50 Years of shark Monitoring at VIMS
In 2024, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the VIMS Longline Survey, a fisheries-independent monitoring survey focusing on Virginia’s coastal sharks. This survey was started by the late Dr. Jack Musick in 1974, then an early-career faculty member at VIMS, and whose research on the biology of sharks documented the inherent vulnerability of these apex predators to overexploitation. As Mid-Atlantic shark fisheries escalated in the early 1970s, efforts to standardize sampling protocols were introduced to improve the consistency of annual abundance estimates.
The VIMS Longline Survey has provided foundational knowledge on the distribution, biology, and ecology of Mid-Atlantic sharks. Over the past 5 decades, the data informed fishery management plans and status assessments of individual shark species and shark complexes. The survey has formed the basis for hundreds of scientific publications and dozens of graduate students’ research.
As with any long-term survey, this celebration would not be complete without acknowledging the faculty, staff, and students, past and present, whose dedication and hard work have ensured the success of the program.
vims News - VIMS Celebrates 50 Years of Shark Research: A Milestone for Marine Conservation
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History of the VIMS Longline Survey:
We highlight below some of the key moments in the history of the VIMS Longline Survey, focusing on survey design and U.S. policies relating to shark fisheries. While this is necessarily incomplete, we hope it inspires you to learn more about sharks, their fisheries, and the vast ocean that they call home.
