It's not easy being a girl...

Jun 17, 2016

108

It's not easy being a girl...                
 
Bryan Frazier has already detected one of the pregnant females I instrumented in St. Helena Sound, SC. I was concerned about hearing back from this one because of the large degree of injuries she had. Her body was covered in deep lacerations and fresh cuts. It is typical to see injuries like this on a female shark during mating season. Males restrain the females by holding their pectoral fin and/or body in their jaws while mating. Female sharks endure a lot of physical abuse this time of year.
Donate here: https://experiment.com/projects/mystery-of-the-missing-females

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About This Project

Mystery of the Missing Females

Florida Atlantic University

Blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) aggregate by the thousands in the warm nearshore waters of Southeast Florida each winter. However, these massive aggregations are comprised exclusively of males. Where are the females? We will travel to their summertime mating/birthing areas to instrument females with acoustic transmitters to delineate their migratory route and identify critical habitat. Knowing the distribution of the entire population is essential for effective management.