1 00:00:08,541 --> 00:00:11,344 Some people love them. 2 00:00:11,444 --> 00:00:13,146 They're beautiful and amazing. 3 00:00:13,246 --> 00:00:18,385 They're one of the coolest things in the ocean. 4 00:00:18,485 --> 00:00:21,154 Some people fear them. 5 00:00:21,254 --> 00:00:25,725 Terrifying, absolutely terrifying. 6 00:00:25,825 --> 00:00:32,265 But one thing is for certain, sharks have long captured the imagination of people around 7 00:00:32,365 --> 00:00:34,067 the world. 8 00:00:34,167 --> 00:00:39,672 Decades of negative media coverage focused primarily on shark attacks have given the 9 00:00:39,773 --> 00:00:46,880 animals a bad reputation, but a growing understanding of their vital role in the ecosystem, combined 10 00:00:46,980 --> 00:00:54,921 with a new focus on safe encounters have begun to change their image. 11 00:00:55,021 --> 00:01:00,160 We ve gone through this really big shift. 12 00:01:00,260 --> 00:01:06,900 I need to get rid of the sharks to I need to save the sharks. 13 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:12,605 Despite increased protections of sharks, many populations are still threatened, and some 14 00:01:12,705 --> 00:01:18,778 experts say it s not just commercial exploitation that is having an impact. 15 00:01:18,878 --> 00:01:22,048 Recreational fishing could sometimes go under the radar because it's thought it s really 16 00:01:22,148 --> 00:01:27,287 small scale and negligible because it's just one person with a rod and one hook as compared 17 00:01:27,387 --> 00:01:30,957 to commercial fishing where a single boat can have thousands of hooks. 18 00:01:31,057 --> 00:01:37,797 But if you have millions of people with one hook, you can still have a big impact. 19 00:01:37,897 --> 00:01:44,471 Shark fishing from beaches, piers, and bridges is an increasingly popular activity in parts 20 00:01:44,571 --> 00:01:51,277 of the United States and scientists are finding that despite good intentions, catch and release 21 00:01:51,377 --> 00:01:55,048 doesn t guarantee the fish survives. 22 00:01:55,148 --> 00:02:00,954 If the sharks are actually dying after release, we may be looking at a bigger impact than 23 00:02:01,054 --> 00:02:06,059 the commercial fisheries on shark populations in the United States. 24 00:02:06,159 --> 00:02:11,831 To learn more, scientists in Florida are working closely with recreational anglers. 25 00:02:11,931 --> 00:02:15,902 The first thing we have in mind is the safety of the animal we're catching. 26 00:02:16,002 --> 00:02:17,504 It's a sport for us. 27 00:02:17,604 --> 00:02:22,175 That sport is not complete unless we have the safe release of the animal. 28 00:02:22,275 --> 00:02:27,547 Most anglers care about sharks, just as much as a marine scientist just in maybe a slightly 29 00:02:27,647 --> 00:02:29,048 different way. 30 00:02:29,149 --> 00:02:37,257 But all of us have to work together in order to save these animals. 31 00:02:37,357 --> 00:02:43,229 What impact does land-based fishing have on Florida s shark populations? 32 00:02:43,329 --> 00:02:49,736 And how are scientists and anglers working together to protect these awe-inspiring animals 33 00:02:49,836 --> 00:03:13,726 from extinction? 34 00:03:13,826 --> 00:03:19,532 Major funding for this program was provided by The Batchelor Foundation, encouraging people 35 00:03:19,632 --> 00:03:26,072 to preserve and protect America's underwater resources. 36 00:03:26,172 --> 00:03:32,045 Additional funding was provided in loving memory of David G. Perrot, by the Perrot Family 37 00:03:32,145 --> 00:03:44,023 Endowment for Environmental Education. 38 00:03:44,123 --> 00:03:58,738 Dr. Neil Hammerschlag leads the Shark Research and Conservation Program at 39 00:03:58,838 --> 00:04:02,909 the University of Miami Rosenstiel School. 40 00:04:03,009 --> 00:04:12,118 In 2011, Neil and his students began investigating the impact of recreational angling on coastal 41 00:04:12,218 --> 00:04:19,092 species such as nurse, tiger, and great hammerhead sharks. 42 00:04:19,192 --> 00:04:24,364 Florida is actually a recreational shark fishing hotspot. 43 00:04:24,464 --> 00:04:27,267 And many of these sharks are actually released because they're not intended to be eaten. 44 00:04:27,367 --> 00:04:34,707 The scientists wanted to find out why these seemingly 45 00:04:34,807 --> 00:04:40,980 powerful animals sometimes die after being released. 46 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:49,656 So our team use a variety of different techniques to figure out the behavioral and physiological 47 00:04:49,756 --> 00:04:55,061 responses to sharks, to being captured on a line. 48 00:04:55,161 --> 00:05:01,534 To catch the sharks, the experts set baited lines that remained in the water for one hour, 49 00:05:01,634 --> 00:05:12,712 just enough time to attract sharks without subjecting the animals to additional stress. 50 00:05:12,812 --> 00:05:18,651 We would on our lines deploy hook timers that measure how long a shark was on the line once 51 00:05:18,751 --> 00:05:23,389 it bit the hook. 52 00:05:23,489 --> 00:05:27,927 The other thing we would do is we deployed something called an accelerometer on the lines 53 00:05:28,027 --> 00:05:29,829 themselves. 54 00:05:29,929 --> 00:05:36,102 The accelerometer measured the frequency and intensity of force a shark exerts on the line. 55 00:05:36,202 --> 00:05:39,572 So when a shark bit the line, not only we know how long the shark is on the line, but 56 00:05:39,672 --> 00:05:42,842 how hard they were fighting by using the accelerometer. 57 00:05:42,942 --> 00:05:46,512 When the shark was brought to the boat, we'd quickly take a blood sample and what we'd 58 00:05:46,612 --> 00:05:53,886 be looking for in their blood is various metrics that were associated with stress, this included 59 00:05:53,986 --> 00:05:56,055 glucose and lactate. 60 00:05:56,155 --> 00:06:01,160 Glucose is actually telling us if sharks are mobilizing or breaking down energy stores 61 00:06:01,260 --> 00:06:07,333 into their blood to use it to fuel activity. 62 00:06:07,433 --> 00:06:12,138 Lactate is similar to when humans produce lactic acid in their blood, which would give 63 00:06:12,238 --> 00:06:16,509 you like a stitch if you run too fast or you can t get enough oxygen to your blood when 64 00:06:16,609 --> 00:06:18,344 you re exercising. 65 00:06:18,444 --> 00:06:23,182 Increased levels of lactate indicate that an animal is exerting itself and not getting 66 00:06:23,282 --> 00:06:25,952 enough oxygen. 67 00:06:26,052 --> 00:06:30,823 The researchers also recorded the behavior of the shark. 68 00:06:30,923 --> 00:06:32,158 Did they look tired? 69 00:06:32,258 --> 00:06:35,528 Were they biting down on the hose really hard? 70 00:06:35,628 --> 00:06:37,830 We also check their reflexes. 71 00:06:37,930 --> 00:06:41,834 Mostly sharks we work with have actually something called a nictitating membrane. 72 00:06:41,934 --> 00:06:45,271 When they feel pressure towards the eye, it lifts up to protect their eye. 73 00:06:45,371 --> 00:06:48,775 And what we would do is actually squirt a little bit of water in the shark s eye. 74 00:06:48,875 --> 00:06:53,546 And what we found is that in some cases, sharks that were very stressed actually did not raise 75 00:06:53,646 --> 00:06:55,748 that membrane. 76 00:06:55,848 --> 00:06:58,951 Also once they were released back in the water what was their disposition? 77 00:06:59,051 --> 00:07:03,423 Did they swim up hard and vigorous, or were they swimming slowly? 78 00:07:03,523 --> 00:07:06,893 Was it hard for them to maintain balance and orientation? 79 00:07:06,993 --> 00:07:12,765 The experts discovered that not all species of sharks react equally to being hooked on 80 00:07:12,865 --> 00:07:14,066 a line. 81 00:07:14,167 --> 00:07:17,370 For example, on one extreme, you have the nurse shark. 82 00:07:17,470 --> 00:07:21,140 When a nurse shark bit a line, it would pretty much just relax and sit on the bottom. 83 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,777 Didn't show any disruptions in their behavior or their physiology. 84 00:07:24,877 --> 00:07:27,513 On the other extreme, you have the great hammerhead shark. 85 00:07:27,613 --> 00:07:30,950 When they bit a line, they would go crazy. 86 00:07:31,050 --> 00:07:32,552 In the middle, you have the black tip shark. 87 00:07:32,652 --> 00:07:35,555 Where when a black tip bit a line, it would fight really hard. 88 00:07:35,655 --> 00:07:39,225 And then when it tired, it would relax until it regained its strength. 89 00:07:39,325 --> 00:07:43,362 And then it would fight a little hard again, and then it would relax. 90 00:07:43,463 --> 00:07:46,432 What we found out is that sharks that were fighting really, really hard, like the great 91 00:07:46,532 --> 00:07:50,937 hammerhead, had high levels of lactate in their blood, essentially their blood is becoming 92 00:07:51,037 --> 00:07:52,839 acidic. 93 00:07:52,939 --> 00:07:57,009 They also showed more like an impairment in terms of balance and orientation after release 94 00:07:57,109 --> 00:08:02,482 and these are the animals that exhibited post-release mortality. 95 00:08:02,582 --> 00:08:09,989 Satellite tags used to record the movement of the sharks after being released revealed 96 00:08:10,089 --> 00:08:12,325 if the fish survived. 97 00:08:12,425 --> 00:08:16,696 Our tracking work has shown us that these animals might die usually within the first 98 00:08:16,796 --> 00:08:23,069 two hours after release, but sometimes, up to 10 days or more after that encounter. 99 00:08:23,169 --> 00:08:29,141 These findings are significant given the population status of various species. 100 00:08:29,242 --> 00:08:34,313 While nurse and blacktip sharks are still relatively abundant, great hammerheads are 101 00:08:34,413 --> 00:08:41,821 listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature s Red List. 102 00:08:41,921 --> 00:08:46,626 This is showing us that some species might make for good candidates for catch and release 103 00:08:46,726 --> 00:08:48,127 fishing. 104 00:08:48,227 --> 00:08:53,466 And some species are not good candidates for catch release fishing. 105 00:08:53,566 --> 00:09:00,139 Up the coast in Palm Beach County, President of the American Shark Conservancy Hannah Medd 106 00:09:00,239 --> 00:09:06,078 is working directly with the angling community to understand the impacts of shore-based fishing 107 00:09:06,178 --> 00:09:08,748 on great hammerhead sharks. 108 00:09:08,848 --> 00:09:13,586 We were approached by a few members of the public when they had come across dead sharks 109 00:09:13,686 --> 00:09:16,255 on the beach and they had a lot of questions. 110 00:09:16,355 --> 00:09:19,191 There was a few guesses. 111 00:09:19,292 --> 00:09:23,796 And one of them was that they had died from being caught and handled by shore based shark 112 00:09:23,896 --> 00:09:25,665 fishermen. 113 00:09:25,765 --> 00:09:30,603 And it happened to coincide when a tournament was happening that incentivized anglers to 114 00:09:30,703 --> 00:09:32,471 catch the largest hammerhead. 115 00:09:32,572 --> 00:09:37,443 We started to kind of ask a lot of questions about shore-based shark fishing and realized 116 00:09:37,543 --> 00:09:41,514 there weren't a lot of answers. 117 00:09:41,614 --> 00:09:45,518 Hannah reached out to the angling community to partner on the research. 118 00:09:45,618 --> 00:09:49,255 We were very nervous in like contacting these anglers. 119 00:09:49,355 --> 00:09:53,893 I feel like they were really cautious about working with scientists and, you know, definitely 120 00:09:53,993 --> 00:09:55,895 were a little defensive. 121 00:09:55,995 --> 00:10:00,466 So we really wanted to make sure they knew this was a scientific study that we were very 122 00:10:00,566 --> 00:10:04,570 neutral and immediately, they were like, yeah, sure, come see what we do. 123 00:10:04,670 --> 00:10:07,139 And from there, it's just sort of been word of mouth. 124 00:10:07,239 --> 00:10:10,810 I just think sharks in general are awesome. 125 00:10:10,910 --> 00:10:14,947 Especially as a kid seeing sharks for the first time you become obsessed with them. 126 00:10:15,047 --> 00:10:18,718 I've caught every range of big game fish out there. 127 00:10:18,818 --> 00:10:23,022 And when you're talking about hooking a potentially a thousand-pound shark from the beach, it's 128 00:10:23,122 --> 00:10:24,624 much different than the boat. 129 00:10:24,724 --> 00:10:27,360 Uh it's you it's solely you versus what's on the other end of that line. 130 00:10:27,460 --> 00:10:29,295 And it can be very humbling. 131 00:10:29,395 --> 00:10:34,166 I think that's what gets it for a lot of people is, um, just feeling that powerless situation 132 00:10:34,266 --> 00:10:39,905 where you're attached to something that's much, much, much stronger than you. 133 00:10:40,006 --> 00:10:44,910 Dan and Kaytlin are two of more than 50 anglers Hannah collaborates with. 134 00:10:45,011 --> 00:10:48,314 We'll have the rod and reel anchored to the beach in a PVC pipe. 135 00:10:48,414 --> 00:10:53,552 And we'll use the kayak to bring out the bait. 136 00:10:53,653 --> 00:11:04,930 And then we just kind of lounge around waiting for a bite. 137 00:11:05,031 --> 00:11:08,567 Once we get a bite, you'll hear a really loud screeching noise. 138 00:11:08,668 --> 00:11:10,269 [reel screeching] 139 00:11:10,369 --> 00:11:18,678 We get into the harness, buckle up, cross our fingers and just start cranking. 140 00:11:18,778 --> 00:11:26,218 And you'll fight the shark to the beach..You have everyone with an assigned role. 141 00:11:26,318 --> 00:11:31,157 You either cut the hook out dehook it, get the shark oriented so it's not rolling around 142 00:11:31,257 --> 00:11:34,360 getting beat up. 143 00:11:34,460 --> 00:11:39,565 Hannah records the length of the fight time - from when the reel goes off until the anglers 144 00:11:39,665 --> 00:11:41,901 have their hands on the shark. 145 00:11:42,001 --> 00:11:46,672 Then from the time they have their hands on the shark to when they release it is considered 146 00:11:46,772 --> 00:11:48,541 handling time. 147 00:11:48,641 --> 00:11:52,144 So those are the two main factors that we're looking at correlating with the fate of the 148 00:11:52,244 --> 00:11:57,316 shark. 149 00:11:57,416 --> 00:12:01,787 The team works as quickly and safely as possible to collect data. 150 00:12:01,887 --> 00:12:07,393 In the case of hammerheads, Hannah also attaches satellite tags on the animals to see if they 151 00:12:07,493 --> 00:12:09,528 survive after having been caught. 152 00:12:09,628 --> 00:12:15,167 One of the things I've learned more with working with Hannah is the great hammerheads themselves, 153 00:12:15,267 --> 00:12:17,103 um, and how they deal with stress. 154 00:12:17,203 --> 00:12:21,774 And so the fact that sometimes they get stressed a little more easy, just kind of blew my mind 155 00:12:21,874 --> 00:12:26,712 that something that big and crazy powerful can, can get hurt from being stressed. 156 00:12:26,812 --> 00:12:32,017 So it kinda made me want to learn more about this research project to hopefully make us 157 00:12:32,118 --> 00:12:33,352 better anglers. 158 00:12:33,452 --> 00:12:36,288 And just to try to spread the word around the community. 159 00:12:36,388 --> 00:12:40,593 I fear a lot of people will see videos of shark fishing and say, oh, I can do that . 160 00:12:40,693 --> 00:12:45,664 And come out here, not completely equipped to handle what could happen and people get 161 00:12:45,765 --> 00:12:47,566 hurt, sharks don't live. 162 00:12:47,666 --> 00:12:51,937 It s not just taking that awesome picture on the beach with a huge animal. 163 00:12:52,037 --> 00:12:55,741 It's making sure that everything's done properly. 164 00:12:55,841 --> 00:13:02,715 In addition to the field work, Hannah and her research partner Jill Brooks sent surveys 165 00:13:02,815 --> 00:13:10,256 to over 14-thousand shore-based shark anglers to analyze their motivations, fishing practices, 166 00:13:10,356 --> 00:13:11,891 and economic impact. 167 00:13:11,991 --> 00:13:18,697 So the majority of the respondents said that they practice catch and release. 168 00:13:18,798 --> 00:13:20,733 They very, very rarely keep the sharks. 169 00:13:20,833 --> 00:13:24,470 Um, and it will obviously depend on the shark that they catch. 170 00:13:24,570 --> 00:13:30,810 So there are some that they're legally able to harvest, um, but it is limited. 171 00:13:30,910 --> 00:13:36,882 Sometimes smaller sharks are actually used as bait to catch larger sharks. 172 00:13:36,982 --> 00:13:42,254 The study found that the fishery has grown in popularity since 2010. 173 00:13:42,354 --> 00:13:47,259 Anglers are catching tens of thousands of sharks, and the activity is likely contributing 174 00:13:47,359 --> 00:13:54,533 tens of millions of dollars to the state s economy both figures that surprised the 175 00:13:54,633 --> 00:13:56,402 scientists. 176 00:13:56,502 --> 00:14:00,973 The surveys also revealed that the majority of anglers expressed an interest in learning 177 00:14:01,073 --> 00:14:04,176 how to increase shark survival. 178 00:14:04,276 --> 00:14:09,281 We've gotten pushback from people in the conservation community that are horrified that we're working 179 00:14:09,381 --> 00:14:10,649 with anglers. 180 00:14:10,749 --> 00:14:12,551 But we just stick to the point, it's happening. 181 00:14:12,651 --> 00:14:15,020 They're fishing, whether we want them to or not. 182 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,557 And this information is not going to get collected on its own. 183 00:14:18,657 --> 00:14:19,992 But so what size hook is it? 184 00:14:20,092 --> 00:14:21,360 A 10/0. 185 00:14:21,460 --> 00:14:23,195 Ok. 186 00:14:23,295 --> 00:14:28,334 When we say, okay, scientists are going to go find out things about shark populations, 187 00:14:28,434 --> 00:14:33,138 and then they're going to tell anglers what to do it's not a model that works well. 188 00:14:33,239 --> 00:14:40,412 Standing by for anchor when you re ready. 189 00:14:40,512 --> 00:14:47,086 Dr. Catherine Macdonald heads the Miami-based Field School and is a lecturer at the University 190 00:14:47,186 --> 00:14:53,425 of Miami Rosenstiel School specializing in shark ecology and conservation. 191 00:14:53,525 --> 00:14:59,498 Engaging anglers in the regulatory process is one of the best ways to ensure that they 192 00:14:59,598 --> 00:15:01,333 feel heard. 193 00:15:01,433 --> 00:15:05,104 And they understand why the rules are being made the way they are and perceive them as 194 00:15:05,204 --> 00:15:07,673 reasonable and legitimate. 195 00:15:07,773 --> 00:15:12,244 Collaborative community-based management is vital to develop conservation solutions that 196 00:15:12,344 --> 00:15:13,245 actually work. 197 00:15:13,345 --> 00:15:16,181 Uh, thanks for being here tonight. 198 00:15:16,282 --> 00:15:18,150 Appreciate y all joining us. 199 00:15:18,250 --> 00:15:25,791 In 2018 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, held a series of public 200 00:15:25,891 --> 00:15:32,331 meetings online and in person on pending regulations for land-based shark fishing. 201 00:15:32,431 --> 00:15:37,202 Landing in legal definition is as she said reduced to harvest. 202 00:15:37,303 --> 00:15:39,805 The online comments were much more polarized. 203 00:15:39,905 --> 00:15:44,410 And then when you brought people together to discuss this, the shared value that they 204 00:15:44,510 --> 00:15:47,947 place on healthy shark populations was much clearer. 205 00:15:48,047 --> 00:15:53,185 And in general, even where they disagreed either about the science or about the values 206 00:15:53,285 --> 00:15:57,556 and regulations that should follow from those values they were much less likely to kind 207 00:15:57,656 --> 00:15:59,391 of try to demonize each other. 208 00:15:59,491 --> 00:16:02,861 They were much more willing to acknowledge that the other side might also have a point. 209 00:16:02,962 --> 00:16:07,132 If you re chumming, you re feeding in the argument. 210 00:16:07,232 --> 00:16:08,567 You re attracting sharks toward the beach. 211 00:16:08,667 --> 00:16:12,571 So that overall hurts our purpose more than it helps. 212 00:16:12,671 --> 00:16:15,574 I spoke at a lot of those meetings that FWC was having. 213 00:16:15,674 --> 00:16:20,012 There's guys that have been shark fishing from land for several years that all showed 214 00:16:20,112 --> 00:16:25,050 up to these meetings to give their input because it makes a big difference how you catch these 215 00:16:25,150 --> 00:16:26,919 sharks. 216 00:16:27,019 --> 00:16:33,559 The meetings resulted in new FWC regulations put into place in 2019, which require a free 217 00:16:33,659 --> 00:16:36,362 permit to fish for sharks from shore. 218 00:16:36,462 --> 00:16:42,468 So it's, in addition to your saltwater fishing license, you have to go through a short course 219 00:16:42,568 --> 00:16:49,942 about shore-based shark fishing, identifying sharks, what the new regulations look like, 220 00:16:50,042 --> 00:16:54,346 and some good tips and insights into what equipment to have with you. 221 00:16:54,446 --> 00:17:01,887 Hammerheads, tiger sharks, lemon sharks, they're all on the prohibited species list and must 222 00:17:01,987 --> 00:17:04,356 remain with their gills covered in the water. 223 00:17:04,456 --> 00:17:11,363 There is a line in the regulations that basically says angler safety sort of supersedes any 224 00:17:11,463 --> 00:17:14,666 of the other regulations. 225 00:17:14,767 --> 00:17:16,635 Some consider that a loophole. 226 00:17:16,735 --> 00:17:20,806 Having been out there, I do consider it a safety measure. 227 00:17:20,906 --> 00:17:27,679 The regulations also require the use of specific types of gear that will increase the sharks 228 00:17:27,780 --> 00:17:28,914 survival. 229 00:17:29,014 --> 00:17:31,683 You need to be using circle hooks. 230 00:17:31,784 --> 00:17:33,919 Sharks swallow their food whole. 231 00:17:34,019 --> 00:17:38,924 So if it takes the whole bait as that's coming out of, it's a digestive tract. 232 00:17:39,024 --> 00:17:43,162 If it's a J hook it'll hook on the stomach, on the throat, in the gills. 233 00:17:43,262 --> 00:17:46,498 If it's a circle hook, it will hook in the jaw right in the side of the mouth. 234 00:17:46,598 --> 00:17:51,904 So it's easy to cut out, much easier for the animal to recover from that. 235 00:17:52,004 --> 00:17:55,274 You need to have gear on hand to remove those hooks. 236 00:17:55,374 --> 00:18:00,079 Additionally, the anglers must use non-stainless steel hooks. 237 00:18:00,179 --> 00:18:02,915 So things that are meant to rust out. 238 00:18:03,015 --> 00:18:07,619 So if you can't remove your gear, for some reason, that that will disintegrate in the 239 00:18:07,719 --> 00:18:10,322 ocean much faster than stainless steel. 240 00:18:10,422 --> 00:18:13,158 All of those are really great measures. 241 00:18:13,258 --> 00:18:17,062 So we're not getting rid of shark fishing, but we are making it so that if it's happening, 242 00:18:17,162 --> 00:18:23,202 we're not doing damage, we're releasing those animals in better condition. 243 00:18:23,302 --> 00:18:29,541 Along with the new regulations, the experts believe educational outreach on best practices 244 00:18:29,641 --> 00:18:33,812 will increase the fish s post-release survival rates. 245 00:18:33,912 --> 00:18:41,086 Of the 14 great hammerhead sharks Hannah tagged as of February 2021 while working with responsible 246 00:18:41,186 --> 00:18:45,858 anglers, only one died after being released. 247 00:18:45,958 --> 00:18:52,331 Jill and Hannah s research shows that with the appropriate gear and experience, along 248 00:18:52,431 --> 00:18:58,103 with shorter fight and handling times, shore-based shark fishing may not be as detrimental to 249 00:18:58,203 --> 00:19:07,346 great hammerheads as previously thought. 250 00:19:07,446 --> 00:19:20,993 The unintentional negative effects of recreational angling not only harm sharks, but also their 251 00:19:21,093 --> 00:19:28,734 close relatives, the manta rays. 252 00:19:28,834 --> 00:19:38,177 So manta rays are the largest rays in the ocean. 253 00:19:38,277 --> 00:19:40,245 They're large filter feeding rays. 254 00:19:40,345 --> 00:19:45,217 And they're distinguishable by the two fins on the side of their head, which are known 255 00:19:45,317 --> 00:19:50,189 as cephalic fins. 256 00:19:50,289 --> 00:19:56,061 Founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation s Florida Manta Project Jessica Pate is the 257 00:19:56,161 --> 00:20:01,934 first to study the elusive manta rays in southeastern Florida. 258 00:20:02,034 --> 00:20:07,706 Jessica discovered the region is a potential manta ray nursery, but one that is threatened 259 00:20:07,806 --> 00:20:11,210 by human activity. 260 00:20:11,310 --> 00:20:20,686 In 2018 in the United States, manta rays were listed under the endangered species act as 261 00:20:20,786 --> 00:20:22,921 a threatened species. 262 00:20:23,021 --> 00:20:26,358 And it's illegal to capture them in Florida. 263 00:20:26,458 --> 00:20:33,065 But despite these new protections, the charismatic animals are still feeling an impact. 264 00:20:33,165 --> 00:20:39,371 Over a quarter of the mantas Jessica has surveyed are entangled in fishing line. 265 00:20:39,471 --> 00:20:42,474 Recreational fishing can have a lot of different impacts on manta rays. 266 00:20:42,574 --> 00:20:46,745 We see manta rays with hooks in their skin. 267 00:20:46,845 --> 00:20:51,116 Depending on how much line is there, the manta rays, when they feed, will do this barrel 268 00:20:51,216 --> 00:20:55,887 rolling technique and the line gets wrapped around their body when they do that. 269 00:20:55,988 --> 00:20:59,157 I've also seen it wrapped around their cephalic fin. 270 00:20:59,258 --> 00:21:03,061 One of the manta rays we saw last year, it was a female who had fishing line wrapped 271 00:21:03,161 --> 00:21:04,630 around her cephalic fin. 272 00:21:04,730 --> 00:21:08,066 We saw her again this year and that cephalic fin is gone. 273 00:21:08,166 --> 00:21:17,342 So this is gonna affect her ability to feed. 274 00:21:17,442 --> 00:21:23,715 To increase awareness, Jessica is collaborating with the Field School s Dr. Julia Wester. 275 00:21:23,815 --> 00:21:30,289 We surveyed 200 recreational fishermen at popular fishing piers and inlet jetties in 276 00:21:30,389 --> 00:21:31,657 Palm Beach County. 277 00:21:31,757 --> 00:21:35,394 We found very few people would want to target a manta ray. 278 00:21:35,494 --> 00:21:40,232 A couple of people expressed interest in wanting to fight one, just because it's something 279 00:21:40,332 --> 00:21:45,837 big and exciting, but in general, most people realize that it's going to take their fishing 280 00:21:45,937 --> 00:21:53,011 gear or they thought they were really cool and beautiful and just wanted to let them 281 00:21:53,111 --> 00:21:54,246 pass. 282 00:21:54,346 --> 00:21:56,915 Only about half of them could identify a manta ray. 283 00:21:57,015 --> 00:22:01,420 They can more easily identify it when looking at a picture under water versus looking at 284 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:02,654 a picture from the top. 285 00:22:02,754 --> 00:22:05,691 Cause of the things on its face is how I can tell. 286 00:22:05,791 --> 00:22:11,897 The overwhelming majority of them thought that if manta rays are endangered and in need 287 00:22:11,997 --> 00:22:15,934 of protection, that we should protect them, that they should be conserved and that the 288 00:22:16,034 --> 00:22:18,303 environment is important. 289 00:22:18,403 --> 00:22:26,178 So what that tells me is this is a group that has the same values that I do about conserving 290 00:22:26,278 --> 00:22:28,046 the ocean. 291 00:22:28,146 --> 00:22:33,018 We just need to make sure that they have the right tools and the right information to act 292 00:22:33,118 --> 00:22:34,920 on those values. 293 00:22:35,020 --> 00:22:41,660 And the best way to do that is to not treat them like they're the bad guys in this story, 294 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:43,829 because there are no bad guys in the story. 295 00:22:43,929 --> 00:22:51,203 There's just us. 296 00:22:51,303 --> 00:22:56,541 Using the data gathered from the surveys, the experts designed educational signs to 297 00:22:56,641 --> 00:23:00,645 post at piers in Palm Beach County. 298 00:23:00,746 --> 00:23:06,351 These signs include information on what gear to use, how to identify a manta, and how to 299 00:23:06,451 --> 00:23:09,688 report a sighting to the Florida Manta Project. 300 00:23:09,788 --> 00:23:14,393 We will be doing a follow up survey to see if these signs are effective. 301 00:23:14,493 --> 00:23:20,098 So we'll go back and ask the fishermen the same question and see if their knowledge has 302 00:23:20,198 --> 00:23:25,704 increased because before the vast majority of fishermen didn't know that manta rays were 303 00:23:25,804 --> 00:23:31,243 endangered, that they were a protected species in Florida or anything about them really. 304 00:23:31,343 --> 00:23:38,016 And we'll also quantify the amount of fishing line we see on the manta rays and see if that's 305 00:23:38,116 --> 00:23:41,520 actually changing and we're noticing an effect and hopefully we'll see a reduction of fishing 306 00:23:41,620 --> 00:23:44,623 line interactions on the young manta rays. 307 00:23:44,723 --> 00:23:51,463 I hope that manta rays, being the unique animals they are will make people look at fish a little 308 00:23:51,563 --> 00:23:59,704 bit differently. 309 00:23:59,805 --> 00:24:07,245 Recreational fishing is just one of many activities threatening the survival of sharks and rays. 310 00:24:07,345 --> 00:24:13,218 While their motivations may differ, the scientists and anglers involved in the research agree 311 00:24:13,318 --> 00:24:21,293 that working together is key to the long-term survival of the species they all love. 312 00:24:21,393 --> 00:24:30,268 At first I had a pretty, you know, single-minded, uh, perspective of shark fishing. 313 00:24:30,368 --> 00:24:32,103 I definitely didn't like it. 314 00:24:32,204 --> 00:24:36,908 I didn't want to see it, but once I realized it was legal and we didn't know that much 315 00:24:37,008 --> 00:24:39,511 about it, I kind of set that aside. 316 00:24:39,611 --> 00:24:44,049 And it definitely shattered some misperceptions I had about shark fishing. 317 00:24:44,149 --> 00:24:47,986 I think conservation is one of the most important things we can do. 318 00:24:48,086 --> 00:24:51,423 As a fisherman in general, you need to take care of your source. 319 00:24:51,523 --> 00:24:57,028 I want my kids, my grandkids, I want them to be able to do this. 320 00:24:57,128 --> 00:25:03,268 The narrative that it's these bad fishermen or these bad anglers that are the problem 321 00:25:03,368 --> 00:25:10,976 for sharks is not only not true because they are a potentially really important ally for 322 00:25:11,076 --> 00:25:15,680 us in trying to protect our natural resources in Florida. 323 00:25:15,780 --> 00:25:21,286 But also if you think that the problem is somebody else, then you don't look at your 324 00:25:21,386 --> 00:25:22,420 own impacts. 325 00:25:22,521 --> 00:25:23,822 And really it's all of us. 326 00:25:23,922 --> 00:25:25,090 It's everything. 327 00:25:25,190 --> 00:25:26,791 It's water quality. 328 00:25:26,892 --> 00:25:28,527 It's restoring ecosystems. 329 00:25:28,627 --> 00:25:30,529 It's climate change. 330 00:25:30,629 --> 00:25:34,629 It's all of it together that's going to get it done.