Bimini Shark Lab

The highlight today was a trip to the Bimini Shark Lab on South Bimini. After a five minute water taxi ride from North to South Bimini we took the bus to the Shark Lab.

The shark lab was founded in the 1990s by Doctor Dean Gruber of the University of Miami in Miami Florida to study sharks.  Specifically lemon sharks who are native to Bimini.  We had a presentation by Ms. Lauran Brewster of England.  Lauran is a PhD candidate from University of Hull  in Hull, England. There are three principal investigators working in the shark lab along with interns and volunteers.  It takes 18 people to do everything every day.

Lauran's research is measuring movement of lemon sharks using tri-axially accelerometers.  The loggers are attached to the sharks and can record 90 points of data per second. They have to capture the shark to download the data.

Here are some pictures of us at the shark lab.

Joy on the right listening to Lauran

Lauran holding one of the juvenile lemon sharks.  When you turn the shark upside down they mellow out and stop their sideways movements.

Upclose view of a 1.5 year old lemon shark.

The weather looks good for leaving on Wednesday to head over to West End and Old Bahama Bay marina.  Need to call them tomorrow for a 2 day reservation. Then we are headed up into the Abacos.

Joe