New paper published #openaccess today in Frontiers in Marine Science led by SRC PhD Candidate @marine.bio.john !
Marine nurseries are critical for the survival and growth of young animals, but identifying and protecting them isn’t always straightforward. In this paper, we propose a new, tiered framework that helps managers approach nursery conservation even when data are limited, scaling protection based on risk and evidence.
Read the full paper here: /journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1812999/full
#MarineConservation #Nurseries
We’re excited to share that University of Miami Shark Research and Conservation (SRC) researcher and PhD student Julia Saltzman (@sciencewithsaltzy ) has received an American Keystone Species Grant from @insidenatgeo ! As a #NatGeoExplorer, Julia will be deploying satellite tags on juvenile tiger sharks in South Florida!
While adult tiger sharks are well-studied (and iconic) ocean predators, their early life stages remain surprisingly mysterious. We still don’t know exactly where young tiger sharks grow up or whether places like Biscayne Bay function as nurseries. This project will help uncover the role these ecosystems play in supporting juvenile tiger sharks and how climate change and Everglades restoration may reshape these critical habitats. 💛🌎
This work brings together an incredible collaborative team, including SRC director Dr. Catherine Macdonald (@drcatmac ), University of Miami ecologist Dr. Chris Searcy, marine scientist and captain Christian Pankow (@hello.i.am.baldwin ), policy partner Elizabeth Fata Carpenter (@elizfata ) at Everglades Law Center (@evergladeslawcenter ), and SRC PhD Candidate and science communicator John Hlavin (@marine.bio.john ).
You can learn more about the National Geographic Society’s American Keystones Initiative here: /american-keystones-initiative/
Vessel traffic is one of the most widespread human disturbances in the ocean, but how it affects marine megafauna has been studied unevenly across species and response types. In our new open-access paper in NPJ Ocean Sustainability, we synthesized 204 peer-reviewed studies from around the world to examine how vessels influence marine megafauna behavior, physiology, vocalization, and abundance.
Across taxa, distance to vessels emerged as one of the most consistent drivers of biological response, often with stronger effects than noise alone. Even without physical contact, vessel presence was associated with physiological stress and behavioral change, highlighting energetic and ecological costs that can accumulate over time. Our findings point to clear, actionable management tools, such as enforcing approach distances, implementing speed limits, and applying spatial or temporal protections in critical habitats.
Read the full paper here: /articles/s44183-026-00182-5
#MarineMegafauna #OceanConservation #MarineEcology #ConservationScience #OpenAccess
Sorry in advance if you already saw this one from @sharktagging but we had such a lovely night celebrating @deeringestate and the people who make it run—and we’re so grateful for our scientific partnership. Parks bring people so much joy, and hold space in our busy city for wildlife, too!
In this week’s episode we are speaking with Dr. Catherine Macdonald, marine conservation biologist and shark ecologist. Catherine is a scientist and Research Assistant Professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science at the University of Miami @miamirosenstiel . She is the Director of the Shark Research and Conservation Program (SRC), which focuses on shark research and public science engagement and education. And she is a co-founder of the Field School, a marine field science training program.
The reason we wanted to speak with @drcatmac about sharks was to hear about her work focusing on shark ecology and conservation and the marine habitats they live in and keep in balance. It’s really important for us to understand how sharks operate in these spaces because they are major contributors to marine ecosystems and are so critical to maintaining healthy marine habitats. This episode is part of a mini series we are doing this season on deeply misunderstood animals like sharks, possums, bats, and hyenas. We are working to elevate our perceptions of these species and dispel the false narratives that seem to follow them even today.
Please join us in our conversation with Dr. Catherine Macdonald and learn about a new floating mechanism or technique that I feel I’d really benefit from-a swim bladder! Or perhaps a large oily liver if you're a shark!
Lots of Love.
Photo | Dr Catherine Macdonald
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Successful first deployment and recovery of radio tagged equipment for @_christine_m_ ‘s PhD! One of the best things about a life in science is that there will always be new tools to experiment with and students with new questions they want to ask. It’s never boring!
Thanks to @hello.i.am.baldwin for snapping this shot from the helm!
We are so excited to share a new paper published in Ecology and Evolution from @abesscenter and @miamirosenstiel PhD student @marine.bio.john and our director @drcatmac on juvenile great hammerhead resource use in the Biscayne Bay nursery! 👶🔨🦈
The paper explores how diet changes as small hammerheads grow (and across seasons). Special thanks to the entire @sharktagging and @field_school teams who made this long-term project possible, and to @natgeo and @naturetrustoftheamericas for their crucial support of our hammerhead nursery research.
New findings show great hammerhead sharks depend on Biscayne Bay throughout their early development and return seasonally as they mature.
With increasing habitat degradation and human impact, protecting nearshore environments is more urgent than ever.
Read the full study on our newsroom.
Funded by the @guyharveyocean Guy Harvey Foundation, @floridaseagrant Florida Sea Grant, @naturetrustoftheamericas Nature Trust of the Americas, and the Mary Roche Fellowship #sharkresearch #marineconservation #biscaynebay #rosenstiel #umiami
One of the absolute best parts of my job as Director of @sharktagging is getting to meet—and tag sharks with!—incredible kids through @makeawishamerica . We’re so grateful to have the chance to share the science (and magic) of sharks and fieldwork with kids who love them as much as we do.
Photo by the always amazing @brynne.casto
Had an amazing time last night giving the first Sea Secrets talk of 2025 @miamirosenstiel to a packed house. It was incredible to feel the support the community in Miami has for the work of the @umiamiconservation center and for the small sharks that call Biscayne Bay home.
Thank you to all of my students, past and present, who came out—and especially to @katherinegiesy for leading some of the research I presented for her MS, and the whole team @sharktagging who make all the science we do possible (and fun)!
And special thanks @clbegnaud for snapping a picture where I’m not making too weird of a face, which is harder than it sounds.
It’s a “letting go” (of sharks, after a quick scientific work-up) kind of summer.
Proud of everyone out there doing their own work in their own way, including this handsome blacknose shark!
Shark work-up by @sharktagging@miamirosenstiel
Photo by @cliffismia on @canonusa
