Life history, essential habitat and stock assessment of highly migratory sharks in U.S. and Mexican waters: Fisheries research by The Center for Shark Research, 2001-2002. Final report.

Abstract

The primary emphasis of this research and information program involved biological assessments of sharks as a fishery resource. This project addressed major gaps in our resource information base for the blacktip shark, a common large coastal shark species inhabiting nearshore waters of the U.S. east coast, and other large and small coastal shark species. To assist the NMFS in its objective to manage shark fisheries, the primary research activities undertaken by the Center for Shark Research(CSR) in this project were new studies on the life history, essential habitat, and population status of the blacktip shark and other large and small coastal sharks inhabiting state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This research was conducted primarily in the Gulf of Mexico off the U.S. coast (Florida and Texas), along the U.S. southeastern Atlantic coast (South Carolina) and along the Mexican Gulf coast. New technology in the form of archival and satellite tags were deployed on large sharks of the region. The work in Mexico was conducted in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de la Pesca (INP) as part of the MEXUS-Gulf initiative. The CSR also served as a center for the public understanding and communication of information on sharks and for national and international exchanges on issues relating to shark biology. Through these various activities the CSR significantly advanced the course of shark research and fisheries conservation and management in 2001-02, and continued to serve as a productive partnership between Mote Marine Laboratory and the National Marine Fisheries Service.