Link to video trailer from the cruise

The Danish Center for Marine Research has granted 1.6 mill DKr to John Fleng Steffensen, The Marine Biological Section, for a cruise with R/V Dana for 18 participants from 7 nations to Northeast Greenland September 2012:

Parts of two on-going projects will be carried on the cruise:

1: Biology, behaviour and physiology of the Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus

 The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is one of a few species of sharks that inhabit polar waters. It is found from the Northern Atlantic Ocean to the Arctic where it inhabits inshore and intertidal areas during the cold months, but retreats to deeper waters during warmer periods and may inhabit waters deeper than 2000 meters. The Greenland shark is one of the largest shark species and may reach lengths in excess of 700 cm with a body mass close to 1 ton. Historically, Greenland shark has been targeted in the fisheries for their liver oil, with annual landings at the beginning of the last century exceeding 30.000 individuals. Commercial fishing ceased in the 1960’s but the Greenland shark is still caught as by‐catch in the long‐line fisheries for halibut.

The life‐history of the Greenland shark is largely unknown. Females reach maturity at a length of 450 cm and might be as old as 100 years, with males reaching maturity sooner. Somatic growth is slow and periods where annual growth is less than 1 cm may occur. Females are viviparous giving birth to approximately 10 young after a gestation period lasting 1‐2 years. The size and age structure of the Greenland shark population is unknown. Given the low reproductive capacity of the Greenland shark, it is reasonable to consider them vulnerable to overfishing. Combined with a general lack of knowledge on the biology and life history of the species, it has been classified as near threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The Greenland shark is an apex predator in the Arctic marine ecosystem along with polar bear and killer whale. If the Greenland shark is not able to adapt to changes in the ocean environment that are a result of global climate change, they may face extinction with unknown effects of the workings of the remaining ecosystem. The overall aim of the present research proposal is to obtain information about the basic physiology and ecology of the Greenland shark, as a platform to perform experimental work that will provide insight into the possible fate of this species from the effects of global climate change.

More specifically we will study hearth function in on-board laboratories, as well as behavior and thermal preferences and migration patterns by using satellite pop-up-tags. In addition individuals will be age-determined using carbon 14 and histology, and the sensory system will be examined to determine feeding strategies. A few sharks will also be instrumented with 3 –axis accelerometers to determine natural swimming speed. The project will be filmed for public dissemination.

Co-PI's are Peter G. Bushnell, Indiana University South Bend and Rich Brill, Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

A pilot study in 2011 was funded by a National Geographic Society Research and Exploration Grant and Save Our Seas Foundation.

2: TUNU-Mafig – Marine Fishes of North East Greenland – diversity and adaptation:

The TUNU-Mafig Programme addresses questions related to the diversity of genes, species and communities in Arctic marine ecosystems. The genetic structuring, physiological adaptation, and ecological characteristics of the NE Greenland fish fauna are viewed are viewed on a broad evolutionary time scale and in the context of ocean climate change. TUNU-Mafig have organized cruises with R/V Jan Mayen (Norway) to N E Greenland in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010 and additional cruises are scheduled for 2013 and 2015.

The Greenland Shark Project has also been funded by a grant from the International Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland (Kommissionen for Videnskabelige Undersøgelser i Grønland) and the Carlsberg Foundation.

LINKS:

John Fleng Steffensen's home page: http://www.mbl.ku.dk/JFSteffensen

Danish Center for Marine Research: http://www.danskhavforskning.net/English.aspx

Save or Seas Foundation: http://saveourseas.com/

National Geographic Society - Research and Exploration Grants: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/grants-programs/cre-application/

TUNU-Mafig - MARINE FISHES OF NE GREENLAND – diversity and adaptation: A continued IPY-program: http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=318 and http://gcmd.nasa.gov/KeywordSearch/Supplementals.do?Portal=GCMD&KeywordPath=Projects&MetadataType=5&EntryId=TUNU-MAFIG

Updated June 28. 2012.