A team of researchers led by Florida International University have found that they can track the presence of blacktip sharks by analyzing environmental DNA traces.
Florida International University (FIU) marine scientists Demian Chapman, Bautisse Postaire, and Judith Bakker, along with researchers from New College of Florida and Havenworth Coastal Conservation, extracted DNA from samples in Florida’s Terra Ceia Bay to detect the presence of blacktip sharks, which are known to use the area as a nursery.
“Catching sharks is hard, but catching water is easy,” Postaire said. “This study is an important step in the development of new methods to detect and monitor sharks.”
The researchers detected the presence of blacktips in 27 out of 58 water samples taken during the time sharks are known to frequent the bay. These samples revealed that a blacktip shark had been in the area in the past day or so.
“When the sharks started to leave in the fall, significantly fewer of our water samples tested positive for this species,” Postaire said.
This information is helpful for conservation and management of different species, including the blacktips. While not threatened in the United States, blacktips are one of the top species in the global shark fin trade, which puts them at possible risk of overexploitation and population declines.
“In addition to being ecologically important, blacktip sharks are economically valuable, the dominant species in the Gulf of Mexico large coastal shark fishery. This fishery is currently incredibly well-managed but continued monitoring is critical to ensuring that these populations remain healthy,” Jayne Gardiner, one of the study’s co-authors from New College of Florida, said.
The full results of the research can be found in the latest issue of Scientific Reports.