a diversity of scientists can conduct studies on living sharks. Laboratory personnel includes several doctoral-level scientists with research experience on sharks and related fishes, and the research programs conducted by these scientists and their staff reflect a diversified approach to the study of shark biology. In addition, the long history of MML shark research has established.a reputation that attracts an international array of visiting scientists from many institutions to the Laboratory. MML is located on a seven-acre site on City Island fronting on both Sarasota Bay and New Pass connecting with the Gulf of Mexico. The main research building of 23,500 square feet includes: a library of over 3,000 volumes, 350 serials, 16,000 reprints, and computerized reference search capabilities; sixteen research laboratories; seawater-supplied wet laboratories; a cell culture laboratory; an image analysis and photomicroscopy room; a walk-in freezer; a staff seminar room; and a 450-seat conference hall. Specimen holding facilities supplied with filtered natural seawater include six environmentally controlled rooms, a tidally fed semi-natural lagoon and a 135,000-galion natural seawater aquarium to maintain large experimental animals. The Laboratory's location provides easy access to an - unusually large number of elasmobranch fishes, comprising at least 20'species of sharks and 10 species of rays and skates. Collection of these animals requires minimum transport from sea to boat to aquarium or laboratory, and over two-thirds of these species have been maintained in captivity at the Laboratory. Furthermore, MML is well-equipped to serve the need for public information on shark research and fishery resources, including full-time education and public communications departments which have informed hundreds of thousands of students and the general public about marine scientific research. In addition, the location of the Laboratory on the Gulf coast of Florida places it strategically in the heart of commercial and recreational shark fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. south Atlantic, and Caribbean Sea. The Sarasota location also is near several major NMFS laboratories and offices, including those in Miami, St. Petersburg, and Pana!l1a City, which are the primary federal institutions in the southeast U.S. involved in research and management issues relating to shark fisheries. 5

8 IV. APPROACH A. Description of Work Performed To meet the objectives outlined above, the CSR in its first funding period (June 1, 1992 to July 31, 1993) performed the following activities: 1) targeted Center research areas and implemented resident and visiting scientist research projects; 2) conducted public awareness and outreach programs to scientific and fisheries constituencies, media and the general public; and 3) organized, sponsored and hosted an international conference on the conservation and management of shark populations in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region. 1. Research. The following summarizes the various research activities targeted and implemented by the CSR in its first year: a. Shark nursery areas of the Gulf of Mexico. The primary research directive for the CSR in Year 1 was establishment of a broad-based program to investigate shark nursery areas of the Gulf of Mexico. These investigations were composed of the following segments: 1) field surveys by CSR staff of coastal waters of the eastern Gulf; 2) field surveys by NMFS collaborators of coastal waters of the northeastern Gulf; 3) expansion of CSR shark-tagging program to study residence time, migration, and age and growth of juvenile sharks; and 4) development of species profiles for shark species utilizing U.S. Gulf coastal waters as nursery areas. CSR field surveys. Exploratory surveys of eastern Gulf inshore waters for shark nursery areas were conducted primarily using the MML net boat R/V Tiburon, and a 400 yd long. by 9 Y2 ft deep gill net composed of all 4%" stretch. mesh with a monofilament diameter of 0.52 mm. These field surveys were coordinated with similar activities in Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor, Florida, which were part of a project funded concurrently by NMFS/MARFIN. Types of data collected in these surveys included the following: 1. Gear Description: type; mesh size (stretch mesh); set time; etc. 2. Physical Data: locality (description and lat/long by Voyager SportNav handheld LORAN unit); depth (by Signet depth sounder); tide; salinity, conductivity, and water temperature (by Beckman induction salinometer) at mid-depth; bottom type; etc. 3. Total Shark Catch: species; number; sex; stage of maturity (neonate = open umbilical scar, immature = non-neonate juvenile, and mature = sexually mature adult); length (precaudal, fork, total, and stretch total); weight (by Manley 2013 brass spring scales); live vs. dead; etc. Live sharks were tagged and released, with condition at release noted (see below). Stomach contents, reproductive tissue, blood, and other specimens were taken from dead sharks. 6

9 4. Total Bony Fish Catch: species; number; fork length (up to 10 individuals per species per set); etc. Live large gamefish (cobia, black drum, red drum, spotted seatrout, and snook) were tagged with Florida Marine Research Institute (FDEP/FMRI) tags and released; cobia were also tagged with MML cobia-amberjack-dolphin (CAD) tags and rele9sed. 5. Other Vertebrate Catch (rays, skates, sea turtles, marine mammals): species; number; size (disc width for rays and skates, straight carapace length for turtles, total length for marine mammals); etc. Live turtles were tagged with NMFS flipper tags. Shark condition after capture was scored with a "vitality code" using the following criteria: Condition 1 (Good) - No revival time required when shark is returned to the water. Rapid swimming away upon release, usually with a vigorous splash. Condition 2 (Fair) - upon release. No revival time required. Slow but strong swimming away Condition 3 (Poor) - Short revival time (up to 30 sec) required. Once revived, slow but sometimes atypical swimming away upon release. Condition 4 (Very poor) - Long revival time (more than 30 sec). Once revived, limited or no swimming observed upon release but respiration functional. Condition 5 (Dead) - Dead upon removal from gear, or moribund and unable to revive even after long submergence time. This coding allows for estimates of catch-release mortality based -on proportional returns of tags by condition factor. NMFS collaborative surveys. A collaborative research program on the small shark fauna (small adults and juveniles) of eastern Gulf inshore waters was initiated between the CSR and staff of the NMFS Panama City Laboratory. NMFS personnel under the direction of Dr. Lee Trent utilized gill net collections to cap.ture, identify, measure and tag juvenile and small adult sharks of the northeastern Gulf under separate NMFS funding. Methodology used in these NMFS/Panama City activities was coordinated with the CSR program to the maximum extent possible in order to extend the nursery area surveys to the northeastern Gulf. CSR shark tags (see below) were supplied to the NMFS program and were deployed in live sharks collected during the NMFS surveys. Databases for the CSR and NMFS projects were made compatible so that complete sharing of data collected by both programs was made possible. To coordinate these various activities, two meetings between CSR and NMFS/Panama City personnel (one in Sarasota, one in Panama City) were held during the project period. The result of this collaboration is an ongoing, joint effort to map the nursery areas for sharks in the eastern Gulf from the Mississippi River to the Florida Keys. [Specific research data and results of NMFS surveys are available from NMFS personnel at the Panama City Laboratory and are not reported here.] 7

10 Tagging program. A tagging program directed toward juvenile and small adult sharks inhabiting the study areas was incorporated into the field surveys. This tagging program was designed to study catch-and-release mortality, assess residence time in nursery areas, and follow aging and growth of the young sharks. Based upon the results of a tag development and testing program funded concurrently by NMFS/MARFIN, a Ha"print modified POB dart tag was used for the field tagging. This tag was custom-manufactured to project specifications and supplied at a cost of approximately $0.62 per tag. The tag consists of a 1.5 cm-iong nylon head of 2-3 mm thickness, with a single 2 mm-wide barb 1.5 cm in length, and a 12.5 cm-iong plastic streamer of 1.5 mm thickness molded directly to the head. -The streamer consists of two segments molded together: a 6 cm yellow segment proximal to the tag head, and a 6.5 cm orange segment distal to the head. Tag number-and recapture information are printed on each segment, with instructions to the recapturing angler to cut off the distal orange segment and send to MML. This design accomplishes two objectives: 1) each tag serves as a double tag for multiple recaptures of the same fish, while at the same time requiring only a single tag application; and 2) return of the distal segment provides physical evidence of the tag and its number, while still allowing the recapturing fisherman to re-release the tagged shark, if desired, without removing the entire tag. Tags were applied to sharks by puncture through the skin with a 4 mm-wide, hollow, sharpened, stainless steel applicator. The tag head was inserted on the shark's left side at the base of the first dorsal fin, through the basal cartilages just below the fin and well above the vertebral column, -and penetrating just across the shark's midline. Streamer angle was about 30 from the caudad longitudinal axis, and the tag barb was oriented projecting toward the midline. The tag was advanced until. the point of the applicator could barely be felt through the skin on the opposite (right) side of the shark. Retracting the applicator left the tag well-anchored in the cartilage above the vertebral column, not merely in the dorsal musculature. Information about the shark tags for fishermen was distributed along the Florida Gulf coast and a reward of a limited edition MML Shark Tagging Program fisherman's cap (retail value approx. $7.50) was offered to each fisherman returning tag recapture information. Fishermen recapturing tagged sharks were interviewed for data that included date and location of recapture, shark and tag condition, length and weight of shark, and fishing gear used. Species profiles. A search was conducted for existing information on shark species utilizing Gulf of Mexico coastal waters as nursery areas. This included information from several sources: 1) a literature search for ichthyofaunal records of shark juveniles in inshore regions; 2) technical reports, computerized databases, and other "gray" literature provided by ichthyologists and fishery biologists with local knowledge of the Gulf coast; 3) state landings records and recreational fishery surveys; and 4) the MML/CSR database of shark collections. From this ~ompiled information, species profiles were written for seven relatively abundant species inhabiting the Gulf (nurse shark, Ginglymostoma ckratum; blacknose shark, 8

11 Carcharhinus acronotus; spinner shark, C. brevipinna; bull shark, C. leucas; blacktip shark, C. limbatus; lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris; and bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo). The species profiles represent the summaries of all information discovered in the literature and database searches. b. Food habits of coastal shark species. Food habits of Gulf sharks collected in field surveys were investigated as follows. Stomachs were dissected from dead sharks by cutting anteriorly at the esophagus and posteriorly at the duodenum or colon, and were transported in plastic bags on ice to the laboratory. Those that could not be examined immediately were stored frozen until contents could be analyzed. Fresh or thawed stomachs were cut open lengthwise and contents were transferred onto a plastic dish, sorted, identified to the lowest taxon possible, weighed to the nearest 0.01 g (wet weight)', and preserved in 70% isopropyl alcohol. Data were recorded on laboratory data sheets and results were analyzed using appropriate statistics. c. Population dynamics of shark populations. A new effort at Mote Marine Laboratory in the area of population dynamics and demographic analyses of sharks was implemented with the addition of Dr. Enric Cortes as Postdoctoral Scientist in the CSR's first year of operation. Dr. Cortes, previously an elasmobranch feeding specialist, received training at the University of Miami/Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and at the University of Barcelona, Spain. After arriving at the CSR, Dr. Cortes began intensive training in principles of population dynamics as applied to elasmobranch species. His first species of study for this work was the Atlantic sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae. Using available life history and fishery catch data, Dr. Cortes was able to conduct a demographic analysis of the status of sharpnose populations in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Cortes also assisted with new collaborations with scientists from Mexico (see below). d. CSR visiting/collaborating scientist program. The primary initiative in the CSR's visiting scientist/collaborator program was establishment of new research ties with Mexico. Biologists from the Mexican SEPESCA/lnstituto Nacional de la Pesca (INP) met with CSR staff in Sarasota and planned a new, collaborative shark research program. This program was designed to operate in conjunction with the MEXUS-Gulf program, a cooperative program between the INP and NMFS.The Mexican research initiatives primarily involved establishment of a shark nursery survey and tagging program in Mexican inshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico in coordination with similar CSR activities in U.S. waters. In addition to the Mexican initiative, other visiting scientists/collaborators who worked with CSR staff in their respective areas of res'earch included the following: Dr. Jose Castro (NMFS/SEFSC), shark reproductive biology and early life history; Jack Casey (NMFS/NEFSC), shark tag9in9 and migration; Dr. Lee Trent (NMFS/,?EFSC)' shark species composition and abundance; Dr. Eric Prince (NMFS/SEFSC), tagging methodology; Dr. Ray Wilson (University of South Florida), shark population genetics; 9

12 Dr. George Henderson (Florida Department of Environmental Protection), mercury levels in shark tissues; Dr. Philip Motta (University of South Florida) and Dr. Timothy Tricas (Florida Institute of Technology), functional morphology of shark feeding mechanisms; Dr. Betts Rasmussen (Oregon Graduate Institute), shark endocrinology and pheromones; Drs. Christopher Murphy (University of Wisconsin) and Howard Howland (Cornell University)' shark vision; Dr. Martin Klinger (Southern Research Institute), shark ampullary biochemistry; and Drs. Robert Thommes and James Woods (Laboratory for Comparative Endocrinology), histology of shark tissues. e. CSR research facilities improvements. A number of improvements were made to existing MML facilities for shark research, in order to enhance opportunities for resident and visiting CSR research. These included acquisition of basic research supplies to support a broad base of research needs. Donations of major equipment to the program were accepted; these included a cryostat for frozen sectioning of tissues and a camera system for the image analysis laboratory. A CSR shark research boat designed to collect small sharks in inshore wate(s was re-fitted to accommodate larger collecting gear and more fishery-independent. work. The two main improvements to facilities were: 1) installation of a large tank "farm" on the west side of the main MML research building, which greatly enhanced the CSR's ability to maintain a variety of captive elasmobranchs (equipment paid for with MML funds); and 2) equipping of a small seawater "wet lab" in the research building west wing, which included a specially designed tank adaptable to a wide variety of physiological. and behavioral experiments as well as underwater photography of specimens (equipment also paid for with MML funds). f. Participation in research conferences/symposia. In the first year of operation, CSR staff participated in a number of conferences and symposia covering a broad range of subjects involving elasmobranch biology. These included the following: Conservation and Management of Shark. Populations of the Gulf of Mexico and. Caribbean Region, MML/CSR, Sarasota, Florida (organized and hosted by CSR [see below] and with CSR staff giving presentations); American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists/American Elasmobranch Society, two annual meetings during the project period, Champaign, Illinois and Austin, Texas (presentations; CSR director served as AES president in 1993); Symposium on Biology of the White Shark, Bodega Bay, California (panel participation); National Conference on Reauthorization of the Magnuson Act, New Orleans, Louisiana; and Florida Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Florida (presentation). 2. Public awareness. A public education and outreach program was established at the CSR to meet the informational needs of the general public, educational groups, the media, science and fisheries constituents, and other interested parties. This program was coordinated by the CSR using the MML public communications staff and facilities. In the first year of CSR operation, the public awareness program took a three-pronged approach, as follows: 10

13 a. CSR newsletter. A regular newsletter entitled The Shark Line was instituted to provide scientists, fisheries groups, the media, and the general public with information and news on shark research and related topics. Issues of this 4-8 page newsletter were published in fall 1992, spring 1993, and summer 1993 and included articles on CSR activities, CSR staff biographies, shark fishery management, shark nursery and tagging studies, CSR shark conferences, and sharks and cancer. A question-and-answer page (tlq&ati) responded to questions from readers, an educational page (tlshark Schoolingtl) dealt with educational material, a puzzle section ("Mindbogglers") used shark-related facts to work problems and puzzles, and a short information column ("Shark Bites") gave brief overviews of selected areas of shark biology. These various items were written primarily by CSR staff from the research, education, and public communications divisions, and included line and B/W photo art. The Shark Line eventually adopted a standard two-color, eight-page format to be printed and distributed biannually. b. CSR Shark Facts and Stats sheets. These single-sheet, two-page fact sheets written and produced by CSR staff provided summary information on specific topics of interest. In the first year, Shark Facts and Stats sheets were printed and distributed on the following four topics: general characteristics of sharks; shark distribution and diversity; shark attacks; and shark conservation. The fact sheets were illustrated with line art to explain portions of the text. c. Responses to correspondence and other direct requests for information. This category of activity included responding to letters, faxes, and telephone calls from the public and media requesting information from the CSR on sharks, skates, and rays. Responses were written by CSR research staff personnel and/or public communications/education staff. A correspondence file was maintained by the CSR public information assistant during the project. By the end of the project year, many of these requests were being handled by providing copies of the relevant Shark Facts and Stats sheets, The Shark Line, and one of a series of generically written form letters on several common topics. The CSR research staff also conducted numerous media interviews and delivered a number of public lectures on shark research, fisheries, and conservation during the year. 3. Conference. An international conference on the conservation and management of shark populations inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. south Atlantic, and Caribbean Sea was planned, organized, and hosted at the CSR during Year 1. This conference brought together shark biologists, fishery scientists, commercial fishery representatives, seafood 1Jroduct dealers, resource managers and economists, marine conservation advocates, and public information specialists to focus attention on the issues and problems associated with utilization of shark populations in the region. These problems include: 1) lack of information on shark stocks (species identification, genetic basis, absolute abundance, etc.); 2) resolution of shark life history limitations with their directed utilization as a fishery resource; 3) shark bycatch issues; and 4) regional and international conflicts in shark conservation and management. The 11

14 conference agenda was developed by the CSR Director together with NMFS staff from the SEFSC and NEFSC. Invitations to participants were issued approximately six months prior to the conference date in April Participants from as many Gulf/Caribbean nations as possible were invited, including representatives from the U.S., Mexico, the Bahamas, and Cuba. The meeting was announced in a number of society newsletters and fisheries publications and was open to the public. The conference ran 2 Y2 days and was held at the 450-seat Martin-Selby Conference Center on the grounds of Mote Marine Laboratory. B. Project Management The Principal Investigator and Director of the CSR, Dr. Robert E. Hueter of the Mote Marine Laboratory staff, managed the activities. of the Center under the supervision of Mote Marine Laboratory Executive Director Dr. Kumar Mahadevan and Director of Research Dr. Richard Pierce. As CSR Director, Dr. Hueter was responsible for the planning, logistical and budgetary coordination, implementation, and completion of all CSR sub-programs. Center activities were planned and executed in cooperation. with NMFS staff at the Miami, Narragansett and Panama City laboratories. Work was performed entirely by staff andvolunteer.student interns at Mote Marine Laboratory. 12

15 v. FINDINGS A. Accomplishments and Findings 1. Research. The following summarizes the major results of the various research activities of the CSR in its first year: a. Nursery areas. CSR field surveys revealed an important nursery area for the blacktip shark (Carcharhinuslimbatus) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico off Withlacoochee Bay. Neonate blacktips of cm total length (TL) and non-neonate juveniles of cm TL were collected in spring months in waters 2-5 m deep, %0 salinity, and C temperature. Sex ratio of the blacktip pups collected in this area was 1 F:1.3M. Based upon the finding of this nursery area for the blacktip, an important species for the commercial and recreational fishery, a new approach to mapping shark nurseries was subsequently designed to explore the inshore region from Cedar Key to Aripeka, Florida, and to estimate relative abundance of blacktip juveniles over time in the region. This approximately 60 mile-long stretch of Florida Gulf coastline is bordered by broad, shallow marine habitat including seagrass beds, sand/mud bottom, and nearshore oyster reefs. Freshwater outflow is widespread via the Waccasassa, Withlacoochee, Crystal, Homosassa, and other rivers in the region. Salt marshes abound along the seaward reaches of these rivers. Mangrove habitat is found as far north as Cedar Key. The coastal marine areas, especially those over seagrass bottom, are especially suitable habitat for juvenile blacktip sharks. With the information obtained in the CSR field surveys, a two-phase project was designed to study the region. The goal 'of phase one will be to map out the area in a general way in terms of juvenile blacktip CPUE, in order to select two or three subareas of high CPUE for sampling during phase two., Once subareas of higher blacktip CPUE have been identified, phase two (quantification) can begin. This will be carried out as follows. For each subarea, a grid of approximately 2 km x 5 km will be laid out on a chart such that the grid encloses the sites of highest CPUE identified in phase one. Each square of the grid will be 1 km 2 This grid will be laid out according to local stratification and geographical features, such that the blacktip CPUE, as determined in phase one, is relatively high throughout the grid. Prior to each monthly sampling period, five to six squares in the grid will be selected randomly. For quantitative sampling, each of the five or six squares selected randomly will be sampled in the most logistically feasible order, using gill nets. The same type of net will be used in all phase two surveys. The gill net will be set within each square to maximize blacktip CPUE (with information from phase one) and in a manner so as not to create a hazard to navigation. The net will be picked up beginning one hour from the time the first mesh enters the water. The end time of the set will be considered as the time when the final mesh is removed from the water. In this manner, it should be possible to fully sample each subarea in one day's fishing. The plan is to 'sample normally during daylight hours, except in those subareas with higher CPUE's at night 13

16 as found in phase one. The two or three subareas will be sampled on consecutive days, weather permitting, once per month from March through October. For each subarea sampled during phase two, the mean CPUE will be calculated as follows: x = (L n/t j ) / N where nj is the number of blacktip sharks captured in grid i, Tj is the total time of the set in grid i, and N is the number of grids sampled in each subarea. Variance of each CPUE calculation will be calculated as follows: var(x) = (L[><;-X]2)/N where Xj is (L n/tj) for grid i (in set-hours). In this way, relative abundance of juvenile blacktips will be assessed using mean CPUE with standardized methods. Each subarea ultimately will be sampled over two years. NMFS/Panama City staff have coordinated efforts with the CSR to use the same standardized techniques of quantitative surveys for juvenile sharks in three areas of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico between St. Mark's River and Panama City. In addition, NMFS staff have planned exploratory surveys, to.be coordinated with the CSR, for the area between Panama City and Mobile. The design and implementation of the CSR's small shark tagging program was completed. Tag development and testing were concluded (see Approach, above) and tag deployment was begun. The tag/recapture database was constructed in a Paradox format and was made compatible with other NMFS tagging program databases.' Coordination with these programs at NMFS/Narragansett, Miami, and Panama City laboratories was conducted via meetings with NMFS staff from the three laboratories. The '- NMFS Apex Predator program at the Narragansett laboratory continues to use NMFS stainless-steel M-tags to tag large sharks (> approx. 1.5 m TL) but the CSR recommended these tags not be deployed in sharks smaller than 1.5 m TL as a result of CSR testing. Based on this recommendation, NMFS/Narragansett began an examination of the feasibility of using the CSR-type nylon-head tag in their studies of juvenile blue sharks of the Atlantic. The information search for sharks utilizing Gulf of Mexico coastal waters as nurseries resulted in seven species profiles. These profiles contain information on the following: classification; value; range; life mode; habitat; movements/migrations; reproduction; growth and development; food and feeding; and other relevant biological data. The complete species profiles are included in this report in Appendix I. b. Food studies. The primary result of the shark feeding studies was a quantitative analysis of the diet and food habits of the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo). This information was presented at the annual. meeting of the American Elasmobranch Society and was written up for publication by CSR staff, and it is currently in press with the Bulletin of Marine Science (Cortes et. ai., in press). [Reprint copies of this paper should be available soon and will be forwarded to-nmfs.] 14

17 c. Population dynamics. Dr. Cortes' studies of the demography of the sharp nose shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) resulted in a presentation to the American Elasmobranch Society and a paper in press with Fishery Bulletin (Cortes, in press). [Reprint copies of this paper should be available soon and will be forwarded to NMFS.] d. Other activities. The nursery surveys, tagging program, feeding investigations, and population dynamics studies were discussed in depth with members of the Mexican Instituto Nacional de la Pesca (INP) delegation to the CSRconference in April (see below). It was decided that the CSR in cooperation with NMFS will collaborate whh the INP in designing and implementing analogous studies along the Gulf and Caribbean coast of Mexico. In addition, both the CSR and the INP will explore new research initiatives on shark ageing and growth. Plans for this work were scheduled to be finalized at the next meeting of MEXUS-Gulf in Veracruz, Mexico. 2. Public awareness. a. CSR publications. Copies of The Shark Line were distributed to a mailing list of nearly 2,600. Approximately half of these were members of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA); of the remaining 1,300 recipients, 91 % were U.S. addresses and 9% were foreign addresses. In addition to this mailing list, copies of The Shark Line and Shark Facts and Stats were distributed on request to scientists, universities and laboratories, fishery organizations, conservation organizations, government agencies, resource managers, elected officials, educators, marine advisory agents, school groups, conference participants, aquarium visitors, - media representatives, private citizens and other interested parties. Response to all CSR publications was extremely positive. CSR public communication assistants also manned a CSR information booth and distributed CSR publications at five public exhibitions in Florida during the project year, including the Ocean Expo '93 in Miami in March , b. Correspondence/media file. CSR public communications staff responded to a total of 181 letters (approximately one letter every 1.4 work-days) requesting information. Of these, 77% had U.S. and 23% had foreign addresses. The category breakdown of the requests was as follows: 1) wishing to be added to the CSR mailing list (25%); 2) seeking education/employment opportunities (23%); 3) general requests for information on sharks (17%); 4) requests for descriptions of research activities (14%); 5) shark conservation (7%); 6) what is the CSR? (7%); 7) requests from young children (4%); 8) shark attack information (2%); and 9) membership information for the American Elasmobranch Society (1 %). In addition to these documented written requests handled by CSR public communications staff, many other written and telephoned requests were handled by the CSR research staff during the project year. CSR personnel also were involved in a number of media interviews during the year, including a major article on shark conservation and!isheries management in The New York Times. 15

18 3. Conference. The CSR's international conference entitled "Conservation and Management of Shark Populations in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region" took place at MML on April 21-23, Approximately 150 registrants (inc!. MML personnel) from four countries, including scientists, marine resource managers, commercial and recreational fishermen, fishery industry spokesmen, conservationists, educators, and legislative representatives, participated in the 2 %-day meeting (see Appendix II for meeting registration list). Participants attended joint sessions on shark biology, Mexican shark research and fisheries, U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries, education and conservation, and shark fisheries management (see Appendix III for meeting agenda). The group then split up into three workshops on research, fisheries and management, and education and communication. Following the end of the conference, CSR staff met additionally with members of the Mexican delegation to discuss the plans for establishing the collaborative research program in Mexico in cooperation with scientists from the Instituto Nacional de la Pesca (INP). By all accounts, the conference made significant progress in the understanding and use of shark resources of the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. south Atlantic, and Caribbean Sea. The information exchanged during the conference has helped lead to new, collaborative research, fisheries management, and educational efforts involving the U.S., Mexico, and other nations with an interest in shark populations. The positive mixture and cooperation of diverse groups-such as commercial fishermen, scientists, resource managers, and conservationists-was a particularly successful feature of the meeting and provided a blueprint for future similar meetings. Some written quotes sent to the CSR after the conference included the following: - "Your efforts to make this 'meeting of the minds' a reality were well worthwhile. It is my feeling that most of us left Sarasota with hope for the future of all sharks as a resource that cannot only be successfully managed, but utilized by the scientific community and the recreational and commercial fishing interests" (Tris Colket, commercial shark fisherman); "This meeting represented the best beginning I am aware of to really develop cooperative management of the shark resources" (Dr. Lee Trent, NMFS/SEFSC); "Please accept my sincere congratulations on a job well done. The meeting was professionally stimulating and superbly organized" (Dr. Samuel Gruber, University of Miami); and "I learned a great deal and, hopefully, now have a much better understanding of sharks and their management" (James Mathews, Staff Director of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Fisheries Management)-. In addition, NMFS chose the conference to make the historic announcement of the first-ever implementation of federal management of the U.S. shark fishery in the form of the Secretarial Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Sharks of the Atlantic Ocean, including U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. B. Significant Problems Experienced during the Project No significant problems were experienced during the course of this project that impeded the original goals or objectives of the project. 16

19 VI. EVALUATION A. Original Project Goals and Objectives The original goal of this project was to establish the national Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory and to meet the following objectives in the first year of CSR operation: 1) conduct and advance basic and applied scientific research on sharks, skates, and rays; 2) communicate scientific research and news about sharks; 3) provide scientific information on sharks to public policy makers; 4) expand scientific cooperation in national and international issues involving sharks and shark biology; and 5) increase public understanding of the biology and importance of sharks, skates, and rays. B. Accomplishments of the Project The project accomplished all major goals and objectives in that it: 1) produced a coordinated effort to establish new multi-disciplinary, multi-agency, multi-national efforts in shark research; 2) served the needs of thousands of U.S. and foreign citizens and groups needing information on sharks, skates, and rays; 3) sponsored a highly successful international conference on sharks involving a multiplicity of participating groups; and 4) in accomplishing #1, 2~ and 3 above, promoted the public understanding and wise use of sharks as a valuable marine resource-. C. Benefits to the Fishing Industry The fishing industry benefitted from all sectors of CSR activities in its first year of operation. CSR research designed to provide fishery-relevant life history information will lead to better, more informed management of shark resources and thus help to preserve the long-term survival of commercial and recreational shark fisheries. CSR public awareness programs not only provided news and information directly to fishermen but also helped to educate resource managers, educators, conservationists and the general public about the problems and needs of the shark fishing industry. Finally, the CSR conference provided a constructive venue for the discussion of fishery-relevant issues between fishermen, scientists, and fishery managers. D. Economic Benefits of Project This project can provide economic benefits to the fishing industry, federal and state management efforts, and multi-national scientific programs. The new research data obtained by the CSR potentially can provide economic benefits to the fishing 17

20 industry in the form of sustained landings of adult sharks as well as development of gear and methodology to.reduce juvenile shark bycatch. Sustainability of shark landings can be advanced by managing critical habitats for the early life stages of sharks, so that successful recruitment to adult stocks is promoted. Fishing gear and methodology can be developed that minimizes bycatch of juvenile sharks in nursery areas. This also promotes sustainability of adult shark landings, but it provides the further economic benefit of reducing shark damage to fishing gear used in coastal fisheries targeting other species. Federal and state fishery management efforts are benefitted by providing a "one-stop" facility for conducting the specific types of shark research that are required to produce and adjust shark fishery management plans. Finally, scientific efforts are benefitted by consolidating the CSR's specialized facilities and staff at an institution where visiting scientists and collaborators can work to develop their own particular programs in elasmobranch research. E. Need for Federal Assistance As the CSR was a new concept serving national and international needs, and since the CSR was proposed as a cooperative program with the federal government through the auspices of the Department of Commerce (NOAA/NMFS), government financing assistance was both appropriate and needed. In addition to the support from the Department of Commerce/NMFS, funds are being sought for future CSR activities from the following sources of support for which the Center for Shark Research qualifies: 1) National Science Foundation; 2) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 3) Mexican CONACyT; 4) state of Florida; 4) Gulf Coast Shark Census Fund (private sector funds) ; and 5) other private foundations; corporations, and individuals. 18