During the last two weeks, Jeremy and Johann continued collecting shark samples from the lagoon (including at the shark and ray feeding sites), along the forereef and in nurseries. In addition, a diversity of potential prey samples (including spotted eagle and sting rays) for stable isotope analyses were collected. In total, we collected 250 shark and prey samples in just a few weeks. More information >>

Its been a busy few days for Jeremy and Johann!  The stationary cameras have been deployed several times on the forereef. The cameras have recorded an impressive number of species including blacktip reef sharks and lemon sharks, hawksbill turtles, large predatory fishes (trevallies, groupers, emperor beams and some large pelagics too), and tons of smaller fish. More information >>

Well the weather wasn’t kind to us on the last day for Linda and I.  We were going to do some quadcopter work but the wind was blowing 25 knots…at least…making conditions bad at best.  We did get in a little bit of snorkeling when we went out to check the conditions. We saw lots of sharks and rays and got some identification pictures for Johann…and then came across a humpback whale and calf inside the bay. More information >>

It was another great day of work in Moorea today. We started out early, setting the stationary cameras again.  Finding the stakes was a bit trickier today with seriously reduced visibility. But, Johann and Jeremy made fast work of it, and we soon ducked inside the lagoon to try to catch a blacktip reef shark to deploy the shark cam. More information >>

We had a beautiful start to the day and were poised to catch a shark to deploy our shark-cam.  But, before one of the three sharks circling the bait could take it a large tourist boat came over and anchored right next to us.  We tried to find another spot, but we couldn’t catch a shark before it was too late in the day to deploy a camera.  We did, however, have a really nice test flight of the quadcopter. More information >>

Today we got the first real data collection going for our main project.  We were out very early to deploy four cameras that record almost seven hours of video.  We started out at the forereef site near the shark-feeding area.  We were out before any feeding activity so as soon as we dropped in the water we had some curious sharks swimming around us.  The sickle fin lemons were quick to investigate what we were up to. More information >>

Today was underwater construction day!  We started out with a snorkel in an area near the shark feeding site.  After about half an hour we had the right spot picked out.  We didn’t want to be right at the shark feeding site, but a ways off.  That way we wouldn’t see the effects of a lot of fish being attracted to bait and have to worry about the effects of the divers.  Instead we wanted to be far enough away to avoid those effects but still have higher shark abundances than more “normal” parts of the reef. More information >>

Today was another amazing day on Moorea.  There wasn’t a breath of wind when we woke up and after organizing gear we were slipping under the bridge – more like squeezing through a tunnel (check out the picture … I am not kidding) – and were out on the bay.  We started out testing the shark-cam. More information >>

Today was an incredible day.  Linda and I got to relax for a while this morning when Johann and Jeremy made a hardware store run to get supplies for attaching cameras to different parts of the forereef.  We’ll be setting up multiple stations close to shark feeding sites and then a number far from feeding sites. More information >>

Over the next few days, we will be blogging from Moorea in French Polynesia!  We will be working on a variety of reef sharks – especially blacktip reef sharks, as we investigate their feeding, behavior, and importance to the health of reefs. More information >>