Marquesas was a research cruise that occurred in the Marquesas Keys of Florida for 12 years from 1998-2010. The project relied on a variety of vessels throughout the years including the R/V Dante Fascell, a NOAA/FKCC operated 53’ boat which often served as the research base. Small skiffs have been used as the fishing boats, and a 17’ inflatable Avon (RIB) was used as the workup boat for the juvenile sharks.

Boats used for Marquesas

Two different methods were used to catch sharks: Gillnetting and Rod and Reel fishing. The gillnetting would occur at night, and the rod and reel fishing would occur during the daytime. You can read more about gillnetting here. For the rod and reel fishing, sub adult lemon sharks were the target, with chum blocks and fresh barracuda carcasses in the water to lure in the sharks, and barracuda steaks on the hooks. The caught sharks were worked up in the same biological workup procedure done in the lab, taking PCL, FL, and TL lengths of the shark, recording the sex, and taking a small piece of fin for DNA. Lemon sharks that were over 140 cm total length received a NMFS M-Type Dart Tag.

Bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) were also caught in the gillnets along with the lemon sharks, and with the rod and reel nurse sharks and blacktips have also been caught.

Measuring the Lemon