Shark Migrations Due to the Earth’s Geomagnetic Pathways

Stacy AssaelMarine Affairs and Policy, M.S.

Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

University of Miami

BackgroundThere has been evidence of animals using

geomagnetism when migrating:Homing PigeonsMonarch ButterfliesSalmonCetaceans

ProposalSharks are also using geomagnetic pathways

located in the earth’s crust to travel long distances across earth’s oceans.

www.echeng.com

MethodsAttach satellite tags on to pelagic sharksUse Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to

plot the shark’s coordinates against a map of the magnetic pathways

www.rjd.miami.edu

GoalsUnderstand shark migratory patternsDetermine which areas of the oceans sharks

are using when migratingPredict shark locations in an attempt to gain

more information about their life history

Acknowledgments Special thanks to the Dr. Neil Hammerschlag

and the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program for giving me the opportunity to get

my hands wet!