Revealing the Secret Lives of Sharks
October 15, 2020
Carl Meyer, PhD, Associate Researcher, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology
The ocean conceals the daily lives of its inhabitants from our view. For us to learn about the natural behaviors of elusive marine animals like sharks, we need a way to remotely unveil what is happening beneath the surface and beyond our sight. Recent decades have seen the development of increasingly sophisticated, animal-borne electronic devices that are providing surprising new insights into shark biology and guiding management and conservation strategies. Within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, long-term tracking studies have followed individual sharks and ulua for up to 11 years revealing their daily and seasonal migrations, discovering some unexpected journeys and providing a portal into predator responses to a destructive hurricane strike.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawai`i.