OCEARCH
Lowcountry Expedition Education Packet
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
1
OCEARCH
Lowcountry Expedition Education Packet
You can follow along as OCEARCH goes on Lowcountry Expedition. Replace fear
with facts as you learn more about Great White Sharks, explore the Pelagic
Sargassum Habitat, and track the pings of your favorite sharks. You will also see
how tagging technology works and how to use the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker
to gather near real-time data to complete the S.T.E.M. activities!
There are several ways that you can be a part of the OCEARCH Education global
community during the Low country Expedition and beyond.
You can:
• Download the free OCEARCH S.T.E.M. Learning Curriculum for grades K-8
• Host a Change 4 FINS fundraising event at your school.
• Follow and engage with us on our social media platforms.
(Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
• Sign up to receive the OCEARCH Education Newsletter at
[email protected] for updates and upcoming events.
• Register for an OCEARCH Education Google Hangout lesson or Teacher
Workshop with one of our OCEARCH Education Ambassadors.
• Schedule a Skype Session with an OCEARCH team member and get your
questions answered.
• Kick Plastic by reducing the use of single use plastic bottles and bags in your
classroom and home.
Together we can educate, inspire, and enable the next generation of scientists,
explorers, and stewards of the ocean.
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
2
OCEARCH
Lowcountry Expedition North Atlantic White Shark Research Goals
During Lowcountry Expedition, researchers will collaborate on board the OCEARCH vessel, to do
multiple white shark research projects. They will use a variety of methods to obtain samples
and tag sharks with multiple tags (3) to gather data in order to gain understanding about white
sharks in the North Atlantic.
Research projects include; white shark movements in the North Atlantic, to look at their fine
and broad scale movements, their habitat use, residency, and feeding behavior, aspects of
white shark reproduction, impacts of white sharks on the marine food web of the western
North Atlantic, DNA sequence variation of white sharks within and among ocean basins,
nutritional markers, bite force in sharks, and contaminates of emerging concern from U.S.
Atlantic waters.
Some of these researchers will take biological samples from white sharks, like blood, muscle
plugs, reproductive fluids, fin clips, or parasites off of the shark. Some researchers will then use
the results from the tests performed on the samples can then used along with the pings from
white shark movements on the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker to complete their data sets.
Others will use only the biological samples for their research.
Research using biological samples : Nutrition, Ectoparasites, and White Shark Reproduction.
Example of white shark research that use both: DNA analysis, Physiological effects of capture
stress, trophic ecology of white sharks in the western North Atlantic.
Other research projects will solely rely on tracking data from active (like SPOT and PSAT tags)
and/or passive (acoustic tags) tracking data.
Example : Movements of White Sharks in the North Atlantic
Little is known about white shark biology, ecology, reproduction, and behavior. The ability to
conduct research experiments on the hydraulic lift, with live white sharks, gives scientists
unprecedented access to these apex predators, in order to continue their vital work that could
lead to conservation efforts to manage this IUCN listed “vulnerable” species toward abundance.
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
3
Expedition Mission: Lowcountry Shark Research
Name ____________________________________________________________
See the OCEARCH Science Team talk about the research they are conducting during the Lowcountry Expedition,
live on Periscope or Facebook. Participate in the chat by submitting your questions in the comments section and
follow along as we hear about the shark research conducted and samples collected on this expedition .
1.
How do researchers know what prey items a shark has eaten by testing its blood?
2.
Can we tell if white sharks tagged are related by analyzing their DNA?
3.
What else can we learn from analyzing shark DNA?
4.
What kinds of data can be gathered from the blood taken by OCEARCH scientists ?
5.
How do researchers assess the reproductive health, cycle, and gestation of sharks ?
6.
How can pollutants, like personal care products flame retardants affect sharks?
7.
What will measuring a shark’s bite force tell us about prey items that shark is eating?
8.
How can you measure the bite force of sharks in the ocean vs lab measurements?
9.
Why do sharks have low rates of infection? How does a shark’s immune system compare to humans ?
10. What are ectoparasites? What can they tell researchers about a shark ?
11. How do white sharks impact the marine food web of the Atlantic Ocean?
12. What do the fine and broad scale movements of white sharks in the Atlantic tell researchers an us about
this species?
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
4
Shark Species of the Lowcountry
The Lowcountry has marine ecosystems that is used by apex predators like Great
White sharks, Tiger sharks, Bull sharks, and Sandbar sharks. These species of
sharks are keeping the Atlantic Ocean in balance. More data is needed about
these species of sharks and how they use the waters in North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Georgia. By tracking and gathering data on Great White Sharks like
Mary Lee, scientists and researchers gain insight on the migratory patterns, life
cycle, reproduction, and overall health of this vulnerable species. This research is
used to conserve them, so they can have a healthy and abundant future, and
therefore a healthy ocean.
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
5
Great White Shark
Cacharadon Carcharias
Life Stage: Young of the year (In their first year of life)
Size: Pups: 5 to 7 feet,
Habitat: Great White Sharks can be found in the ocean, all over the world,
preferring water with temperatures between 54-75 degrees.
Prey
Immature White Shark diet: Young Great White Sharks eat mostly fish and rays,
due to their smaller, pointy teeth.
Life Cycle
Reproduction: Viviparous: They have a gestation period ranging from 18 to 24
months. Great white sharks have a live birth to 2-12 pups that are 5-7 ft. long
Fun Fact: Young of the Year great white shark Manhattan was 72.75 pounds and
was tagged off of Montauk New York in August 2016. He has traveled.
Cacharadon Carcharias
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
6
Great White Shark
Cacharadon Carcharias
Life Stage: Immature to Mature
Size:
Mature White Sharks: 15 to 20 feet
Habitat: Great White Sharks can be found in the ocean, all over the world, preferring water
with temperatures between 54-75 degrees.
Prey
Mature White Shark diet: Adult Great White Sharks have larger, triangular, serrated teeth and
eat whales, dolphins, fish, dogfish sharks, and seals.
Life Cycle
Reproduction: Great White Sharks reach maturity at 20 years old.
Fun Fact: Great White Sharks can swim in bursts of 25 mph and travel long distances during
their migrations. Lydia traveled 35,000 miles in the first year
after she was tagged!
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
7
Lowcountry Marine Ecosystems
Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Restricted Area
Beneath the Weedline: Exploring Sargassum Habitat
Center for Sport fish Science and Conservation
Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Restricted Area
The Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Restricted Area is a designated area in the Atlantic Ocean
ranging from North Carolina to Florida. It is named for the kind of brown seaweed that is found
floating through the Gulf Stream called sargassum. As a seaweed travels through the Gulf
Stream it provides a floating ecosystem as part of the Atlantic marine food chain. The
sargassum itself is food for many juvenile fishes, as well as protection from, larger fishes, who
are preyed on by apex predators, like great white sharks in the ocean.
Pelagic Sargassum Marine Food Web
According to NOAA, the Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Restricted Area is home 81 different fish
species. North Carolina , South Carolina, and Georgia have fishes like, Sargassum Fish,
Planehead fish, Dolphin fishes, and Triggerfish. Other fish species that use the sargassum
habitat include Amberjacks and Tuna; even sea turtles have been seen using the sargassum.
Great White Shark Mary Lee has pinged in several times in this area. This is a sign of a healthy,
thriving, ecosystem. Use the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker to see which other sharks have
visited the Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Restricted Area. Juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtles also take
refuge in the sargassum and use it as a food source. Other marine life that use the Sargassum
Habitat Restricted include; dolphins, juvenile Jacks and Pufferfish, and filefish.
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
8
Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Restricted Area
Food Web Activity
Name_____________________________________________________________
What is the marine food web for the Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Restricted Area? Write the name of the
marine species on the
Word Box
Great White Shark
Yellowfin Tuna
Juvenile Jacks
Sargassum Fish
Dolphin Fish
Sargassum
Sea turtles
Planehead Fish
Apex Predators
Second Tier
Third Tier
Plants
Photograph by:
South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
9
Lowcountry Expedition Map
Name_____________________________________________________________
Practice geography skills as you add the pings from sharks tagged during the Lowcountry
Expedition and your favorite sharks opinion on the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker.
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
10
Tracking Technology
When you see a shark ping in on the OCEARCH
Global Shark Tracker, the pings is the result of
the shark’s SPOT tag sending a signal to a
satellite, telling where a shark is located.
That information is used to track the migration
patterns of the shark and see where it is and
when it’s been there.
We can learn all kinds of different things about
sharks from the tags that are on them. Each
tag gives a different set of data or is put on a
shark for different reasons.
Let’s look at the tags that OCEARCH scientists
and researchers use to learn more about Great
White Sharks!
PSAT tag: The Pop-off Satellite Archival Tag can record data and take measurements of water
temperature, salinity, depths, and location. This tag stays on the shark for a certain amount of
time and then the battery dissolves the tag attachment, and the tag releases and “pops-up” on
the waters surface and transmits it’s location to a satellite for retrieval. This tag is usually
placed at the bottom of the dorsal fin.
S.P.O.T tag: Smart Position Or Temperature transmitting tags are used to track apex predator
sharks in real time . They are the most advanced tag and records database on salinity,
temperature, depth and location. When the SPOT tag is out of the water for 90 seconds, it
sends a signal to a satellite and transmits the data. This tag is placed toward the top of the
dorsal fin. The ping is then uploaded onto the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker.
Internal Acoustic tag: Internal Acoustic Tags are surgically placed in the space near the stomach
of the shark and closed up with a couple of stitches. It is a very small cut and the shark heals
very quickly. The tag will send sounds that are picked up by a receiver and the tag number is
recorded.
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
11
Tagging and Tracking Great White Sharks
Name _____________________________________________________________
Use the information about the tags above, to label places on the shark where researchers put
the tags, when they’re on expedition with OCEARCH. Then and then cut out the tags and paste
them in the squares or on the shark.
P.S.A.T. tag
S.P.O.T tag
Internal Acoustic tag
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
12
Tagging and Tracking Trivia
Name___________________________________________________________
Use the information about tags from page 4 to answer the tagging and tracking trivia questions
below.
1. Which kind of tag needs to be out of the water for 90 seconds to send a
signal to a satellite for real-time tracking data?
A. P.S.A.T. tag
B. S.P.O.T tag
C. Internal Acoustic tag
2. Which kind of tag in placed in cavity near the stomach of the shark?
A . P.S.A.T. tag
B. S.P.O.T. Tag
C. Internal Acoustic tag
3. Label the tags.
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
13
OCEARCH Ship Tour
Name _______________________________________________________________________
Take a tour of the MV OCEARCH to answer the questions below. Match the name of the place
on the ship to its description.
1. _____It is the place where the crew eats their meals.
A. Bow
2. _____Where Captain Brett McBride drives the ship.
B. Galley
3. _____The area where gear an tackle is kept.
C. Bridge
4. _____The name of the place where the crew sleeps.
D. Stern
5. _____The large outside area of the ship where the safe boat is kept. E. Deck
6. _____The name of the area with 8 bunks. It used to be a crab pot. F. Starboard
7. ______The place where a breeze can be felt as you head to the back of the ship. G. Port
8. ______This is the term for the front part of the ship.
H. Breeze Way
9. ______This is the term for the back of the ship.
I. Tackle Bar
10. ______ This is the term for the left side of the ship.
J. The Ocho
11. ______This is the term for the right side of the ship.
K. Bunk Room
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
14
Tagging Sharks with OCEARCH
Name________________________________________________ Date__________________
Watch the tagging videos or Periscopes of sharks tagged by OCEARCH to answer the questions
below. You may want to see the video two times. The first time watch and listen to the entire
video to hear about the exciting science and data being collected on Great White Sharks during
their expedition . The second time watching, try to listen for the answers as you fill in the
blanks.
1. Where is OCEARCH on expedition? ___________________________________________
2. What size range are the great white sharks that OCEARCH has been seeing?
______________________________________________________________
3. Which OCEARCH shark does Chris Fischer mention, that they are seeing the same size
range of? ____________________________________________________________
4. How many female white sharks has OCEARCH tagged in the North Atlantic previous to
this expedition? ________ How many sharks have they tagged now?_______________
5. Who is the chief scientist on this expedition? __________________________________
6. Name one of the research institutions or aquariums mentioned on expedition.
___________________________________________________________________
7. What gender, life stage, or species of shark are the scientists hoping to tag during this
expedition?____________________________________________________________
8. Name one of the tests that the scientists perform when a shark is on the
lift___________________________________________________________________
9. What are they hoping to learn from the sharks tagged during the Lowcountry Expedition?
______________________________________________________________________
10. What’s the most interesting thing you learned from the OCEARCH video?
Educate. Inspire. Enable.
15