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We Tagged a Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Finally!)

posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday July 09 2019, @02:05PM   Printer-friendly
from the tagging-at-home dept.

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956

After a week in the Bahamas with our wonderful partners at the CAPE ELEUTHERA INSTITUTE, this weekend we managed to achieve history—tagging an animal from a submersible (submarine) for the first time—EVER.

Our objective was the deep-sea shark, the bluntnose sixgill. This ancient species predates most dinosaurs, and is a dominant predator of the deep sea ecosystem. The lead scientist on the mission, FSU MARINE LAB'S DR. DEAN GRUBBS, has been the first to put a satellite tag on one of these elusive sharks, but until now had only been able to do so by bringing them up to the surface.

Because bluntnose sixgills are a deep sea species, it's hard on them physiologically to be tagged in this way. In their typical life cycle, they won't experience daylight, and very rarely will they feel the low pressure, warmer temperatures of surface waters. Typically, the data obtained after surface tagging of a six gill is believed to be skewed, as the shark does not return to its natural behaviors for some time after the tagging.

[...] This is historic for a variety of reasons. Now that we've proven this method can work for the sixgill, we can unlock the world of leviathan deep-sea dwellers and gain important insights into their movement and behavior.

Source: http://www.oceanx.org/shark-deep-sea-shark-tagging-submersible-first-ever/

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday July 09 2019, @03:02PM (3 children)

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday July 09 2019, @03:02PM (#864997)

    I can see how they would log depth, temperature, and maybe rough speed through the water and heading (via magnetic compass), but... satellite connectivity? Does the tag jettison a satellite transmitter that floats up to the surface, or what?

    Nevermind tagging from a submersible, that's relatively easy peasy, the tech in that tracking tag has got to be pretty impressive.

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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 09 2019, @03:42PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 09 2019, @03:42PM (#865014)

    I wondered about this too, I think this is the answer,
        http://oceantracks.org/library/tags/pop-up-archival-satellite-tags [oceantracks.org]

    It's a two part system, the "anchor" stays attached to the animal:

    ... a monofilament “attachment strap” connects the tag to the anchor. The monofilament loops around a metal pin at the base of the tag, and this metal pin is connected to a battery. A clock incorporated into the tag is programmed to turn the battery on at a preprogrammed time. When the battery turns on, it causes electrolysis and the attachment pin dissolves in about 10 minutes. Once the pin has dissolved the tag floats to the surface and starts transmitting data to one of the Argos satellites. The battery power is sufficient for the tag to transmit for up to 2 weeks. The results of the processed data provide the migration path taken by the study animal, depth and temperature preferences, as well as oceanographic data in the form of depth-temperature profiles.

    • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Tuesday July 09 2019, @05:19PM

      by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Tuesday July 09 2019, @05:19PM (#865055)

      I was wondering how this would work too.
      Thank you for the explanation.

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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday July 09 2019, @08:31PM

    by nitehawk214 (1304) on Tuesday July 09 2019, @08:31PM (#865137)

    Just be careful how you implement it:

    https://xkcd.com/585/ [xkcd.com]

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