Sharks have taken over my life in the past year, but especially in the past couple months while researching and refining my independent research project (IRP). It's pretty cheesy, but sharks inspire me. They're these strong, but relatively simple creatures. They work smarter, not harder.
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| Lydia, one of OCEARCH's icon Great White Sharks |
But sharks also have a lot to tell us about our world, primarily the ecosystems they inhabit. If they're not doing well, then that system is struggling as well. What happens then when we effect their ecosystem? With our earth rapidly changing because of human impact on things like climate, is that currently having an effect on sharks?
We know most sharks are ectotherms and how biothermal regulation works, so with sea surface temperatures(SST) rising is there a correlation between sharks and those SSTs?
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| Female Tiger shark tracked over one year by University of Miami |
The
University of Miami is focusing on an aspect of that, climate change and sharks. They have tagged a few sharks, primarily Tiger and Great Hammerheads. The satellite tags have sensors for temperature, depth, and acceleration to study the optimal range for the species. The map to the right here shows the pings of a female Tiger shark the University has tracked over a year with temperature ranges. This is something I would like to do with the online data available to me through
OCEARCH and
WindyTV.
I plan to use these resources to compared multiple individuals among 4 different species of sharks: White, Blue, Tiger, and Mako. I've chosen these species because 3 of them are ectotherms, while the White is an Endotherm. Using multiple individuals will allow me to guarantee that I will get regular data, because sharks aren't always going to be at the surface to get a ping. I'll record their data a couple times a week, using current and monthly average SST from WindyTV since ping coordinates aren't readily available on OCEARCH I'm estimating the average temperature will relay more information.
There's a lot of work to do, but from this I hope to learn more about the creatures that inspire me and whether the positive or negative correlation of sharks and sea surface temperatures can help us predict what's to come.
Fins and Grins,
Carly
Michelle, Section 201: If there is a correlation between sharks and surface temperatures, what possible effects would rising temperatures have on sharks, and could this data be used for other shark species that weren't included in your research?
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