Sunday, July 25, 2010

SRMR - Step by Step


The Shark Reef Marine Reserve continues to deliver.

Here's another recent publication by Juerg - please click on it for details.
You may be surprised that it does not focus on Sharks - but ever since its inception in 2004, the SRMR has been the backdrop for a whole array of scientific research projects ranging from Fish Taxonomy all the way to Shark Behavior.
In a way, this a sort of open air laboratory where experiments can be predictably replicated and observations cover a large uninterrupted time frame, allowing us to record unusual behavior but above all, long-term changes throughout the seasons and as overall local conditions improve owing to our stewardship, thus attracting more species and more individuals.

This little piece was published in Coral Reefs.
It adds yet another footnote to the life history of the ubiquitous Sharksucker, Echeneis naucrates. It eloquently illustrates how disposing of such a unique research station enables to discover behavior that would otherwise remain largely undetected.

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