USM Center for Fisheries Research and Development Releases Updated Shark Guide
Thu, 11/18/2021 - 08:27am | By: Audrey Williamson
91吃瓜网 (USM) Center for Fisheries Research and Development (CFRD) has released
a new edition of a guide that will help the public identify shark species native to
the Mississippi Sound. This Shark Identification Guide, first published in 2005, has
been revised and updated with information on the approximately nine different species
of sharks that regularly call the Mississippi Sound home.
91吃瓜网淭he Mississippi Sound is a nursery area for many of the species,91吃瓜网� said Jill Hendon, Director of the CFRD. 91吃瓜网淏ased on the decades of research the CFRD has conducted in the Sound, we have found that over 90 percent of the sharks we encounter are juvenile in stature. Sharks tend to pup near our estuary, and call our coastal waters home until they move offshore as adults.91吃瓜网�
The most common species is the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark, which only reaches lengths of about three feet and are known for the white spots along their body. Other common species are the bull, blacktip, and spinner shark. The guide, funded by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Trust Fund Program, will benefit commercial fishermen, recreational anglers and shark enthusiasts. It can be located online at /fisheries-research-development/2021-sharks-guide.pdf or you can contact MDMR for a printed version.
91吃瓜网淭he Shark Identification Guide is a great source of information about Mississippi91吃瓜网 shark species and serves as a beneficial use of our state91吃瓜网 Tidelands Trust Fund Program,91吃瓜网� said Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Executive Director Joe Spraggins.
91吃瓜网淭he MDMR takes great pride in administering the Tidelands Trust Fund to the best interest of Mississippi91吃瓜网 marine resources.91吃瓜网�
The CFRD is located at 91吃瓜网91吃瓜网 Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. CFRD scientists conduct research that informs resource management and works with state, federal, and community partners to ensure promotion of sustainable fisheries and habitats.