A series of research trips, which began in 2019, have allowed students at the University of Rhode Island to join a professor on his boat on the ocean to catch, tag and release sharks.
Professor Brad Wetherbee of the University of Rhode Island Department of Biological Sciences spearheaded these educational day trips.
“It provides them with the opportunity to see and do the kind of things they think they want to do or are really interested in,” Wetherbee said. “Being a marine biologist student and getting out on a boat, seeing wildlife – you can’t do that in very many places.”
Marine biology major and third-year Mary Brantley has been accompanying Wetherbee on these trips since this past summer, after working alongside him as part of the Coastal and Environmental Fellowship program, offered by URI’s College of Environment and Life Sciences. Brantley was offered spots on Wetherbee’s fishing trips as part of a fieldwork component of her research, opening her to more opportunities to work with animals.
“I really want to keep going with field work,” Brantley said. “My main goal is to do field work and use that research that’s found to help aid conservation policy and management of these populations. Especially early on in my career, I really love working with the animals, it’s a lot of fun.”
Wetherbee’s research follows the movement patterns of sharks, along with biological questions concerning their interaction with their environment and surrounding species.
During his research trips, Wetherbee invites students on the College of Environment and Life Sciences’ boat, the Hope Hudner, to tag sharks using satellite transmitters. These transmitters record the sharks’ movements over long distances and time periods. This summer, Wetherbee was able to take around 100 students shark fishing, with his season just coming to a close over the weekend.
“This field work is a great opportunity to go out and actually apply what you’ve been learning in the directed research and actually see this species that you’ve been learning about,” Brantley said.
Before catching and tagging sharks, students are taken to the Beavertail Lighthouse to fish for bluefish to use as bait, according to Brantley. They then go seven miles offshore to set up fishing rods.
“There’s so many skills that I never thought I would use,” Brantley said. “I had never been fishing before I went on these trips. There’s just a level of caution that I’ve never used around animals before, so it was just a whole different sense of responsibility.”
Marine biology students at URI often have a slow introduction to the field, according to Wetherbee. In their first year, they are required to take introductory biology, along with other hard sciences. They are often eligible to take an introductory marine biology class during their second year.
“Sometimes, students probably wonder if it’s worth it to stay with the marine biology major because it’s hard, so experiences like that remind them that that’s what they want to do,” Wetherbee said. “The number one thing that students really want to do is to do some kind of field work. So, even though it’s one day, I think it has a very lasting effect on them.”
Wetherbee presents opportunities to his students beyond his shark fishing trips. For those less interested in hands-on research, Wetherbee offers directed research courses for students to learn more about data analytical work.
