Guadalupe Island Great White Shark Expedition
Guadalupe Island, Mexico · 2016
October 24, 2016 · Header photo by Andrea Stockert, Orange Coast Media.
Ocean First Institute brought great white shark research into classrooms during a live broadcast from Guadalupe Island. Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza narrated the dive through a communications mask from inside a shark cage, while Dr. Chris Lowe co-hosted from the California State University, Long Beach Shark Lab.
Watch the broadcast
Measuring sharks underwater
High school students in Longmont, Colorado, designed the twin-laser tool the team used. Two dots a known distance apart provided a scale for estimating a shark’s length from underwater footage. The Ocean Lab’s expedition recap reports that McComb-Kobza collected size data on seven individual white sharks.
From the research vessel to the classroom
The expedition used the Nautilus Belle Amie as its broadcast platform. Students learned how to recognize shark anatomy, distinguish males from females, and use markings to identify individuals. The Ocean Lab records four broadcasts during the expedition, with classrooms tuning in from California, Illinois, and Colorado.
Read The Ocean Lab’s 2016 mission recap or read OFI’s account of the student-designed laser project.
Photos from the expedition
