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Grubbs Laboratory in the News

2018

New Deep-Water Dog Fish Shark Discovery


Dogfish sharks of the genus Squalus are small, deep-water sharks with a slow rate of molecular evolution that has led to their designation as a series of species complexes, with low between-species diversity rela­tive to other taxa. The largest of these complexes is named for the Shortspine spurdog (Squalus mitsukurii Jordan & Snyder), a medium-sized dogfish shark common to warm upper slope and seamount habitats, with a putative circumglobal distribution that has come under investigation recently due to geographic variation in morphology and genetic diversity.

Disney Conservation Fund Supports Smalltooth Sawfish Research


In September, The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) granted more than $5 million in conservation grants to nonprofit organizations as part of its commitment to save wildlife, inspire action and protect the planet. FSUCML’s Dr. Dean Grubbs smalltooth sawfish research was one of more than 75 projects selected through a rigorous review process focused on supporting conservation organizations to study wildlife, protect habitats and develop community conservation and education programs in critical ecosystems around the world.

New Sixgill Shark Research Video with Dr. Grubbs


Since 2005 FSUCML’ S Dr. Dean Grubbs has been doing research on sixgill sharks. These sharks live in the deep sea some 700 to 3,200 feet below the surface. On a recent research trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas, Dr. Dean Grubbs was able for the first time to view these sharks in the area where they live - about 630 meters or approximately 2,000 feet below the surface. Using a sub aboard the R/V Alucia provided by the deep sea exploration organization OceanX, Dr. Grubbs tried a new idea of attempting to tag them with a GPS dart from the sub. Click the title above to learn more about this effort and see amazing video of the sharks. Also follow this link for an article about one of Dr. Grubbs' former graduate students Brendan Talwar who was on the same cruise. https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2018/08/underwater-tech-unlocks-the-secrets-of-the-bahamas-exuma-sound/

FSU Alumna Publishes Paper on New Shark Species


Former FSU undergraduate and marine certificate student Mariah Pfleger recently published a paper on a newly discovered shark species. The discovery and research on the new species, named Squalus clarkae, also known as Genie's Dogfish, was identified from the Gulf of Mexico and western FSUCML’s Atlantic Ocean. This research work was the basis for Mariah's Master’s thesis at the University of West Florida. FSUCML co-authors include Dr. Dean Grubbs and Dr. Chip Cotton.