ICYMI: Great White Shark Expedition Planned Off Florida Coast

SARASOTA, FL — Ocearch, the nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to studying all things shark, is planning to hit the open water again next week with researchers from Mote Marine along to lend a hand.

Expedition Jacksonville sets sail March 15 with a planned end date of April 2. The purpose of the mission is to build on previous study and tagging expeditions involving great white sharks. Three scientists from Mote and other researchers will board the famous M/V OCEARCH for the journey. The study focus area stretches from Jacksonville into the southern waters of Georgia.

While it’s unclear if the upcoming expedition will produce another “celebrity” tagged shark like Mary Lee or Katharine, Mote researchers are excited about the opportunity further their understanding of the species.

“Previous research has indicated that northern Florida and southern Georgia provide important habitat for white sharks, especially in winter months,” Mote’s Dr. Robert Hueter said in a statement. “As top predators, sharks play an important role in preserving the balance of ocean ecosystems, but habitat loss and climate change are two of the issues these animals face today. We hope to learn more about the suitability of shark habitat in northern Florida and southern Georgia.”

See Also:

• Shark Researchers Cast Net In Gulf Waters
• Betsy the Great White Shark Swimming St. Pete’s Waters
• Katharine the Great White Shark Returns to Florida

Mote’s Dr. Heather Marshall is also joining the expedition to take blood samples and study the physiological effects of capture and release stress on great whites. Marshall also took park in Ocearch’s recent Gulf expedition. The third Mote scientist joining the crew is Dr. Kim Ritchie.

Ritchie aim’s to take advantage of the opportunity to further study antibiotic-producing bacteria that is associated with white sharks. It is believed this bacteria may help explain why white sharks have a natural resistance to disease and injury.

“Researchers at Mote are trying to understand the rapid wound healing that is a characteristic of sharks, skates and rays,” Ritchie said. “We've discovered that skates and rays harbor numerous bacteria that produce antibiotics — many against some terrible antibiotic-resistant, infectious bacteria strains that are huge problems in hospitals. We're interested in understanding elasmobranch (sharks, rays and skates) immunity by studying their beneficial microbes. As an added benefit, elasmobranchs, including white sharks, may be a novel source of antibiotics.”

To keep up with the expedition or to keep tabs on Ocearch’s tagged sharks, visit OCEARCH online. It’s also possible the Mary Lee Twitter stream will have some updates on the progress as it moves forward. That tagged shark has a following on Twitter that’s more than 91,000 strong.

Photo courtesy of Ocearch