Satellite Tracking of Sharks off Florida's Gulf Coast

A project of Mote Marine Laboratory in conjunction with the partners and sponsors detailed below.

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Satellite Tracking of Sharks off Florida's Gulf Coast
NameSpeciesLife StageRelease DateLast LocationDays Transmitted
Bucky's BabyBull Shark Adult2010-05-012010-05-109
Red ZoneBull SharkSub-Adult2010-05-232010-06-1018
DiamondGreat HammerheadSub-Adult2010-05-222010-05-15-7
ShirleyGreat HammerheadSub-Adult2010-05-222010-06-0918

Click on an animal's name for maps and more information.

Introduction



With many shark species threatened by over-exploitation worldwide, there is a vital need to obtain more information on the essential habitat, life history and movement patterns of these important members of marine food webs. A new opportunity to gain such information has stemmed from an alliance of scientists, sport fishermen and tournament operators in the form of the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge. This innovative all-release shark tournament is designed to show that a fishing competition can support shark conservation while preserving all the excitement that spectators and anglers have come to expect. The tournament is officially endorsed by the Humane Society of the United States as a humane and conservation-oriented fishing activity for sharks.

The Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge provides researchers from Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research an opportunity to outfit sharks off the southwest Florida coast with satellite-linked transmitters that track the sharks’ movements after release. The satellite tags are designed to transmit location and other information about a shark’s travels when it comes to the surface of the water. The data gained from tracking great hammerhead, bull, tiger and other species of sharks are valuable for management of the utilization of their stocks and also help the general public better understand and appreciate these much maligned ocean predators.

Project Partners

Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge

The new Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge series is a catch-and-release competition off the southwest Florida coast, beginning with the qualifying round April 30-May 2, 2010 at Burnt Store Marina in Lee County and concluding with the Grand Championship Finale May 21-23, 2010 at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota. During the tournament, fishermen compete by catching, tagging and releasing sharks and Mote Marine Laboratory scientists outfit a select number of sharks with satellite tags for conservation purposes, to learn more about the animals’ travels in the wild. Sharks are not brought back to the dock – instead, spectators are able to watch the action live via video from the boats.

The unique format of this innovative tournament was developed by Sean and Brooks Paxton, known as the Shark Brothers. Along with Co-Director and Associate Producer Capt. Robert Moore, they say: “Our shared vision for this tournament is to effectively combine the goals of sport, science and conservation. By leveraging modern broadcast technology, we’ll also be providing spectators on shore with an exciting and educational multi-media experience.” The group teamed up with Dr. Robert Hueter, director of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research, to create a science-based model for responsible sport fishing and conservation of sharks. Renowned marine wildlife artist and marine biologist Dr. Guy Harvey lent his name to the tournament and supports its conservation objectives.



Mote Marine Laboratory

Founded in 1955, Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent nonprofit marine research and education organization. Mote is dedicated to advancing the science of the sea through the study of marine and estuarine ecosystems, through its public aquarium and through an education division that provides unique programs for all ages. Throughout 2010, Mote is celebrating its 55th Anniversary with special events highlighting its groundbreaking ocean research and outreach.



Project Sponsors

Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation

Founded by Dr. Guy Harvey, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is an organization of philanthropists, conservationists, scientists and educators focused on developing sensible strategies for promoting the conservation of our oceans and nurturing the next generation of marine scientists and guardians of our seas. Support from the GHOF helps to underwrite the cost of the satellite tags and science operations of the tournament.



Andros Boatworks Inc.

Andros Boatworks, Inc., a custom fishing boat manufacturer in Sarasota, Florida, is proud to provide boats to assist in the research and filming of the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge. The Andros Offshore 32, which carries the Mote Marine Laboratory shark research team and two camera operators, is capable of reaching speeds of up to 62 mph in rough seas. This boat makes it possible to reach the anglers fast, reducing the time the sharks are handled for catch, tag, and release. Andros Tarpon 26 boats assist in carrying camera crews to video the safe releases of the sharks in the tournament.