Dr. Alex Hearn of the Galapagos Science Center will be offering a free presentation of his shark research and conservation efforts as part of the Fins Attached online lecture series on May 14 at 6 p.m. ET.
Dr. Hearn has worked in the Galapagos Islands since 2002 on fisheries research and management, and spearheaded the development of the Shark Research Program for the Galapagos Marine Reserve since 2006. His current projects include using acoustic and satellite telemetry to establish the migratory pathways of sharks, evaluating the movement ecology of the pelagic assemblage around oceanic islets, and monitoring shark nursery grounds in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
The presentation is free although participants must register in advance through the Fins Attached website. The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) was created to protect native and endemic species that inhabit the islands and their surrounding waters. However, on a region-wide scale it also provides partial protection for marine migratory species that move through its waters.
Among these species, sharks are of particular interest, due to concerns about their populations globally, and because they often occupy top predator ecological niches.