As a child, my fascination with the ocean was ever-present. I can remember staring out to sea, wondering what was out there. A trip to Bermuda with my older brother would not only spark this fascination, but would also help me truly understand the beauty, which swims beneath the waves. I can vividly remember seeing my first rainbow parrotfish containing some of the most colorful scales, or lifting up a rock, only to see brittle stars quickly skitter away in an attempt to find another cozy habitat.
While Bermuda was my first real introduction to the oceanic realm, what sparked my interest in sharks? As a kid my fascination started by watching what were once informative “Shark Week” programs, highlighting the ecological role and unique adaptations of sharks. It was those very shows which captured my imagination and made me want to learn more about these incredible predators. However, in high school I journeyed to John Pennekamp State Park and it was at this location where I had my first encounter with a shark, an encounter I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
I didn’t know it at the time, but spending time in the water with sharks was not only going to continue to be a passion of mine—it was going to become the essential focus of my research. For my research, I have traveled to various locations to experiment, photograph and observe sharks, including: Galapagos Islands, Guadalupe Island, Bimini, Florida, Cozumel, and Belize. At several of these locations, I personally witnessed large scale anthropogenic shark mortality through commercial and recreational fishing and finning. These sources of shark mortality have motivated me to continue my work as a Marine Biologist utilizing electro-sensory stimuli (i.e. magnets and metals) as a means of developing technologies which minimize shark bycatch.
I am currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, in addition to being a partner in the shark conservation organization, SharkDefense Technologies, LLC. Over the next two years, I plan on examining the effects of permanent magnets and their potential utility as devices to reduce shark mortality in beach nets. It is with this magnetic technology, that we may have the ability to aid in the rejuvenation of local elasmobranch populations where beach nets exist, and therefore restore ecological balance.
In conclusion, it is clear that several shark populations have experienced drastic declines over the past several decades. It is in my opinion that as scientists, we have finally found promising shark repellents and with time and through many collaborations, these repellents will prove to be the fundamental component to the reduction of shark bycatch.
The "Abs of Steel" team
Best Research Assistant Ever
