Image Credit: BARCROFT/GETTY IMAGES
By: Jessica Kittel
Researchers from the University of Salford have gotten pretty creative about shark research, as reported on zmescience.com. The traditional method for tracking and monitoring shark populations usually includes baiting, hooking, or filming individual sharks, if not all of the above. These methods not only cost an arm and a leg (no, not because the shark ate them), they also take up a lot of the researchers’ time and, more importantly, are huge stressors on the sharks themselves.
However, shark populations around the globe are in a world of hurt due to overfishing and it’s more important than ever to collect as much data on these creatures as possible.
The University of Salford researchers took all of this into consideration and came up with a potential solution.
When an animal swims through the water they leave behind small fragments of skin, excretions, and blood, all of which can be used to extract DNA. Once collected, researchers utilize metabarcoding, a process that assesses biodiversity using DNA based identification and high throughput DNA sequencing. Fortunately, metabarcoding is not only comprehensive, it’s also quick and easy and can be done on the water or back on land.
Not only is it convenient for the scientists, but in all probability, the sharks will prefer this new method as well. According the lead author, Judith Baker:
“The beauty of our method is that we can get a picture of shark diversity without the need for chasing, baiting and hooking them – so it is a lot faster for conservation scientists and less traumatic for the animals.”
This method has already provided some new information regarding sharks. The researchers found more shark DNA sequences in areas that were more isolated and protected and therefore had less human impact.
This strategy has a lot of potential to provide a wealth of data regarding these awesome animals.
Learn more from our source.