In late August, Paul Rogers from Flinders University joined scientists from NOAA/NMFS' Large Pelagics Group to conduct an annual juvenile shark survey in the Southern California Bight, which included tagging a variety of sharks with TOPP tags. Paul was kind enough to write up a wonderful series of articles about this work, each of which is accompanied by stunning photographs. Rather than putting up a single, giant blog, I am going to be putting the pieces up individually over the next few weeks -- so stay tuned and check back often for updates!

The NMFS team just completed its annual juvenile shark survey in the Southern California Bight. This area is an important nursery ground for blue, mako, white and thresher sharks, all of which are caught in local fisheries. Blue and mako sharks are the two species most commonly caught during this survey although we do occasionally catch mola mola, pelagic rays and thresher sharks as well. Through the survey we collect a range of biological and fisheries data and also deploy satellite tags in collaboration with the TOPP program.

"I have been in the water (no cage) many times with makos, and they generally make very bold and fast approaches to the photographer," notes nature photographer Richard Herrmann. "This one was no different."

"Great Whites are a bunch of punks," he said, spitting chum as he spoke. "Ever since that movie by that Steven Spielberg fellow, they all swim around like their fins don't stink. We all have notochords of cartilage, you know. Not just the big bad Great White." Those fightin' words were uttered by Quint, a macho mako shark who hangs out off Long Island.