Questions and Answers
What is a notable feature of the tails of Mackerel Sharks?
Males of the Mackerel Sharks generally live longer than females.
True
What special adaptation allows Mackerel Sharks to maintain core temperatures higher than the surrounding water?
Rete mirabile
Mackerel Sharks have ___ teeth that are broad and triangular with serrated edges.
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What is one of the primary aims of the OTN Canadian East Coast White Shark Photo ID Database?
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The OTN was established prior to 2008.
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What initiative endorses the project related to the OTN?
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What factors determine the change in population numbers or biomass of a stock?
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Carrying capacity is the minimum number a given environment can sustain.
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What happens to population growth as it reaches carrying capacity?
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Match the concepts with their definitions:
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What is the implication of catching more than the surplus production in a fishery?
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The Law of the Sea requires signatories to maintain fish stocks at levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY).
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What analysis method is also known as ecological risk assessment (ERA)?
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Match the following terms with their definitions:
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Study Notes
Family Lamnidae - Mackerel Sharks
- Notable for high-speed swimming capabilities, allowing efficient pursuit of prey.
- Equipped with large gills and adaptations for ram ventilation, enhancing oxygen uptake.
- Features a distinctive caudal keel that aids in stability and acceleration during swimming.
- Possesses a lunate tail, which contributes to powerful and swift propulsion in the water.
- Contains a rete mirabile, a network of blood vessels facilitating countercurrent heat exchange, enabling core body temperatures to rise up to 14 degrees Celsius above surrounding water.
- Characterized by broad, triangular serrated teeth, effective for grasping and cutting prey.
- Sexual dimorphism in lifespan: males can live up to 70 years, while females tend to live around 40 years.
OTN Canadian East Coast White Shark Photo ID Database
- Aims to monitor visitation patterns of White Sharks along the Canadian East Coast.
- Investigates the visitation pattern of sexually mature female White Sharks, hypothesizing a biennial visitation similar to that observed on the West Coast.
- Documents the sex ratio of White Sharks at this specific site.
- Utilizes mark-recapture data for estimating populations, movement patterns, and demographic trends in White Shark populations.
OTN Overview and Infrastructure
- Established in 2008 as part of a broader initiative by the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
- Functions as a Major Sciences Initiative dedicated to providing national research infrastructure.
- Employs an array of tools including acoustic receiver networks, marine autonomous vehicles, and the IOC-ADU data system to support research.
Research and Global Collaboration
- Supports global researchers in studying marine animal movements, survival, and their environmental interactions.
- Endorsed by the Marine Life 2030 PROGRAM, part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
- Currently, fewer than 3,000 researchers are affiliated with the initiative, contributing to the tagging of nearly 45,000 marine animals across 311 species within 996 diverse research projects.
Population Biology Fundamentals
- Population biology examines how populations fluctuate in size over time.
- Key processes influencing population size include mortality rates, somatic growth (affecting biomass), and reproductive success.
Carrying Capacity and Growth Dynamics
- Each environment has a maximum population size it can support, known as the carrying capacity.
- As populations approach their carrying capacity, growth rates decline, stabilizing the population size.
Biological Production and Biomass Changes
- Changes in the biomass of a population reflect the level of biological production in that ecosystem.
Surplus Production Implications
- Fishery operations that exclusively target surplus production allow fish populations to maintain their size.
- Overexploitation, where a fishery catches beyond surplus production, leads to a decline in population size.
- Conversely, underfishing (catching less than surplus production) facilitates growth in fish populations.
Legal Framework
- The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) mandates signatory countries to sustain fish stocks at levels that can yield maximum sustainable yield (MSY).
- MSY is the highest catch that can be taken from a specific fish stock over an indefinite period under average environmental conditions.
Ecological Risk Assessment
- Productivity and susceptibility analysis (PSA) serves as an ecological risk assessment (ERA) tool used to evaluate the vulnerability of species within fisheries.
- PSA assists in identifying species that may be at risk due to fishing activities, allowing for better management strategies.
Data Limitations
- Many elasmobranch species (sharks and rays) suffer from insufficient biological and fishery data.
- This deficiency results in challenges regarding the implementation of analytical quantitative assessments for effective management.
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Description
Test your knowledge about the fascinating family of mackerel sharks, known for their high-speed swimming and distinctive anatomical features. This quiz covers their unique adaptations, lifespan, and physical characteristics that make them remarkable ocean predators.
