Migramar’s Prof. Pete Klimley and Dr. Alex Hearn attended and gave presentations at the 2009 Joint Meeting of the Ichthyology and Herpetology Societies, during which the American Elasmobranch Society held their symposium.
Portland, OR, USA
American Elasmobranch Society.
Dr. Klimley presented the findings of a study looking at hammerhead movements around Wolf Island in Galapagos, and how they show a clear preference for one side of the island, facing the oncoming predominant current. Hammerheads at Darwin Island show a similar preference.
The presentation showed how other pelagic creatures seemed to share this preference, and posed several hypotheses which would explain this. This presentation was developed from an article currently under review, and forms the basis of the next phase of research – determining the mechanisms by which hammerheads orient themselves in the ocean.
Click here to download the talk.
Hearn presented the results of inter-island migrations undertaken by hammerheads in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. At least a low level of connectivity exists between Cocos, Malpelo and Galapagos, but within Galapagos there appears to be some seasonal movement between the northern islands and Roca Redonda, 120 km to the south. As yet, connectivity with the main archipelago has not been shown.
Click here to download the talk.
Meanwhile, in Galapagos…
Click here to download the poster.
Whilst Ketchum attended the Charles Darwin Symposium in the Galapagos Islands, he sent his poster describing satellite tracks of hammerhead and Galapagos sharks obtained from the Galapagos islands since 2006, and which could form the basis of the design of open water reserves, based on shark migration and foraging patterns.
Overall, the work presented at the meeting by researchers from all over the world, showed the importance of tagging and tracking studies in understanding shark behaviour and contributing to their sustainable management and conservation. Tagging technology has come a long way in recent years, and Migramar scientists hope to use some new techniques in the near future.
