Back in August, Rick Mercer, Canadian comedian and political satirist, and his crew accompanied Ocean Tracking Network researchers and Dalhousie University marine biology students in the field, two hours off the coast of Nova Scotia, on a mission to tag blue sharks.
The researcher/student team demonstrated the importance of ocean research during a unique undergraduate experience while showing Rick how to catch, tag and safely return juvenile blue sharks into the ocean.
Over the course of a six-year tracking study sharks’ movements and behaviours will be documented and analyzed to further scientists’ understanding of blue shark behaviour and migratory patterns. This and other monitoring studies using large, resident, marine-predators will also help assess the health of the Scotian Shelf ecosystem and possibly inform Marine Protected Areas.
Our immense thanks to Brendal Davis (@TOSST_Ocean) for her tagging expertise and passion for shark research and conservation.
Ocean Tracking Network’s blue shark tagging research is funded by Encana Corporation. Encana is the owner and operator of the Deep Panuke natural gas field in Nova Scotia’s offshore.
Blue Shark Fishing Charters and Connors Diving Services provided logistical support for this trip.
The Rick Mercer Report airs Tuesdays 8 p.m. AST on CBC.