MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: Seasonal distributions of blacktip and spinner sharks and environmental drivers of movement

MATOS Project Code: BTSPIN

Data Type: Tracker

Project Duration: June 2024 - December 2035

Project Description: Blacktip and spinner sharks look incredibly similar to one another and are often misidentified as a result. They are both pointy-nose sharks that are gray in color on top and white underneath with black tips on their fins. They jump and spin out of the water, especially when hooked on a fishing line. Because they look so similar, they are commonly misidentified and, as a result, there is a lot of confusion around where they are at any given time of the year (i.e., distribution). However, we need to know the difference between their distributions to ensure they are managed by fisheries agencies properly. Through this research, we will directly compare the seasonal distributions of these two populations off the US East Coast and determine what environmental conditions drive their movements. Understanding these two behavioral components will help to ensure these two populations are properly managed.

Objectives:

Compare environmental drivers of spinner shark movements to blacktip drivers of movement
Determine environmental drivers of movement for spinner sharks
Compare seasonal distributions of blacktip and spinner sharks off the US East Coast

Management Benefits:

Understanding spinner shark distribution will help to ensure they are properly managed.

Principal Investigator:	Beth Bowers (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center)
Email:	bowersME@si.edu

Point of Contact:	Beth Bowers
Email:	bowersME@si.edu

Collaborators:

Matthew Ogburn (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center)
Tobey Curtis (South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center)
Greg Metzger (Reel Science Charters)
Bradley Peterson (Stony Brook University)
Brittany Scannell (Stony Brook University)
Luca Iudica (Stony Brook University)
Jennifer Wyffels (Ripley's Aquarium)
Bryan Frazier (Coastal Carolina University)
Jordan Waldron (Florida Atlantic University)
Olivia Schuiteman (Florida Atlantic University)
Genevieve Sylvester (Florida Atlantic University)
Stephen M. Kajiura (Florida Atlantic University)

Funding:

Colgan Foundation
Smithsonian Institution Office of the Under Secretary for Science

Blacktip and spinner shark distribution