Tracking The Honda’s Hammers: Great Hammerhead Shark Recreational Fishery Interactions and Migratory Patterns in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

October 2, 2024

Dr. Grace Casselberry, Former Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar

Great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran) are arguably one of the most iconic shark species to call Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary home and are globally classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. Despite this, we know very little about what habitats are important to hammerheads while in the Keys and where they may go when they leave. Increasingly, recreational anglers are reporting interactions with great hammerhead sharks eating their hooked fish, an interaction called depredation, especially in the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) fishery in Bahia Honda. Rising tensions surrounding shark-angler interactions make understanding shark depredation and the spatial ecology of great hammerheads in the Florida Keys increasingly important to ensure continued viability of the tarpon fishery and shark conservation success. Join Dr. Grace Casselberry to learn how she used acoustic telemetry to explore the secret lives of The Honda’s Hammers.