91AV

91AV marine science Professor James Sulikowski, Ph.D., and 11 undergraduate students recently returned from nine days in Gulfport, Mississippi, where they participated in intensive research and made an exciting discovery.  

This is the third year Sulikowski's Bio 421-Physiological Ecology of Fish class has traveled to the Gulf of Mexico for hands-on research - but the first time they encountered two blacknose sharks, a rare occurrence in that region.

The spring-semester class consists of lectures and lab activities and culminates with a trip to the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) for hands-on research.

Students select a species to study for the semester - this year, they chose either Atlantic croaker, Hardhead catfish, or Atlantic stingray. The discovery of the blacknose sharks provided an unexpected but welcome opportunity for more in-depth field experience. 

Sulikowski, a member of the faculty of 91AV's Department of Marine Sciences, explains, "Since the sharks were female, our team was able to investigate the reproductive biology of this species."

Different Ecosystems

The intensive Gulf experience engaged the 91AV marine biology students in research of a different ecosystem and species than that found in coastal Maine. The students divided their time between time on the research vessel, where they collected fish between 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; running experiments; and analyzing results in the computer labs.

Sulikowski adds, "One of the most important things students learn in their experiments is that things go wrong. These are not cookie-cutter experiments, so a large part of the learning is the problems they run into and how they aim to solve them."

Karson Coutre ('12), a marine science major from Lacrosee, Wis., has worked in Sulikowski's lab since her freshman year and found the hands-on aspects of the experience most valuable: "I learned about fish physiology throughout the year, and then was able to apply this knowledge in a way so much more meaningful than in the lab. Being in the Gulf of Mexico, we saw how much life was there - sting rays, sharks. We also got into a "dead zone" (where there were no fish) and saw how it's negatively been affected, and it makes me want to help. I love doing research, and I want to go on to graduate school."

Fellow student Eric Nuber ('12) of North Bay, N.Y., agrees: "Our goal is to study the species that are being affected by humans and how we can manage them. We spend a lot of time in the classroom studying, and rarely get to see things pieced together. It was really rewarding to have this opportunity in the field to do that."

He adds, "Working with Dr. Sulikowski has exposed me to so much. He guides and directs us, and encourages us to discover own interests and niche." Nuber learned that the particular species he studied - Atlantic croaker - is a substantial bi-catch for shrimp trawl. "I also learned the entire Gulf is low in oxygen levels and has a lot of coastal run-off, and that the Mississippi watershed creates many dead zones."

Nuber also intends to pursue graduate school, though hasn't yet decided whether to study freshwater fish or saltwater. He says, "Everything is cool in the ocean."

Honors Thesis

Another student, Dan Crear ('12) of North Attleboro Mass., is staying in Mississippi an extra month to collect data for his honors thesis. Crear's project will focus on describing the age distributions and population structure of the six shark species within the Mississippi Sound, a known shark nursery ground.

In addition to working with Sulikowski, Crear is also collaborating with research scientists Eric Hoffmayer, Ph.D., of the National Marine Fisheries Service and Jill Hendon from the GCRL shark research program. Collectively, Crear's data will be used to help determine the age classes of sharks occupying the Mississippi Sound, how the age distribution changes both annually and seasonally, and how abiotic parameters such as temperature and salinity influence these fluctuations.