Shark Dart Tag Research
Aquarium of the Bay is placing conventional "dart" tags on common species of sharks found in the San Francisco Bay. The sharks commonly caught and tagged include leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata), soupfin sharks (Galeorhinus galeus), spiny dogfish sharks (Squalus acanthias), and sevengill sharks (Notorychus cepedianus).
The primary focus of the shark tagging project is to study the distribution and population dynamics of several known species of shark within San Francisco Bay. Information collected from tagged sharks will also contribute to other research efforts in collaboration with Aquarium of the Bay such as the genetic analysis of shark species by Seattle Aquarium, the age and growth determination of wild sevengill sharks by Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the South Bay Fish Census conducted by the Marine Science Institute in Redwood City, CA.
The tags used by Aquarium of the Bay are manufactured by Floy Tag, Inc. Each tag is uniquely numbered and labeled with Aquarium of the Bay's return address, phone number, and website. Information such as length, location and gender will be collected at the time that the tag is placed on the shark and again when independent anglers return information on sharks they have caught.
Aquarium of the Bay will provide 2 free aquarium tickets and a free hat for any information returned on sharks that are caught with an Aquarium of the Bay tag. Contact Mike McGill, senior aquarist, at 415-623-5354.
If you fish and you land or release a tagged shark, please provide the following information to the phone number or e-mail address link below:
- Identification number on tag.
- Date and time of capture.
- Location (including latitude and longitude if known).
- Length of shark (measure from the tip of the snout to the base of where the tail meets the body and/or from the tip of the snout to the tip of the upper lobe of the tail fin).
E-mail Mike McGill, senior aquarist or call 415-623-5354.