Katie UR: Its Proposal Season Guys !

Proposal

Bacteria: The Untold Story From a Sharks Mouth

An investigation on what bacteria inhabits the mouths of sharks and which of those bacteria are considered dangerous if they are transferred to a human during a bite.

Introduction

There is a preconceived idea that sharks attack in order to feed. This could be no further from the truth. Over 400 species of sharks inhabit our waters, ranging from the 8-inch dwarf Lantershark to the 40-foot-long Whale Shark (WWF,2018). Out of that 400 species of sharks, 35 Species are known to have attacked humans at least once, and a dozen of them habitually do so. Sharks are carnivorous and eat fish and other larger animals including humans. Between 2001 and 2011 an average of 59% of shark attacks took place in U.S Waters, Florida being one of the top spots for them To happen in (Elert, 2012). The teeth on a shark are not its only weapons they possess. Sharks harbor deadly and even drug-resistant bacteria that can cause extreme damage to the person who was bitten by them. Gram Staining has been a known test that can differentiate two large groups of bacteria based on their different cell wall constituents (Bruckner,2016). This test has been used in previous studies following the bacteria that reside in a sharks mouth.

What is Known

Nathan R. Unger and Colleagues did a study on Isolated Bacteria found in Blacktips (Carcharhinus limbatus)

Majority of shark attacks on Florida beaches occur over on the Atlantic Ocean side in Volusia County (FloridaLife 2009)

Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio fluvialis, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus have been found in Great White Sharks that and common to infections in humans     (Burk,1996)

 Vibrio parahaemolyticus

143  drug-resistant species of bacteria were swabbed from the genital cavity of a handful of species were resistant to penicillin, ciprofloxacin and doxycycline (DNEWS,2013)

What is Unknown

What bacteria inhabits other shark species mouths

Which of these bacteria are harmful to humans

Scientific Question

Are there variations in the types of bacteria found in the mouth of sharks? What is the classification of these bacteria?

Materials

Field Materials

Swabbing Device

Hooks

Grade Line

Wire Line

Bite Down Stick

Boat

Rod

Frozen and Live Bait

Microbiological Materials

BBL CultureSwab Plus (Traveling swabs)

Petri Dishes- TSA, MacConkey, and sheep's blood

Gloves

Methods

Catching The Shark

1.Wherever we fish at we cast net fresh bait and also bring frozen mullet and squid.

2.The rod had 16’ hooks on them and the rods that were used were Pen Fierce 8000, Pen 9/0, and Pen GTI.

3.Once a Shark is caught the fork length, length and sex will be taken.

4.The shark will have a wet towel over the snout and face while the swab is being taken so the shark will be kept calm.

5.The shark will be released afterwards.

             Getting The Samples

1.Using the homemade device, attach the swab to the end.

2.Swab the back of the teeth and mouth.

3.Place swab into transport container and then into cooler.

Microbiological Testing

1.Once the tubes are brought back to the lab they will be streaked along the agar plates presented.

2.We will allow growth to begin and then classify the bacteria on the plates.

Then determine if the bacteria is harmful to humans.

I am getting really excited to be able to present this on May 4th. Its going to be amazing and I cant wait to see where I can go with this project!

Work Cited

1.Contributor, A Manly Guest. “How to Catch a Shark.” The Art of Manliness, 28 Nov. 2017, www.artofmanliness.com/2014/08/15/how-to-catch-and-release-a-shark/.

●

2.“Florida Beaches Shark Facts.” Florida Shark Facts - Florida Beaches - Florida Beach Vacation - Shark Attack, www.florida-beach-lifestyle.com/shark-facts.html.

●

3.“Shark.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/species/shark

●

4.Maniguet, Xavier. The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey. Skyhorse Pub., 2007.

●

5.DNews. “Sharks Harbor Deadly Bacteria : Discovery News.” Seeker, Seeker, 11 Feb. 2013, www.seeker.com/sharks-harbor-deadly-bacteria-discovery-news-1766489348.html

●

6.Unger, Nathan R., et al. “Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Bacteria Isolated within the Oral Flora of Florida Blacktip Sharks: Guidance for Empiric Antibiotic Therapy.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, Aug. 2014, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0104577.

●

7.“Visualized: Worldwide Shark Attacks Since 2000.” Popular Science, 17 Aug. 2012, Buck, J D, et al. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 1984, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC271456/

●

8.“Foodborne Pathogen Information.” NMSU: Food Safety Laboratory | Pathogen Information (MSDS), fsl.nmsu.edu/laboratory-safety.html.

●

9. www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-08/worldwide-shark-attacks-2000