Marquesas Keys 2021

Dr. Grubbs’ lab recently spent 8 days in the Marquesas Keys with scientists from the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum and Bimini Biological Field Station to tag and collect valuable data from various species of elasmobranchs. It was an immensely successful trip with multiple satellite and acoustic tags deployed on smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier), blacknose sharks (Carcharhinus acronotus), scalloped hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini), and great hammerheads (Sphyrna mokarran). The highlight of the trip was that several of the tagged sharks and sawfish that underwent an ultrasound were confirmed as pregnant!! The Grubbs’ lab hopes to join their colleagues on future trips to the Marquesas to continue their studies. All research was conducted under ESA permit #22078 and FWC Special Activity License SAL-1345-SRP.