The Dorsal Fin

Video footage of “Junior,” the great white shark who was captured, tagged, and released as part of Dr. Michael Domeier’s SPOT tagging research at the Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary, has recently been released. “Junior” was tagged on October 29, 2009 and during the process was hooked in the throat. The top portion of the hook was removed, but “most of the hook was left in the shark” according to an article on the Farallones website.

Cropped stills from the video above comparing footage of “Junior” from 2009 to footage from 2010, which showed a massive injury behind the white shark’s jaw, generated some controversy after some opponents to the catch and release tagging methods suggested the injury could be a result of the hooking incident. Others, including Dr. Doemeir, contended that the injuries seen in the 2010 still were the result of white shark bites.

With the release of the actual video footage, it appears that “Junior” had sustained multiple injuries that are consistent with white shark bites, which were not readily visible in the cropped still. For a more in-depth analysis of the video check out David Shiffman’s post at Southern Fried Science (and give the comments to his post a read, as they are definitely worth a read, if you’re interested in this particular story).

The Daily recently released a video featuring expedition leader Chris Fischer and Captain Brett McBride discussing their work with great white sharks for the National Geographic series “Shark Men.” Fischer seems to do most of the talking and touches on how his team of “world-class mariners” has joined forces with “world class scientists” in order to learn more about great white sharks and use that knowledge to affect policies to protect the species.

Fischer also mentions 5,000 lbs great white sharks in the video on multiple occasions. Maximum weight of white sharks seems to be one of those things that has been debated among experts over the years. For example, National Geographic lists the weight of great white sharks at “5,000 lbs or more,” while the Smithsonian lists the weight of white sharks at “up to 4400 lbs.”

Considering that the “Shark Men” team are recording measurements as part of their research, if they have been recording the live weight of all of their specimens, could an end to the debate on white shark weight be near?

New episodes of “Shark Men” air Saturdays at 9pm on the National Geographic Channel.

To promote the upcoming new season of “Shark Men” (formerly known as “Expedition: Great White”), National Geographic has posted multiple full episodes, available in HD, of the show to their YouTube channel.

The episodes available include:

• “Fresh Kill”
• “Feeding Frenzy”
• “Into the Unknown”
• “Giant on Deck”
• “Blood in the Water”

The series follows Dr. Michael Domeier and a team of fishermen and researchers who catch great white sharks and tag them with SPOT (Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting) tags before releasing them.

The tagging program documented by “Shark Men” has been the subject of another recent news story regarding “infighting” among shark researchers, according to an article posted by SantaCruz.com.

Photos have been recently circulated of a white shark, nicknamed “Junior,” who was tagged by Domeier’s team in 2009 at the Farallones Marine Sanctuary. The selected photos show an injury to the shark, which some are claiming might be the result of a mishap at the hands of the research team while others argue that the injury is unrelated and could be the result of a bite from another white shark.

New episodes of “Shark Men” start Sunday, April 10 at 9PM with two back-to-back episodes.

The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary has recently posted a draft environmental assessment to analyze the impacts of issuing a permit to Dr. Michael Domeier of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, which would allow the tagging of 11 additional great white sharks (3 males, and 8 females) within the marine sanctuary, using the catch and release method that has been featured on National Georgraphic’s Expedition Great White.

Dr. Domeier was issued a 1-year permit in September of 2009. During the 2009 white shark season, he and his team used the catch and release method to tag 2 male white sharks at the Farallones. However, a bit of controversy stirred up when one the tagged sharks was hooked in the esophagus, and the circle hook had to be cut and left in the shark. According to the draft environmental assessment, “the public and members of the other research teams studying white sharks in the region were concerned that the shark had died and that the tagging was being conducted primarily for a National Geographic television program.”

It should be noted that the hooked shark made its normal migration pattern after the incident, according to data supplied from the tag, and that the tag was still reporting normal data 8 months after it was hooked. (see Southern Fried Science’s interview with Dr. Domeier)

Supporters of Dr. Domeier’s SPOT tagging methods argue that this research provides invaluable data, which cannot be gathered using other methods, and that the data could be beneficial to the species. Those who oppose these tagging methods argue that the potential gains simply do not outweigh the risks.

Regardless of which side of the fence you might be on, if you have genuine interest in this topic and are willing to read the environmental assessment draft, the GFMNS is open to your comments. Comments should be submitted to Carliane.Johnson@noaa.gov until October 12, 2010.

National Geographic’s Expedition Great White premieres tonight at 9pm on the National Geographic Channel. However, you don’t have to wait tonight to get a sneak peek. National Geographic has made the episode “First Bites” available on Expedition Great White YouTube page (the episode is embedded below).

Expedition Great White focuses on a research team, headed by researcher Dr. Michael Domeier, whose goal is to gather tracking data on great white sharks at Isla de Guadalupe (filmed in the fall of 2008). Domeier’s team uses a catch-and-release technique to SPOT (Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting) tag great white sharks in order to provide researchers with real-time tracking information. After hooking and bringing in a white shark using a rod and reel, the shark is then brought onto a platform and raised out of the water in order to have a satellite tag attached to the shark’s dorsal fin. In addition to attaching the SPOT tag to the white shark, samples were also taken from the shark for research efforts.

Unlike traditional pop-up tags that report data after detaching from the shark and surfacing, the tags that Domeier’s team uses in Expedition Great White reports real-time data whenever a tagged white shark surfaces. The tags are expected to be able to transmit for six years.

Domeier’s catch and release method drew some criticism last year after an incident at the Farallon Islands, in which a hook was stuck in the mouth of a captured great white shark, requiring that the hook be cut with part of the left stuck in the shark’s mouth. However, Domeier’s team has since reported that the shark’s tag is still reporting data, and the shark is in good health.

While elements of Domeier’s methods may seem questionable to some, the results of his efforts in terms of producing real-time data could prove invaluable in terms of gaining knowledge about white shark behavior. Personally, I can find merit with both sides of the argument. I expect that the airing of the Great White Expedition series will drum up the debate once, again, and it will likely bring up interesting arguments both for and against Domeier’s techniques.

Updated tracking data from Domeier’s tagging efforts can be viewed at MarineCSI.org (click on the small map image for a larger view).