Background:
By partnering with the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), this leading research organization has conducted 7 consecutive years of scientific research (2018-2024) throughout the Bahamas. Since 2018, they have conducted over 30 research trips to The Bahamas, and have successfully tagged and released over 200 sharks, deployed over 100 BRUVs, taken over 100 sediment cores, and mapped >100,000km2 of critical habitat. This work has also provided hands on research experiences to over 100 Bahamian students.
Mission:
After 7 years of research in the Bahamas, this project is now expanding to the more remote islands of The Bahamas, primarily focusing on the Northern Exuma's near Highbourne Cay. The primary objective for this mission is to tag sharks around the remote islands that will share valuable data through an acoustic receiver. Sharks will be safely targeted and measured in the water. Biological samples will be taken to contribute to ongoing projects on shark ecology and biology. Sharks will then be tagged with a small ID tag, a tracking tag, and an acoustic transmitter.
Research Impacts & Applications:
This organization works closely with The Bahamian government, primarily regarding the topic of Blue Carbon. This data may be of value to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Public outreach is an important goal within each expedition, and this research will be shared with students and community groups in the Bahamas. The driving goal is to advance the understanding of Bahamian marine ecosystems and determine their value and benefits to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas for the future.
