Amazing Shark-Tagging Adventure!

Hi everyone,

As some of last year's campers will remember, the IPYNC supports SHARCC, an organisation dedicated to the preservation of shark populations.  But why?

Well, due to several declining fish populations, climate change, and habitat degradation, it is important for scientists to consistently track marine species, so that we may determine spatial and temporal trends in their behaviour and movement. For sharks, tagging (i.e. acoustic, satellite, or radio) can provide us with the most up to date movements of these species as they cross vast ocean distances, or whether they remain close to shore. We can determine their catch location, how they were caught, and where they traveled too! This type of information is extremely valuable for both sharks and fisheries managers. Policy makers need the best scientific information available, if they are to implement effective conservation measures for sharks.

With that in mind, we would like to invite you all to take part in marine conservation through hands-on shark-tagging! Check it out:

If you are interested in participating in this event, we encourage you to sign up now, as there are only 8 spots available.  We are giving away the spots on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Those who sign up will need to attend a safety and orientation presentation at Dalhousie, in Room 812, 8th floor of the Biology Department in the Life Sciences Building, from 10:00am-11:30pm.

We are really excited to be working with Blue Shark Fishing Charters, and they are giving us a great deal for this expedition- normally, it would cost $140/person!  If you're interested in finding out more about Blue Shark Charters, check out their website: http://www.bluesharkcharters.com/Tagging.htm

If you have any questions about the trip, please contact Art, the Captain at Blue Shark Fishing Charters, or Brendal Davis: Art- (902) 830-4115, art@bluesharkcharters.com or Brendal- (902) 579-8155 brendal.a.davis@gmail.com

We'd also like to share some instructional information that Brendal sent us about shark tagging, so that those who want to join us will know what to expect:

Shark Tagging

Materials used:

1. tagging pole
2. tags, data cards
3. tagging information sheet
4. measuring tape
5. pencil
 Shark Species:

1. Blue shark
2. Shortfin Mako
3. Porbeagle Shark

How to Apply Tags:

1. Place a tag in the slot in the applicator and use the elastic to secure the tag to the tagging pole (See figure 1.).
 2. When a shark is caught that is suitable for tagging try to bring the shark up along side the boat using the leader or boat hook. Do not gaff the shark and try to minimize damage if the animal is to be tagged and released. If the shark is small enough, it can be brought on board or rested on the side rail of the boat while the tag is applied. Always use caution when handling live sharks.

 3. Insert the tag into the back muscle tissue just to the left or right of the dorsal fin. The tag should pierce the skin easily when applied with a quick motion and some force (see figure 2.)

Figure 1

 

Figure 2

Figure 3

4. Determine the sex of the shark (Fig. 4) and measure the shark as accurately as possible by taking fork length (tip of snout to fork in the tail) or total length (tip of snout to tip of the tail) (Fig. 5) and record on the data card.

5. Record the location information (Lat and Long), the date, species and condition of the shark as well as any other information (water temperature) before releasing the shark.

6. Place a new tag in the tagging pole so that it is ready for the next shark

Figure 4

Identifying sharks:

Blue shark (Picture 1)

The blue shark is a slender, slim shark with a blunt rounded snout when viewed from above. The pectoral or side fins are long and scythe shaped. The tail has an elongated upper lobe which curves backward. Teeth are triangular and serrated in the upper jaw and long and pointed in the lower jaw. (Picture 1)

Picture 1

Porbeagle shark (Picture 2)

The porbeagle is a stout shark with a more pointed snout than the blue shark. The pectoral fins are shorter and there is a white patch on the trailing edge of the dorsal fin. The upper and lower lobes of the tail fin are similar in size. There are lateral keels on the base of the tail and there is a set of smaller secondary ridges just below the main keels. Teeth are sharp and pointed and have two smaller points or cusps on either side of the main cusp.

Picture 2

Shortfin Mako shark (Picture 3)

The mako is very similar to the porbeagle. The body is similar in shape but more streamlined and the snout is more tapered and pointed. There is no white patch on the dorsal fin and there are no secondary ridges on the base of the tail. The teeth are long, curved and very sharp and often protrude from the mouth even when the mouth is closed.

Picture 3

This information was provided by:



Warren N. Joyce

ph/tél: +1-902-426-6382
fax/téléc: +1-902-426-1506
e-mail/courriel: Warren.Joyce@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Canadian Shark Research Laboratory 

Bedford Institute of Oceanography
P.O. Box 1006, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth
Nova Scotia, Canada, B2Y 4A2



We look forward to seeing some of you for this exciting opportunity!

Peace, Love, and Sharks!
-The IPYNC Staff

Expert Update :)

Hey there everyone!

If you look back a couple of posts, you'll see our announcement about our guest experts for this years' camps, and we just wanted to give you all a little update.  We are excited to announce that our friend Stephanie, the lobster expert, has gotten an amazing opportunity to study snow crabs off the coast of Labrador in July. 

A snow crab- they can be between 9.5 and 15cm wide!

Sadly, this means that she will be unable to come to our first 2 camps, but don't dispair, we have an equally awesome seaweed expert named Lauren coming instead!  Lauren studies the effects of eutrophication (a process where water bodies receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant growth) and climate warming on rockweed.

We would like to extend the warmest welcome to Lauren and we look forward to working with her this summer! :)

Peace, Love, and Seaweed!

-The IPYNC Staff

Camp Registration Update

Hello Everybody,

We'd just like to give you all a little update on this year's camps and let you know what's going on. :)

We are happy to announce that all the camps are now filled except for the August 13-17 camp, which is currently about half full.  If you were hoping to send your child to an IPYNC Camp this summer, the time to sign up is now!

We would also like to remind parents who have already signed up their children in other camps that you will receive an additional 10% discount if you sign your child up for more than one camp.

Hope to see you all soon!

Peace, Love, and Jellies,
-The IPYNC Staff

Red Spruce Give-Away Now Closed

Hi Everyone,

For those of you who received an email about the Red Spruce give-away, we'd like to let you know that the give-away is now over.  We had a great response so all of our trees have now found new homes! Thanks :)

Peace, Love, and Jellies,
-The IPYNC Staff

Action Laser Tag!

Hi there everybody,

We hope your summers have all gotten off to a good start now that we've finally seen some sunshine, and we're very happy to be bringing you some exciting news about the camps today!

We have recently confirmed that the local business Action Laser Tag will be renting some of their equipment to us for the camps. :) So, campers, get excited to play laser tag!

Peace, Love, and Jellies!
-The IPYNC Staff

Transit Follow-Up

Good morning everyone!

Although we had to cancel our Star Party, some young naturalists still got to see the transit, and one past camper wanted to share it with all of you. :)  Big thanks to Ewan Bishop and his Dad, Robert, for passing along this very special photo:

A huge thank you to the Bishops for sharing :)

Peace, Love, and Jellies

-The IPYNC Staff

Star Party Cancelled

Hi Everyone!

As you can see, the skies are anything but clear today, so unfortunately, there will be no Star Party tonight.  Please read on for a message from camp director Scott Pelton.

"I just checked the 11 am forecast and it looks there is no chance to see the Transit of Venus across the Sun from the shores of St. Margaret’s Bay tonight, therefore I am cancelling the Star Party.

The 18^th Century French scientist and astronomer– Guillaume Joseph Hyacinthe, if alive today, could have related us having to cancel the star party but I’m sure you will agree once you read below, had an even worse experience with a cloudy forecast.

Guillaume sailed off to far away locations of the globe so as to gain various far flung vantage points of the transit to help calculate a more accurate the distance from the Earth to the Sun. He set out on a ship from Paris in March 1760 bound for India. On June 6, 1761 the transit arrived as predicted . Though the skies were clear he could not make observations aboard the rolling deck of a ship at sea. No problem, he thought, I came this far, I will wait for the next transit, eight years away.

June 4, 1769 finally arrived and though previous weeks had offered perfect clear skies (sounds familiar), June 4th had nothing but clouds and rain ( sounds way too familiar). He saw nothing. Sad, he decided to return to France. He was delayed by an attack of dysentery that probably gave new meaning to the “poop deck” and then his ship was caught in a storm. He was dropped off at the small island of Reunion, east of Madagascar, and he had to wait until a Spanish ship could bring him back to France. He arrived in France almost 11 years after he left, in 1771, only to find he had been declared dead, removed from his position in the Royal Academy of Sciences, and stripped of his fortune by his greedy relatives. Oh yes, his wife had remarried as well. Eventually his position to the Academy was restored and he lived out the remainder of his life in France.

It would be nearly 125 years before the next transit so poor old pooped-out Guillaume never got to see the transit. However we are much luckier. One way is that we can all watch the transit live by just journeying to http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/webcasts/nasaedge/ the otheris that the IPYNC has just purchased a special filter for their telescope and 25 pairs of solar glasse. We won’t be able to use them this evening of course, however this means Young Nats will be able to observe the Sun and its solar storms at the camps this summer!

Clear skies,

Scott"

Star Party- The Transit of Venus across the Sun!

Hey Everyone,

The IPYNC has a really exciting event going on this coming week, so if you're interested in seeing a little bit of what the camps are like, come check it out!

See you there...
Peace, Love, and Jellies
-The IPYNC Staff