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Fisheries
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In oceanic ecosystems, large sharks function as top predators, and their abundance and distrubution patterns may have cascading effects on the ecosystems they inhabit. Sharks are typically slow growing, long lived species that may use a variety of habitats over broad spatial scales. Their life history characteristics leave them vulnerable to exploitation and many shark populations worldwide are in decline. In the Gulf of Mexico, declines of both oceanic and coastal shark populations have been reported. This trend is disturbing because many shark populations have continued to decline despite the mandate to incorporate Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) in all Fishery Management Plans. This Act requires the development of fishery management plans to identify essential fish habitat, defined as those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, growth, and maturity.
Our research examines shark distribution, feeding habitats, and movement patterns in the Gulf of Mexico and coastal waters of the Padre Island National Seashore. See left menu for details on specific projects.
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