RI’s Atlantic Shark Institute Awards Grants for Critical Research
GoLocalProv News Team
RI’s Atlantic Shark Institute Awards Grants for Critical Research
The Research Fellows have projects that the ASI felt were "critically important to answering questions that would lead to new and innovative discoveries."
In addition to the $10,000 awards, ASI says the Research Fellows also have free access to ASI’s large fleet of research vessels, various tag technologies based on their specific study, and ASI’s distinguished Research Advisory Board.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“What an amazing group of applicants, ideas, and thought-provoking projects all the candidates presented,” said ASI Executive Director Jon Dodd. “Reviewing the research ideas these students had was a true delight, and we could not be happier and more excited for these three PhD candidates to begin their work."
"It is also a big part of the evolution of the Atlantic Shark Institute, and our goals, and we owe it all to the generous people that fund this critical work,” Dodd added.
About Research
The three grant recipients include:
Jake Beretta, who is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island where he earned several master’s degrees and is now pursuing his PhD at Florida State University, will be focusing his research on the spinner shark. Widely distributed yet poorly understood, spinner sharks have long been misidentified as blacktip sharks, obscuring their true population status, says ASI.
Beretta's work — in collaboration with the Atlantic Shark Institute and Florida Atlantic University — will "combine acoustic telemetry, drone surveys, physiological biomarkers, and dietary analyses to investigate their movement, health, and ecological role. This research will address critical gaps identified by NOAA and provide management-ready science to guide conservation and stock assessment efforts."
Christine de Silva holds a BS in Biology from the University of Miami, Master's of Oceanography and Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island (URI), and is a current PhD candidate at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography. Her research focuses on Accessible Ocean Technologies, smaller and more affordable marine technologies, and developing them to study deep-sea sharks.
In collaboration with ASI, de Silva is building a miniature 1000 m-rated Baited Remote Underwater Video System (BRUVs) to capture high-definition footage in difficult-to-access deep-sea habitats and reveal the life histories of understudied yet important sharks. To process the many hours of footage, she is developing an Artificial Intelligence tool to rapidly detect and count fish, identify shark species, and extract key ecological metrics. "With little baseline data for deep-sea sharks in this region, the project fills critical knowledge gaps and informs conservation strategies," says ASI.
Kirsty Ballard is a graduate of Newcastle University, England, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Marine Biology. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Fisheries Science at Oregon State University. Her research will "combine hormone analysis and ultrasound imaging to assess reproductive state, alongside traditional and cutting-edge satellite technology to track movement."
Through this work, Ballard aims to identify key habitats and migration routes used by pregnant female and young-of-the-year porbeagle sharks in the Northwest Atlantic. By connecting these two vulnerable life stages, her work will provide "critical insights to guide conservation strategies for the species."
Each of the research projects’ findings are also expected to be published.
To learn more about these outstanding students, their work, and the work of the Atlantic Shark Institute, visit the ASI at www.atlanticsharkinstitute.org.