Me getting in position to photo ID a whale shark

April 27, 2011

Final Proposal

TO: Scott Abbott, Mark Jeffries, Catherine Stephen (Biology), Dan Stephen (Envt. Studies and Earth Science)

FROM: Leah Myer

DATE: April 26, 2011

SUBJECT:

I aim to complete a senior thesis using my Biology and Environmental Studies emphases to study whale sharks in the Seychelles Islands.

THESIS and PROJECT SUMMARY:

Originally I wanted my capstone project to focus primarily on the effectiveness of whale shark ecotourism. Being accepted as an intern this fall with the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) is going to allow me access to accurate and current whale shark data. I am getting internship credit through the UVU Biology department and they want my focus to be on the field research of whale sharks, not the ecotourism. Then they want me to tie in whale shark conservation efforts with the “bigger picture” of conservation and global sustainability.

At the request of one of my advisors I’ve exchanged emails with the director of the MCSS to see if there was an aspect of the whale shark project I could take over or call my own. He said that within the first week or two of the program people show an aptitude for certain intern responsibilities, so once we determine where my strengths lie, that is the aspect of whale shark research I will specialize in.

I will still be exploring the pros and cons of whale shark ecotourism in the Seychelles Islands but the main focus of my internship will be on the practical science of field research. It is hard for me to plan for much more so I will put my efforts in researching all I can on whale sharks until I leave in August.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE/WORKS CITED/BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Rowat, David and Engelhardt, Udo. “Seychelles: A case study of community

involvement in the development of whale shark ecotourism and its socio-economic impact.” Fisheries Research, 84 (1) 109-113. Retrieved March 7, 2011, from http://www.sciencedirect.com

This article directly relates to whale shark ecotourism in the Seychelles. Even though I will be focusing on the scientific data of the whale sharks themselves, this article is valuable in the sense that it takes whale shark data from years previous and already outlines where whale shark ecotourism was in 2007 and the potential positive and negative effects tourism may have on Seychellois whale sharks in the future. During a 14 week whale shark season, the ecotourism could bring in anywhere from $3.9-$4.99 million per year. It also says the most limiting and costly factor is actually finding the whale sharks. Right now this is only done by flying 1 microlight spotter plane in the morning.

Martin, R. Aidan (2007). A review of behavioural ecology of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Fisheries Research, 84 (1) 10-16. Retrieved March 7, 2011, from http://www.sciencedirect.com

This article explores the behavioral ecology of whale sharks already known to scientists as well as possible negative impacts ecotourism may bring. It looks at actual whale shark anatomy and behavior. How the noise and vibration of motors and noise pollution caused by increased tourist boat traffic may have negative effects on whale sharks. It also comments on whale shark behavior around humans. Whale sharks vary in their reactions to human interaction; some are curious while others are skittish. Also the noise the boats make that are used by humans to access whale sharks may disrupt migrating, feeding, or breeding behavior.

Norman, Brad (October 2002). CITES Identification Manual Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus Smith 1829). Environmental Australia Marine Species Section 1-18. Retrieved March 3, 2011, from http://www.environment.gov.au

This gives concise explanations and pictures of specific whale shark phenotypic characteristics (especially each fin). It explains the fins also in terms of trade and market value. It explains what countries trade whale shark products and why. Again, when focusing on ecotourism, it is important to understand how much a dead whale shark is worth versus an alive one in the wild.

Graham, Rachel T. (2006). Diving behavior of whale sharks in relation to a predictable food pulse. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 3 109-116. Retrieved February 25, 2011, from http://rsif.roalsocietypublishing.org

It is important for me to understand the diving behavior of what sharks when they aggregate because that is the setting I will be interacting with the whale sharks in the Seychelles Islands. This article explains whale shark feeding and diving behavior during food pulses. It gives specific depths, lunar patterns, and certain times of the day whale sharks are more likely to feed.

OUTLINE:

Again, I’m not quite sure what my specific project will be the MCSS so it is hard to know what I will be writing about. But I do know that I will be talking about the whale shark field research I do while in the Seychelles Islands. If I can tie it into whale shark ecotourism as well I will, but that will not be the main focus. At the end of the paper I will use whale shark conservation as a way to illustrate the “bigger picture” of why conservation is important in a universal perspective. I plan on using a lot of the data collected during the internship because it will be extremely accurate and pertinent to my thesis. I will, however, tie in other whale shark articles as needed, especially when explaining the importance of conservation as a whole.

PROPOSED TIMELINE:

August 22-October 31: MCSS Internship

November & December: report back to Catherine Stephen and complete requirements for my Biology internship

Spring 2012: Enroll in capstone II and finish my whale shark senior thesis