 NEWS:
Gear deployment in the Hatteras Bight. Ten acoustic receivers were deployed on 12/9/10 in the Hatteras Bight, off Hatteras NC as part of an ongoing study to evaluate movement and migration patterns of spiny dogfish (NC Sea Grant, Fisheries Resources Grant project #08-FEG-11). These receivers will also detect spiny dogfish tagged off the coast of Cape Cod in October 2010. The Cape Cod study, supported by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation, includes both external tagging (Floy tags) and internal acoustic tagging of sharks. (12/10/10)
Spiny dogfish in North Carolina! Spiny dogfish were angled off Avon, NC in early December 2010. (12/10/10)
A historically important survey platform for spiny dogfish research has been via the USFWS-led Cooperative Winter Tagging Cruise. The CWTC organizers typically use either the NOAA R/V Oregon II or the Duke University R/V Cape Hatteras. The Cape Hatteras is currently in the Gulf of Mexico, providing a sample platform for researchers studying the oil spill on the Deepwater Horizon. You can see press releases related to the R/V Cape Hatteras' efforts at: http://www.rvcapehatteras.org/ . The oil spill has the potential to affect the entire east coast over the next few months. We would appreciate any information you can provide to us about it, especially in regards to the spiny dogfish fishery or encounters with dogfish sharks and residue from the Deepwater Horizon. (June 17, 2010)
Spiny dogfish were reported by commercial fishermen in the Hatteras Bight region until June 4, 2010. (June 7, 2010)
Spiny dogfish are still in North Carolina! As of June 1, 2010, spiny dogfish have been observed in and around Morehead City, Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout, the Hatteras Bight, and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. ECU researchers sampled the Cape Lookout Bight on June 1, 2010 and June 4, 2010 for spiny dogfish, and located large schools of spiny and smooth dogfish between Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout on June 1, 2010. Unfortunately, no spiny or smooth dogfish were identified on June 4, 2010. If you have seen spiny dogfish in your area and would like to provide information for a report on this unusual behavior, please contact Jennifer Cudney (cudneyj01@students.ecu.edu) to set up an interview. We would also like to collect samples of dogfish that are still in North Carolina waters, and would appreciate any help we can get in obtaining samples. (6/7/10)
40 spiny dogfish have been tagged and released between Oregon Inlet and Cape Lookout, NC. These sharks have a $50 reward floy tag just below the dorsal fin, and will have either a surgical scar or a sutured wound on the abdomen. If you find one of our sharks, please do the following:
Copy down the tag number, the date/time of capture, location of capture, the size (total length- stretch the shark out and measure from tip of the nose to tail), release location (if differrent from capture location), and condition of the shark. If possible, please return the shark to the water!!!! If the shark is not to be returned to the water, then remove the dorsal tag and (if dressed out the acoustic tag) mail it back to us. Return addresses and contact information can be found on the "Tag Return form" on this website (2/25/10).
Gear has been deployed in the Hatteras Bight! Please see our "gear identification" page for more details. (1/8/09)
New photos have been contributed by commercial fishermen! (12/22/09)
Please be sure to check out the White Paper generated from the Spiny Dogfish Workshop held at East Carolina University (August 2007).
This website is designed to provide information on scientific activity conducted by East Carolina University scientists on spiny dogfish sharks. Biological information, photos, news, and events are also available. Please select the "Research" tab to learn more about the research of Dr Roger A. Rulifson and his graduate students.
If you have collected a tag off the dorsal fin of a spiny dogfish, please select the "Tag Return Form" link for instructions. Each tag has a reward and an address for return. PLEASE return the tag. We are tracking the movements of spiny dogfish along the Eastern Seaboard of North America and your tag return is very important to us.
Visitors to the website interested in networking with scientists, past symposia and workshops should select the "Spiny Dogfish Research Network" or the "Past Events" pages.
Thank you!
Website Always Under Construction
Last updated: 12/31/2008
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