‘Journal Tribune’ features story on James Sulikowski’s porbeagle shark research
On July 10, the Journal Tribune featured an article about research on young porbeagle sharks in Maine that is being conducted by James Sulikowski, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Marine Sciences, and his students.
Sulikowski, along with a team of three graduate students and 16 undergraduates, is affixing satellite tags to the dorsal fins of baby porbeagles in the Gulf of Maine waters. According to the article, some people fear that the species is nearing extinction, and Sulikowski hopes that information transmitted by the tags will lead to the better management of the species.
Sulikowski stated that his team is the first group ever to “really focus on this young, baby group of sharks.” It is through the study of the young, he explained, that the species as a whole can be best served. “What often goes overlooked are the babies,” he stated. “Baby sharks are like the next generation, so you have to understand them in order to protect the adults.”