Project:

The Migratory Patterns of Sharks on the South Shore of Long Island during Autumn

Students:

Zara Sohail, Abigail Camacho, Ella Wolters

School:

Westhampton Beach High School, Suffolk

Mentors:

Dianna Gobler

Abstract:

Currently little information exists about what types of sharks live around Long Island and how their movements change during the year. As ocean temperatures have risen due to climate change, sharks may be changing their migratory patterns. This project will study the types of sharks found along the south shore of Long Island during the fall and how water temperature and time of day affect their presence, using a non-invasive method which allows us to track sharks without having to catch them, or take samples from their skin. To do this, one-gallon water samples will be collected weekly from September to December. Environmental DNA (eDNA) will be filtered from the samples, and DNA will be extracted, amplified using PCR, and sent for sequencing. The results will be compared to DNA barcodes in databases to identify which shark species are present . The data will help show which shark species are most common and how their patterns change as the water gets colder. Understanding which sharks

Team samples:

See all samples for project