Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Expedition: Bermuda – Part II
The 2010 expedition to Challenger Bank began on July 24, just a couple of weeks earlier in the year than last year’s trip. Much of the crew from the 2009 expedition were on hand again: Neil and Choy – the “local boys” from Bermuda; Mahmood and Brad, our resident scientists; my children, Jessica and Alex; and Capt. James Robinson, whose boat Wound Up once again served the dual role of catch boat and support vessel.
Neil shows the attachment of a 3-year SPOT to the dorsal fin of a 12 foot tiger
For this year’s trip, the GHRI provided thirteen SPOT (Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting) tags and Neil purchased four three-year SPOTs with assistance from Bermudian sponsors, some of whom rode along with Capt. James on the Wound Up. Neil and Choy were doing a great job in Bermuda in getting local businesses involved in the tagging project and the production of a documentary that was created to educate the public about the success of their work.
The expedition’s plan called for Neil and Choy to take us to Challenger Bank to tag as many tiger sharks as possible over the course of six days. The week started fairly slow, with just one shark caught on each of the first three days. However, things heated up in the second half of the week as we caught and tagged 9 more sharks over the three remaining days.
Chumming was the key to catching the sharks. Luckily, we had ample supplies of fish heads, and we added to the chum mix by catching bonitos, ocean robins (local name for an abundant mackerel scad), blackfins, wahoos and barracudas while we were on the Bank. While the sharks were definitely attracted to all of the fish we served up, they seemed to have a preference for one in particular – fresh barracuda, which proved to be irresistible to the tigers.
We fished for the tigers primarily from the Wound Up. When a shark was hooked, Capt. James would transfer it to the Bones and then return to the mooring to continue fishing. Meanwhile, Neil and crew would safely secure the caught shark, apply a tag to the its dorsal fin, and then release the shark unharmed. Our crew was very experienced at tagging sharks and had gained a lot of knowledge during last year’s expedition, so the entire process – from the initial hook up to the final step of releasing the shark – was well planned and executed, which resulted in all of the sharks being released without harm.
While James was fishing with 130s we put out a quarter inch rope line cable leader and 20/0 circle hook, which was baited with barracuda and suspended from a large buoy. We caught four sharks using this method. One of these was pulled in by Alex, and at 8 feet long, it was the smallest shark we had caught so far.
Brad and Neil decided this shark was small enough to pull into the boat for tagging, so the crew hauled the shark on board, then covered its eyes with a wet towel and ran two deck hoses through its gills for ventilation. With the smaller shark secured in the boat, Neil was able to deploy a 3-year SPOT tag on this young male in just a few minutes.
Alex Harvey works hard on a tiger on the rope line
Interestingly, while on board, this small tiger shark regurgitated several squid beaks, and the horn of the foot from a benthic gastropod (like a conch). This indicates opportunistic bottom feeding and mid-water feeding on pelagic squid (one of the big 12 footers regurgitated the remains of a seabird and lots of feathers).
Unfortunately, we didn’t catch any of the sharks that we tagged last year, nor did we catch any tigers that had been tagged previously by Mahmood and Brad in the U.S.Virgin Islands over the past two years. A somewhat disappointing result, but it suggests that the tiger shark population around Bermuda is comparatively healthy. Of course, we do not know what the population numbers were before the commercial fishing industry exploited this and other species over the last three decades, so it’s difficult to determine just how stable the population has been over time.
Impact of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Expedition: Bermuda
Earlier in July, Brad presented our most up-to-date results at the annual conference of the American Elasmobranch Society, and the results of our comprehensive study amazed the scientific community. The tags applied in 2009 have lasted and stayed attached much longer than expected, and the regular reporting by the sharks (over a year now) is shedding new light on their behavior and migration in the Atlantic. Perhaps the biggest finding so far is that tigers are not the coastal dwellers that they were believed to be. Instead, they appear to make extensive oceanic journeys, and have an oceanic existence for much of the year.
It appears that the majestic tiger shark, which can grow to eighteen feet long, seems just as content in six feet of water chasing stingrays on the Bahamian sand flats as it is lurking near an oceanic bank 2000 miles offshore, hoping to detect and zero in on a dead floating sea bird or loggerhead turtle. This knowledge has serious management implications: since the sharks have been shown to make extensive migrations – passing through the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zones of several countries in a given year – no country can consider these animals “their resource”.
The GHRI left several SPOT tags in Bermuda with Neil and Choy in the hope that some female tiger sharks would show up later in the year. Oddly, of all the animals tagged so far, only one has been female. This leads us to another question: “Why are there so many males at Challenger Bank at this time of year?” A question perhaps best answered by making another expedition.
Acknowledgements:
I wish to thank Rehanna Palumbo and the staff at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel in Hamilton, Bermuda for her assistance with accommodation. This is a beautifully appointed 5-star hotel in a wonderful setting on the Hamilton waterfront close to great shopping and restaurants. Well worth the visit.
Thanks to Neil and Choy for getting us together in the collaborative research effort, and for the chance to swim with these magnificent animals. Thanks to James Robinson and his family for his commitment to the project.
It is our collective responsibility to conserve the marine environment and maintain the biodiversity of the planet. Fish responsibly, dive safely.
Cheers….Guy Harvey PhD.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
With the dramatic declines in shark populations caused by shark-finning and other forms of commercial fishing, the need for protection of shark species worldwide has reached a critical point. To this point, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is aggressively supporting several fisheries management studies that are gathering crucial data that can be used to design and implement protective measures.
One of these studies is an ongoing project to track tiger shark migratory patterns in the western Atlantic. For the past two summers, representatives from the GHOF and the Guy Harvey Research Institute have helped tag and track almost twenty tiger sharks off the coast of Bermuda. The expeditions have produced previously unknown data about the tiger sharks in that region, information which may very well lead to new fisheries management practices in the western Atlantic and Caribbean.
Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Expedition: Bermuda -Part I
Mahmood Shivji and Brand Wetherbee measuring a tiger shark on Challenger Bank, Bermuda
In August of 2009, the staff of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the Guy Harvey Research Institute collaborated with the Bermuda Shark Project on an expedition to tag and track adult tiger sharks a few miles southwest of Bermuda. We concentrated our efforts in a location known as Challenger Bank, which is a known as a hot spot for tiger shark activity. The area certainly lived up to its reputation – by the end of the week, we had caught, tagged and safely released seven adult tiger sharks with PSAT and SPOT electronic tags.
The tagging project was being led by two Bermudians, Dr. Neil Burnie and Choy Aming, with the representatives of the GHOF and GHRI providing assistance in the form of tag provision and deployment, as well as follow-up analysis of the sharks’ migration patterns through the western region of the north Atlantic. Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Director of the GHRI, and Dr. Brad Wetherbee of the University of Rhode Island – both of whom have extensive experience working with tiger sharks in the Bahamas and the USVI – were on hand to calibrate the tags and assist with deployment. And, my children Jessica and Alex – both of whom are world-class fishermen with several IGFA records between them – rounded out the team as our expert tiger shark wranglers.
We used Neil’s 34’ Prowler, Bones, as the expedition’s work boat while Captain James Robinson’s Wound Up served as the catch boat. The sharks were caught on 20/0 circle hooks with no barb and130# gear, then tail roped and restrained by a harness that kept them snug to the boat while Neil drilled small holes in the shark’s dorsal fin to attach the SPOT tags. On average, the process was usually completed in about 15 minutes, during which time the shark’s head remained submerged in the water so it could ventilate normally.
Once the tag had been securely fastened, the tail rope and harness were released and the sharks would swim away at a rapid clip. I was in the water to film the hook removal and rope/harness release, while my professional camera team of Rick Westphal and Dee Gele filmed all the action for a tiger shark documentary I am producing.
The results of last year’s expedition were successful beyond our expectations. Using the tags, we were able to track the sharks’ migration as they moved away from Bermuda when seawater temperatures dropped in October, during which time they migrated south towards the Bahamas, Turk and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands. The tracks showed the sharks were not wandering aimlessly but were actually headed in a more-or-less straight line, as if they knew where they were going. Based on their amazingly direct movements, it’s highly likely the individual animals have taken this migratory path before.
Guy Harvey catching a tiger shark to tag
For the rest of the winter months, the tiger sharks behaved like reef sharks, tracking the edges of deep island drop-offs. Presumably, they were feeding opportunistically along the way. As they searched for food at or near the surface, their dorsal fins would be exposed above the water line, which would allow the Argos satellites to pick up the signal from the tags and pinpoint the shark’s location (NOTE: The SPOT tag technology is more suited for attachment on air-breathing mammals and reptiles that constantly interact with the surface. Only a few ocean-going sharks exhibit the necessary type of behavior needed to use the SPOT tag for tracking. For example, my friend Dr. Michael Domeier uses the same equipment in his ongoing research of white shark populations in the Pacific).
As the seawater temperatures started to rise in April and May, the tiger sharks began a northward migration, with some aiming directly for Bermuda. As they approached the island, they began to veer off on an easterly track that led them well north of Bermuda and into the north Atlantic, where some have stayed for most of the summer (Katrin, the only female tagged last year, is currently on a latitude adjacent to New York!).
This pattern of migration away from the island and in to open water raises some big questions: “What are they doing out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?”, “Are they feeding, and if so, on what – turtles, dead sea birds, squid?”, “Or, are they perhaps breeding?” These are serious questions that need to be answered in order for our research to have any practical or meaningful conclusions. So, we decided to once again mount an expedition to Bermuda to see exactly what is going on with these perplexing tiger sharks.
See our next week’s blog for Part II
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (CNN) — Whether he’s out on the ocean monitoring stingrays in the Caribbean, or back on land painting in his studio, Guy Harvey spends all his time surrounded by fish.
Raised in Jamaica and educated in Scotland, Harvey is one of the world’s leading conservationists with a first class degree in marine biology and a PhD in fisheries management.
His love of the sea and ecology inspired Harvey to found the Guy Harvey Research Institute in 1999 which provides scientific information about fish protection and biodiversity.
But this is only half of Harvey’s remarkable story. He is a highly successful businessman with a chain of seafood restaurants and a self-taught artist whose depictions of game fish have become world famous.
“I didn’t go to art class or art school, never took a lesson in my life. I learned everything from trial and error and it’s this persistence, I suppose, with the illustrative content which got me to where I am,” Harvey told CNN.
Ernest Hemmingway’s novella, “The Old Man and the Sea” inspired Harvey’s obsession with game fish and moved him to depict the famous fishing story in a series of pen and ink drawings a quarter of a century ago.
He paints every day and 10 percent of the proceeds of all the paintings he sells goes straight back into his eco-organizations.
Harvey also created a TV series, “Portraits of the Deep,” to showcase game fish and their importance to the environment.
“To see them underwater in their glowing, feeding and moving colors, their aggression colors are probably one of the most exciting things you can do as a diver,” Harvey said.
These videos play constantly in his stores and his restaurants where Harvey’s art is also on the walls, and only sustainable fish species are on the menu.
Harvey’s marine expertise has also helped to pioneer techniques of recording billfish underwater and a tagging system to monitor them over long distances.
More recently, he’s taken on the plight of sharks. Hunted for their fins, the loss of these predators could affect the oceans’ fragile balance.
Harvey’s recent Ultimate Shark Challenge was a catch-and-release fishing tournament held off the Southwest Florida coast. Endangered sharks were tagged for study and not a single one was strung up in the dock.
Sharks are also in danger in the Gulf of Mexico because of the BP oil leak. Harvey fears other fish are at risk too. He’s planning a new line of t-shirts to raise funds for research.
“We have no idea when this is going to stop or how far it’s going to reach and what the life span of this disaster is going to be,” Harvey said.
From the study of stingrays, to the most pressing conservation issues in global fisheries, the diver, artist, scientist, and businessman is always promoting the preservation of marine ecology.
“Fish are just stinking fish to most people. They have their filet that comes on the plate or you buy it in the fish mongers and it comes in a cellophane bag and it’s dead and cold and smelly. These are beautiful graceful ocean predators that need our respect.
“I want to leave people feeling that, you know, we really need to think more about how we use the ocean and everything that’s in it and if I’ve achieved that, then that will do it for me.”
Shark populations around the world are being decimated by indiscriminate overfishing to supply the market demand for shark fin soup. These severe and rapid population reductions of the ocean’s apex predators have led to legitimate worries about disruptions to the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. The U.S. government, recognizing this looming environmental disaster, has made landings of 20 shark species deemed especially sensitive to overfishing illegal in U.S. Atlantic federal waters (see http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Compliance_Guide/Comm/Comm_Compliance_Guide_QR_Sharks.pdf for list).
Shark "logs" Photo credit: M. Shivji, GHRI
Until recently, shark species were landed as processed carcasses or “logs”, i.e., in gutted form with their heads, tails and fins removed (see photo). The highly valuable, detached fins were kept separate from the carcasses. Since many sharks are difficult to identify even as intact animals, this processing practice made it extremely difficult to determine whether legal or illegal species were being landed. In fact, because of this species-identification difficulty, shark “finning” – the illegal practice where high value fins from some species (e.g., hammerhead, dusky, sandbar sharks) were landed without the corresponding carcasses, was commonplace. To prevent finning, new government regulations established in July 2008 require the fins of sharks landed in the U.S. Atlantic fisheries to be “naturally attached” to the carcass when landed – i.e., they can still be cut along most of their attachment point as long as they remain dangling from the carcass by a small piece of uncut skin. The cutting away of most of the fin is allowed so that the fishers can fold the fins back along the carcass to save on vessel storage space. The shark’s head, however, can still be removed at sea. Unfortunately, even with this new regulation, identifying the species landed by visual inspection only is still difficult for the non-expert. Furthermore, this new regulation does not yet apply to sharks landed in U.S. Pacific fisheries.
Confiscated Shark Fins. Photo credit: A. Samuels, NOAA OLE
To help management agencies detect landings of illegal shark species, scientists from the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) at Nova Southeastern University pioneered the development of a rapid DNA forensics test to accurately identify shark body parts (carcasses, fins, fillets) to species. This test has routinely been used since 2003 to help NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement and international government agencies enforce their regulations pertaining to illegal fishing of protected shark species. The GHRI has assisted with over 20 such federal law enforcement cases, including one where the DNA analysis showed a U.S. fish dealer in illegal possession of fins from 19 great white sharks, a species considered by the IUCN (http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/3855/0) at high risk for extinction in the wild. This case resulted in the fish dealer being assessed US $ 750,000 in fines!
The GHRI’s DNA forensic test has given fishery managers extra “teeth” to enforce regulations that, although well intentioned, were previously difficult to implement. We now have a powerful set of DNA-based, crime-fighting tools similar to those used in human criminal cases also being successfully applied in fish conservation and management. High-tech “Fisheries CSI” is now a reality! Ideas for a TV show, anyone?
A conundrum for management and conservation of one of the Atlantic’s most overfished oceanic species
Here’s an eye-opening tale of how little we really know about the diversity of life in our oceans. And why scientific information is so critical for sustaining our fisheries. A simple case of mistaken fish species identity has really messed up what we thought we knew about the magnificent, but severely overfished white marlin. Furthermore, this unrecognized mistake, which has occurred for decades, is raising serious questions about how we can better manage the white marlin to ensure its future survival.
So what’s this mistake? It turns out that for years, anglers thinking they were catching the prized white marlin may have caught an entirely different species instead! Just three years ago, a team of scientists from the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) at Nova Southeastern University and NOAA Fisheries in Florida made a startling discovery – they confirmed the existence of a previously unrecognized billfish species that looks very similar to a white marlin (see photo). Known as the roundscale spearfish, this new billfish species has now been found throughout the Atlantic Ocean, where its distribution overlaps that of the real white marlin.
Then in December 2009, the same scientific team reported that roundscale spearfish made up a significant portion (about 27%) of the commercial catch that was previously believed to be white marlin.
By now you may be asking, “what’s the fuss?” The problem is that because the existence of the roundscale spearfish was unrecognized until recently, its inadvertent misidentification as white marlin for decades makes past assessments of white marlin population sizes – which are based on fisheries catch data – inaccurate. Basically, what used to be called the “white marlin” was actually a mixture of two species!
What does this mean for the future of the threatened, real white marlin? Given huge concerns about its depleted populations, two petitions (in 2002 and 2007) to list the white marlin under the U.S. Endangered Species Act were considered. If such a listing had gone through, it would likely have put an end to white marlin fishing tournaments, which infuse millions of dollars into the recreational fishing industry as well as local economies. Now the discovery of a look-alike species, realization of it’s long-standing mix-up with white marlin, and the fact that it makes up a substantial portion of past “white marlin” catch, raises considerable confusion regarding the accuracy of our biological knowledge about white marlin and its population sizes. Two issues are clear: First, it’s back to the drawing board to figure out what the white marlin population size really is and how to better manage this species before its populations completely crash. Second, it also means that there is another large billfish species out there (the roundscale spearfish) that we know nothing about and that could very well also be declining rapidly due to overfishing.
I find it remarkable that the existence of a large billfish species in U.S. waters went unnoticed until just three years ago! This “oops” moment points to the urgent need for more scientific research about our planet’s oceans before we lose even more biodiversity.
The good news is that the scientific team from the GHRI and NOAA Fisheries is making fast progress on developing the tools and providing the information needed to help fishery managers better conserve the white marlin and roundscale spearfish. Thank you for your continued support of such important scientific research through the purchase of Guy Harvey sportswear. It makes a statement that you care about the welfare of our fragile oceans!
Previously known for fishing clothing and fishing T shirts for hard core fishermen, Guy Harvey jewelry and clothing is gaining popularity with anyone that loves the ocean and the coastal lifestyle.
Irvine, CA (PRWEB) February 17, 2010 — Guy Harvey’s famous marine wildlife artwork is now seen being worn not only by fishermen, but by men and women, college students, teens and even young kids. And most recently Guy Harvey’s artwork is showing up as fine jewelry on beautiful swimsuit models like Brooklyn Decker and Anne V in the recently released 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Guy Harvey Nautical Jewelry
Brooklyn Decker and friends sport Guy Harvey Jewelry in 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue “It was like walking up to the plate in the world series and hitting the ball out of the park at first bat,” said Jim Fortescue, owner of Nautora, the official licensee and manufacturer of Guy Harvey Jewelry. “I couldn’t possibly envision a better promotional opportunity than on the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for our nautical jewelry line.”
Just a few years ago, the primary place you might see Guy Harvey’s artwork outside of a picture frame, was on fishing t shirts worn by salt water fishermen. But that has changed as evidenced not only by the Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, but by the millions of dollars in Guy Harvey clothing being sold through retailers across the U.S. and online to a wide variety of people of all ages.
Anne V wearing Guy Harvey Jewelry
“Guy Harvey clothing, jewelry, and other licensed products are really striking a chord with a broad cross section of people across the country,” said Bill Shedd, owner of AFTCO Bluewater, the licensee for Guy Harvey apparel and operator of the newly launched official online store GuyHarveySportswear.com. “We have watched long lines of people of all ages wrapping around the block, waiting for an autograph at Guy Harvey’s signing events…Moms with 10 year old sons, Dads with 17 year old daughters, and college students both male and female,” Shedd continued.
“I think Guy Harvey’s growing popularity is more than just about beautiful fish art as fashion, said Mahmood Shivji, Director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University. “Guy Harvey is all about conservation, about sustainability, about educating the public, and about saving our oceans and the marine life so that future generations will be able to appreciate and use the marine resource as we have. No one is more passionate and involved with the ocean than Guy Harvey. He doesn’t just talk about it, he does something about it. A portion of every Guy Harvey jewelry, clothing and other licensed product sale goes to fund important marine research, and I believe informed consumers that love our oceans really relate to Guy’s commitment.”
Jessica White wearing Guy Harvey
Guy Harvey’s Facebook page has over 109,000 actively engaged fans, many of them college students and younger, supporting the claim of a widening audience. Both Guy Harvey Jewelry and Guy Harvey Sportswear are actively seeking additional product placement opportunities.
About Guy Harvey Jewelry
Guy Harvey’s artwork is now featured in a line of fine jewelry. Nautora has transferred Guy Harvey’s ocean themed artwork into three dimensional works of personal designer jewelry. The new jewelry line features an assortment of Marlins, Sailfish, Porpoises, Sharks, Hummingbirds, Sea Turtles, King Mackerel, Tarpon, Dorado, Macaw and Tropical Fish. The line features delicate pieces for the ladies, and robust, heavier pieces for the guys. Nautora has used a variety of combinations of sterling silver, 18k gold, platinum, diamonds and gemstones to create an impressive selection. All pieces in the line have Guy’s signature exquisitely featured on the reverse side. Guy Harvey’s Signature Jewelry is available at many fine retail stores. Prices range from $59.95 to $30,000. To locate a retailer go to http://www.guyharveyjewelry.com/locator/
About Guy Harvey Sportswear
Guy Harvey Sportswear represents a full line (over 7,000 styles and sizes) of high quality Guy Harvey Men’s fishing t shirts featuring his extraordinary detailed paintings of big game fish like marlin, sailfish, tuna and more, in addition to other men’s fishing clothing like tech and performance shirts, fishing shorts, fishing hats, belts, shoes, and sandals. There is also a wide selection of Women’s clothing including dresses, skirts, shorts, knits, tanks, and tops, in addition to popular new Junior’s and Young Men’s t shirt lines featuring more youthful designs and a slimmer cut. The Youth department includes fishing shirts, t shirts, and hats. Guy Harvey Sportswear is available at many retail locations as well as online at: http://www.guyharveysportswear.com/ (A retailer locator is available on the site.)
Thank you so much for your patronage of Guy Harvey art inspired sportswear. Did you know that your purchase of this high quality fishing clothing and fishing t shirts helps our collective efforts on behalf of ocean conservation? Let me explain.
The oceans are a signature part of life on Planet Earth, including factors critical to human survival such as food resources and climate modulation. Most people who earn their livelihoods from the ocean or use it for their recreation are now well aware of the increasingly degraded state of marine ecosystems resulting from overfishing, coastal over-development, pollution and habitat destruction by humans.
But can anything be done to stop this degradation and even restore our marine ecosystems before these changes become irreversible?
Luckily, the answer is still yes and there is evidence to support this optimistic outlook. There is, however, also a strong “but” associated with this optimism – and that is corrective action can no longer be kept on the back burner on our environmental priority list. In fact, all credible science points to the fact that preventing irreversible damage to our oceans will need effective management and conservation actions to be implemented immediately and dynamically on a global scale.
Unfortunately, taking corrective action to restore the health of our oceans has been easier said than done because the issues involved are socioeconomically and scientifically complex. Adding to this complexity is that the oceans provide an average of 18% (developed countries) to 25% (developing countries) of the protein consumed by humans. And the demand for seafood continues to increase with growing human populations and space limitations for agriculture on land. Without urgent, major improvements in how we collectively manage and conserve our oceans worldwide, we face the alarming prospect that the health of earth’s marine ecosystems and fishery resources is quickly becoming strained beyond the point of recovery.
So what’s to be done to improve the state of our oceans?
The absolute foundation for improving ocean governance is the availability of solid scientific information on how marine ecosystems work, and a much larger segment of the public that is educated and passionate about and involved in ocean issues. And this is where we fall short.
Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center campus in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
And this is where the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) and its sister organization, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) are playing major roles. Providing this critical foundation of marine ecosystem knowledge via high quality scientific research, university-level education and national and international dissemination of research findings to the general public via major media is the focus of the GHRI’s activities. The GHOF supports the scientific research of the GHRI as its research arm, and also focuses on public education and ocean advocacy activities via documentaries and new generation (social and web) media dissemination of marine conservation issues.
History of the Guy Harvey Research Institute
Dr. Guy Harvey, himself a marine biologist, has long recognized the foundational relationship between scientific knowledge and effective ocean governance. To advance this knowledge he established in 1999 the Guy Harvey Research Institute in collaboration with the Oceanographic Center at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. The mission of the GHRI is to play a global leadership role in providing the scientific information required for effective marine conservation. Its worldwide research work is supported by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and various government and private foundation grants and individual donors who are passionate about the welfare of the earth’s oceans. A major and long-standing supporter of the GHRI’s scientific research activities is the AFTCO Mfg Co. Incorporated via its AFTCO Bluewater line of Guy Harvey sportswear. The GHRI is also part of the academic arm of the Oceanographic Center at Nova Southeastern University, and provides advanced training to U.S. and international students in marine conservation research. This research training focus is an important part of the GHRI’s activities in educating the future stewards of our ocean’s health.
As a guest blogger on this site, I will periodically report on the GHRI’s research activities and important new findings generally in marine science and conservation. Also, please visit our web sites for an overall perspective on what we do. I hope you will find this information to be of interest and it will spur you on to become and remain active supporters for protecting and restoring our fragile oceans and its ecosystems. Thank you again for supporting ocean conservation with your purchases. I hope you will wear your Guy Harvey sportswear with pride and the knowledge that you are making a difference!
We’re excited to add Dr. Mahmood Shivji to our list of contributors to the Guy Harvey Sportswear blog. Dr. Shivji is the Director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Professor at Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center in Florida.
His research combines DNA- and field-based approaches to provide information essential for improving conservation and management of marine species. Dr. Shivji is an internationally recognized authority on shark and billfish conservation research, but if caught off guard – or plied with good red wine and dark chocolate – will admit to surreptitiously working on uncharismatic, tiny coral reef invertebrates also.
Dr Shivji releasing tiger shark after tagging and DNA sampling
The research program he directs for the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) is global in scope. The GHRI’s research, including the amazing discovery that female sharks can give virgin birth and finding new species of sharks and billfish, have consistently received worldwide coverage in the major media, including the Economist, Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the BBC and National Public Radio. Dr. Shivji’s research on the shark fin trade and its impacts on shark populations is currently on display at the Smithsonian National Museum’s Ocean Hall in Washington DC.
We’re looking forward to his blog posts and know you will find them engaging as well!
In October of 2009 I was inducted into the IGFA Hall of Fame. It was a great honor joining the ranks of some of my greatest heroes in the fishing arena. The following is a transcript of my acceptance speech.
Guy's induction ceremony acceptance speech into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame on October 27, 2009
“Thank you very much Mark. Mark set a standard in his TV shows for many other hosts to follow, including me, and I am particularly appreciative of your advice and assistance. I am looking forward to the day when you teach me how to catch a sailfish on a cigar!
Congratulations to the other deserving people being honored tonight. The international nature of the IGFA is reflected in the range of nationalities awarded here, a Costa Rican, an Auzzie, two Americans and a Jamaican. Jack, it’s good to see you here, mate!
Ever since I can remember I have been FISHING. All that time ago, just the mention of the names like Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Glassell, John Morris, Joan Wulff, Stu Apte, Mark Sosin conjured images of pioneers in their respective fields, who I wanted to meet. Well…. I eventually did. One of the people then, who had the most dramatic impact on me was Pierre Clostermann. As a boy I had two favorite books to read, one was The Old Man and the Sea, and the other was the best unbiased narrative of the air war in the Battle of Britain from WWII, a book called “The Big Show”, by Pierre Clostermann. I would read these books every week. Then, as I grew older, I discovered that not only did Pierre Clostermann fish a great deal, but he was also an IGFA trustee. I finally met him at the first IGFA auction 25 years ago in Palm Beach, and we became great friends after that. Hemingway had been out of reach for a while, and so Pierre was my first living mentor.
There have been others along the way, people who I have met through the IGFA board or through my business and that I have admired and respected and who have made their own mark in this sport that embraces…. so many disciplines. There have been many innovators in our hundred year old sport, from boat designers, tackle inventors, authors, scientists, resource managers and administrators, all pioneers in their time, whose dedication and INDUSTRY have allowed us to arrive at this point.
I feel fortunate that I have had the SAME opportunity to be as creative as they were and transform a hobby into becoming an integral part of our sport fishing CULTURE and HERITAGE.
I am certainly not the first, there being several other successful marine sport fishing artists to have made their mark; Lynne Bogue Hunt, (already in the HoF), Stanley Meltzoff, Russ Smiley, Kent Ullberg, Al Barnes, and Don Ray to name the best. The CHALLENGE has been in creating the process whereby this art is made available to a wide cross section of society. I had a lot of help from a series of wonderful people in the last two decades, many of whom are here tonight, but I must thank the late Scott Boyd, Barbara Currie, Charlie Forman and Raleigh Werking who got the process going, and more recently Bill Shedd and his AFTCO team who have taken the business to new heights. In those early years I received considerable support and encouragement from the IGFA through the efforts of the late chairman Elwood Harry, and the immediate past President of IGFA, Mike Leech.
Of all the other artists in this genre, Kent Ullberg has been my reference and guiding force, a man whose illustrious fine art career is littered with awards. Kent has helped our tiny niche to make a very large impact in the world of WILD LIFE ART which has even raised a few eyebrows in the realm of FINE ART.
This profession has been and continues to be most gratifying. The process of creating new work, inspired by a myriad of encounters above and below the surface, is exciting enough. I have visited many exotic angling locations, but ONLY A FEW have tolerated my presence more than once…. particularly Tropic Star Lodge which is the greatest big game angling destination in the western hemisphere. Such is the inspiration derived from this unique place that I recently completed a 334 page book about the angling history and magnificent fishery this remote location has to offer. In these pages I was able to engage all my disciplines; art, photography, TV documentaries, science, conservation and story-telling….boy are there some stories! After all….It’s a book about… FISHING.
I have just released another book, called Fishes of the Open Ocean, authored by well known Australian fish biologist Dr. Julian Pepperell and with 170 images illustrated by me. It is the first reference book of its kind, which describes all the fish that inhabit the epi- pelagic zone of the open ocean at some point in their life history. Here Julian needed my services as a fish illustrator, and I was very glad to assist him with this book.
In the thirty years that I have been in the business of painting marine wildlife there have been many failures, but fortunately more successes. And with that success there comes… RESPONSIBILITY. During this same time we have witnessed the rapid decline of species that are the ICONS of our sport. Human population growth and the increasing demand for protein have brought many species to the brink of extinction. Nowadays, many of us sitting in this room, spend more time trying to save these creatures rather than actually fishing for them. For wild life artists generally, the task at hand is to reflect this concern in our work, and as more environmental issues come to the fore, so my art and that of other artists and their subject matter becomes more relevant in people’s personal experience and in what they see happening around them.
This concern has been the driving force in the formation of the GHRI ten years ago, and more recently the GHOF, my new organization mandated to raise funds necessary to carry out research work and to conduct education and outreach. The demise of all these species is CONSUMER driven, so now the emphasis is to educate consumers about ISSUES that face marine resources. To most people, any creature living beneath the surface is out of sight, therefore OUT OF MIND. In a restaurant or supermarket situation, the consumer gives little consideration to what species this is or from whence it came.
Research… followed by education… leads to conservation. My goal has been and continues to be… raise the funds for research, and use the art and TV to educate the consumer… for whom conservation will become second nature.
I have many people I want to thank, but firstly I want to thank the IGFA for giving me this recognition, which is in acknowledgement of a TEAM EFFORT. I am very fortunate in that I have a great TEAM at Guy Harvey Inc, (Steve, Harvey, Missy, Pat, Jay, Todd and Greg) and in Grand Cayman, James, Mariasol and Bruno all of whom have contributed a huge amount of effort and loyalty toward achieving our goal. In addition I want to thank our MAJOR partners; Bill Shedd and the AFTCO team, and Peter MacFarland with his team at the GHIG.
There are some other unique personalities I have met along this route, one of whom is Bill Boyce. Bill has been a great friend for many years and whose angling ability, photographic magic, friendship and zest for life have all resulted in some unique experiences in many far flung locations. Another such person is Tim Choate who has pioneered many of the great fishing destinations I have been fortunate enough to visit, such as in Guatemala, and the Galapagos. Tim’s latest project has been the coordination of the governments of Central America, through CABA, to recognize billfish as a recreational fishing resource. Keep up the good work my friend.
I want to acknowledge the continued assistance of my TV director and producer, Ken Kavanaugh at Bonnier Corporation, plus two tremendous camera guys, Rick Westphal, and Dee Gele, who foolishly followed me around several continents for five years getting into harm’s way. Diana Udel has also played a very important role in producing my first TV series, and in the landmark documentary we produced for PBS, “BILLFISH, NOMADS OF THE OCEANS.”
David Ritchie has made a big impact as editorial director at Bonnier Corporation and has edited two of my four books, the most recent one being “Panama Paradise; a tribute to Tropic Star Lodge”.
I want to thank all the great captains and mates who have shared their vast knowledge and experiences with me, and put me on some great fish both topside and… in underwater encounters. Among them are Bobby Dehart, the late Dan Timmons, Clay Hensley, the late Jim Davis, Laurie Wright, Trevor Cockle, Skip Smith, O.B. O’Bryan, Jimmy Grant, Travis Peterson, Barkey Garnsey, Peter Wright and Anthony Mendillo, plus some of the amazing captains in Guatemala and Costa Rica, but particularly those captains and mates at Tropic Star Lodge in Panama.
I want to acknowledge the significant role played by Dr. Mahmood Shivji at the GHRI and Dean Dick Dodge at NSU Oceanographic Centre. Many of you will have read about Mahmood’s research efforts mostly on sharks, sponsored by funds generated from my licensing programs.
Family; They are HERE! I have my Mum, two brothers Jonno and Piers, his wife Connie and daughter Mikayla. My beautiful wife Gillian is here plus my daughter Jessica, and my son Alexander. Luckily we have been able to wet a line or two together, and go for some exciting dives with them over the years. By the way, my Mum was the first lady angler in Jamaica, to catch two blue marlin in one day back in 1967.
Guy Giving his Mom a big hug after the induction.
Thank you for supporting the IGFA. Please have a great evening and I look forward to seeing many of you back here tomorrow night for the 2nd annual fundraiser and auction to support the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation.
The Guy Harvey exhibition at the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame featuring Guy's original pen and ink series of the "Old Man and the Sea".
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
