Research & Innovation

enetics offers a powerful lens through which we can better understand individual organisms—whether human, dog, or shark. In essence, genetic studies focus on inherited traits, providing crucial insights into identity and variation. While genetics is an incredibly useful tool, it’s not always as straightforward as it may seem. However, it plays a vital role in identifying individuals, detecting genetic variation, and confirming species, which is particularly important in areas such as combating illegal wildlife trade.

For Emma’s master’s project, she aimed to determine whether it was possible to collect genetic material from individual blue sharks using an unexpectedly simple tool: a toothbrush. Inspired by previous studies with basking sharks and manta rays, this approach wasn’t as rogue as it may first sound. Blue sharks proved to be the perfect candidates—they were easy to approach and appeared undisturbed by the toothbrush being swabbing along their flanks as they swam past.

With the help of our dedicated skippers, who carefully placed the used toothbrush head into a sample tube with RNAlater and replaced it with a fresh one, this project was seamlessly carried out alongside customers enjoying their sharky encounters and allowed participants to learn about the ongoing research while having a memorable experience.

Key takeaways from this project include the ability for it to be conducted without disrupting the eco-tourism experience—and, in fact, it added value for our customers. The sharks were easily sampled, and since none of them left the area, we concluded that the disturbance was minimal. Using the toothbrush, both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were successfully collected, extracted, and sequenced, resulting in the identification of 11 individual sharks. One shark was either “recaptured” 10 days later, or we may have sampled sisters or a mother and daughter; it was difficult to determine for certain, as the only successful genetic sample from that individual came from mtDNA, which is passed directly from the mother.

This project was not only enjoyable and informative, but it also enriched our understanding of the genetic makeup of blue sharks in the Celtic Deep. It provided valuable lessons for future research, should this approach be built upon in the future.

Blue sharks are one of the most widespread and abundant species of shark, yet there is still much to learn about their behaviour. In the Celtic Deep, key questions about their habitat use, duration of stay, and movement patterns remain unclear. Tagging offers an invaluable opportunity to gain deeper insights into how these sharks use this area.

With North Atlantic blue sharks now suspected to be Endangered, due to mounting pressure from the fishing industry and habitat squeeze driven by climate change, the subset of sub-adult female sharks we encounter is particularly important for the species' long-term survival. With large mature females and small juveniles less than 1m in length also seen, understanding more about these sharks could help elucidate important information essential for ensuring their widespread conservation and local protection.

We've had the privilege of collaborating with various organisations, including MARECO and Swansea University, to look at the design and application of tags and attachment methods. Prioritising the welfare of the animals, we ensure that tags are attached while both the sharks and the team are free-swimming. This decision was made to ensure we are not inflicting unnecessary physiological stress or damage to the sharks that can result from being caught on a line and boarded. This is accomplished either through direct placement or by using an adapted spear-gun for sub-dermal attachment of the tag. While one method is less invasive than the other, during both projects we observed sharks returning to the area almost immediately, indicating minimal disruption to their behaviour. 

BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video) is essentially underwater camera trapping—a powerful research tool for studying the diversity, abundance, and behaviour of marine species without human presence. It allows researchers to capture footage of both elusive species rarely seen and common species exhibiting natural behaviours. The beauty of BRUVs lies in their versatility—whether you're observing more conspicuous species or documenting rare behaviours, the footage provides invaluable insights into the marine ecosystem.

BRUV setups can be customised in many ways, including transforming them into RUVs (Remote Underwater Video Systems), which eliminate the bait component. These systems can be used in shallow waters or at greater depths, as long as the equipment can withstand the pressure. We utilise two types of BRUVs—coastal benthic and offshore pelagic—each chosen depending on the specific research question and available resources.

Our coastal benthic BRUVs are deployed on the seafloor, usually no deeper than 10m. We transport the BRUV frame on a paddleboard to a spot we want to deploy it. One of the team will dive down to check the habitat type at the bottom and to ensure it isn’t going to land on a passing spider crab or delicate structure. Once the BRUV is in place, we leave it to record for an hour before retrieving it and reviewing the GoPro footage which is usually left for a rainy day. The initial aim of this study was to examine the tempo-spatial distribution of coastal elasmobranch species aka where and when can we find coastal sharks, skates and rays. However, our sole star so far has been the small spotted catshark. So, although we are making adaptations to our protocol to increase the chances of capturing other species, we are also now looking at using the small-spotted catsharks' unique spot patterns to identify individuals, with the aim to look at population size and connectivity within small bays. Along the way, we've also captured some fantastic crab wars, seen an array of fish species, lobsters and even the odd seal.

The offshore pelagic BRUV was used in a PhD study by Sol Lucas from Newcastle University. For this research, we deployed the BRUV to a depth of 10 meters, over 100 meters of water, and about 30 miles offshore in the Celtic Deep. The goal of the study was to explore whether ferrite magnets could deter blue sharks from investigating the bait canister. This research focuses on the sharks' unique ability to detect electric and magnetic pulses through their ampullae of Lorenzini, specialized organs filled with jelly that cover their snouts and can sense minute electromagnetic fields within a range of 1-2 meters. If the magnets successfully deterred the sharks, this technology could be applied to fishing hooks, potentially reducing blue shark bycatch, which currently makes up the largest portion of bycatch in North Atlantic longline fisheries—often outnumbering the targeted species.

Future BRUV projects aspire to an offshore benthic BRUVs study, deploying a set-up in the Celtic Deep to depths of 100m+.  

Baseline Monitoring