2004 marks the 10th year of the Bimini Biological Field Station’s annual lemon shark census in Bimini, Bahamas. We have assembled a crew of 23 staff and volunteers from 6 different countries to carry out this year’s installment of this project. Starting on June 3, 2004 and extending through June 25, 2004, we will catch & tag upwards of 200 new born & juvenile lemon sharks. Each shark caught contributes to one of the longest running life history studies ever carried out on elasmobranch fishes.

Starting in 1995, Dr. Samuel Gruber & the Sharklab have been surveying 2 different nursery areas around the islands of Bimini in the Bahamas. These nurseries, the North Sound and Sharkland, serve as home and feeding grounds for most of Bimini’s lemon shark population for the early stages of their lives. In each of the two sites, we net sharks for 12 hour sessions through the night, over the course of six days.

Through the duration of the PIT Tagging Program’s existence, we have collected data on over 2000 lemon sharks. By using both Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags, as well as genetic sampling, we are able to identify and trace the life history of each shark that has been caught.

This year’s PIT Tagging Program will be documented, for the first time, on the BBFS Sharklab official website. Journalized updates on the progress and merriment of PIT 2004 will be posted regularly throughout the duration of June.

For more information on the BBFS PIT Tagging Program, click here.