Collin McClelland

INT-470

Article Evaluation

What distinguishes a human being from another? The individual, as we

understand, has defining facial features, eye color, body shape, fingerprints, and DNA all
to there own. In the animal kingdom, it is often difficult to individualize certain creatures
as little or nothing is known about them. A recent study by Michael L. Domeier and
Nicole Nasby-Lucas entitled Annual re-sightings of photographically identified white
sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) at an eastern Pacific aggregation site (Guadalupe
Island, Mexico) explains how patterns of pigmentation on great white sharks can actually
help identify the individual much like a human finger print.
In this article, the authors explain three distinct questions they wish to solve; (1)
can characters be found to repeatedly identify individuals over several years? (2) Do
white sharks at Guadalupe Island exhibit site fidelity? And (3) are there temporal patterns
to white shark visitation of Guadalupe Island (Domeir, 2)? These questions were
subsequently answered one at a time scientifically by explaining some key elements prior
to the conclusion. The authors first explain that on the bodies of great whites, there are
certain areas such as the pectoral fin and gill flaps that are pigmented in a pattern. This
pattern is asymmetrical, meaning they are different from both sides, and often have
different shapes and patterns from others of their species. This discovery lead to the
understanding and implementation of creating a system of identification on individuals
both tagged and not tagged. This information is useful in many applications as the author
explains; it can help protect the sharks, as their reproductive ability is rather limited due
to their spot on the food chain. Predatory animals tend to have fewer offspring than that
of prey animals, in an evolutionary effect to balance the food chain and population sizes.
Whites, being at the top do not reproduce very many offspring and reproduce fairly

infrequently (Domeir). This knowledge of identifying individuals could help scientists

identify populations sizes, densities, and activities in a given area.
With the success of the system, they identified 73 individuals after taking over
9,000 photos and 24 hours of video taken off the coast of Guadalupe Island, a popular
and regular area for whites to congregate, feed, and breed (Domeir). From this the
authors and researchers were able to understand that these individuals did actually look
different from one another. With this data, scientists can now study sharks and wildlife in
new ways. Rather than solely using tags and electronic chips to identify the animals, they
can find asymmetric patterns of pigment, scaring, and other defining features to aid in
identifying and recording where the individual is, has been, and will return (Domeir).
This article is a fine example of Interdisciplinary work. Photography, image
analysis, meteorology, biology, oceanography, statistics, and other mathematical and
scientific foci were used to formulate the answers to the three questions questioned. The
main applications for this research study was to help scientist understand where these
sharks go, what they do, and understand more on their illusive lifestyle. Brining together
those foci together, the authors concluded that it was possible to identify individuals by
simply cataloging certain pigmentation traits. This article is a great example of how an
Interdisciplinarian works, by utilizing multiple resources, knowledge banks, and a
constructive and logical process, the authors solved a problem that was seemingly
daunting.
This paper interested me because it involved my greatest passion, biology, and
exclusively marine biology. Sharks and their vast predatory superiority, their enigmatic
life style, and their tenacious ability to adapt and evolve have always fascinated me. With

this research we can better predict where these sharks are going, to prevent attacks,
protecting them from poaching or fishing, and monitoring and promoting safe waters for
them. Knowing who they are is another step in understanding what they are. The White
Shark or Carcharodon carcharias (Domeir) has been the apex ocean predator since
before mankind and will continue its rein over the seas for centuries to come. This is
however if we as the caretakers of the planet better understand them, their habitat, their
lifestyles, and how we can prevent from interfering with unwanted encounters. We are
custodians of this earth, and life is a rare and precious thing in the cosmos. With this
approach to identifying the individuals of a species, we can further analyze them and
document their behaviors and life style, proving that the Interdisciplinary way of thinking
not only has real world applications, but also real world solutions.

References:
Domeier, M., & Nasby-Lucas, N. (2007). Annual re-sightings of photographically
identified white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) at an eastern Pacific aggregation site
(Guadalupe Island, Mexico). Marine Biology, 977-984.