0:03
The waters off the Atlantic Coast of Florida near Cape Canaveral are a Mecca for sharks.
0:10
But they're also home to an apex predator that might be mistaken for one the powerful but mysterious sawfish.
0:19
I'm here to meet Dean Grubbs, an associate director at Florida State University's Coastal Marine Laboratory, where he studied sharks and rays.
0:28
Hey, Peter, welcome to speak to you.
0:31
So we're going to go out and find some sawfish this morning.
0:34
That's our plan.
0:35
Dean Spearhead's a recovery team focused on the critically endangered small tooth sawfish.
0:41
There are 5 species of sawfish in the world and all five are listed as the critically endangered species we have is the small tooth sawfish.
0:48
The population really declined over the last half of the 20th century, in part because of habitat loss.
0:55
There was some targeted fisheries for them and then there's a lot of bycatch.
0:59
They still get caught in shrimp trawls to save them from extinction.
1:03
Conservationists need to know how many small toothed sawfish are out here.
1:08
No one really knows for sure.
1:10
After 20 years since the species was listed under the Endangered Species Act, we're seeing a really positive sign to recovery.
1:18
And so we were really optimistic.
1:20
But that of course was before this year.
1:22
This big mortality event happened in early 2024.
1:28
Large numbers of sawfish suddenly started showing up in severe distress.
1:33
They were reported bizarrely swimming in circles and others washed up dead on the beaches.
1:39
More than 50 sawfish died, a huge number for such a small population, and scientists suspected a neurotoxin from a bottom dwelling algae was to blame.
1:50
When I see the videos of these sawfish spinning and beaching themselves, you know that's obviously not normal behavior.
1:56
It's really just disheartening.
1:59
Tracking and testing the software suddenly became a matter of life and death, and that means catching them.
2:08
The team set out nine long lines with 450 hooks on them in total.
2:13
We'll start running line out and then we'll clip fifty of these babes onto each line.
2:20
But it's not only sawfish that are attracted to the bait.
2:23
We catch a lot more sharks than we do sawfish.
2:25
Obviously in our sawfish survey we've caught about 120 sawfish, but we've caught over 4000 sharks.
2:34
As part of Dean's long term shark studies, the team will take measurements and place A tag on any shark they happen to catch as well.
2:42
The sawfish are not really a shark.
2:45
They're more of a ray than a yeah, they look like a shark from the, you know, back half of the body.
2:50
But there they are a ray.
2:52
And so you might think they'd have some sharp cutting type teeth, but they don't at all.
2:56
Their teeth are very much like a Stingray.
2:58
They're using the rostrum to immobilize their prey, and then they're just swallowing that thing whole.
3:05
The huge blade at the end of the sawfish's nose is called the rostrum.
3:10
In some species, it can be over 5 feet long.
3:13
They can do a lot of damage.
3:15
That's why when we catch one, we have to really take care to handle them, right?
3:19
We don't want the sawfish to get injured, but we don't want us to get injured.
3:22
Well, I hope to see my first sawfish up close.
3:25
I hope that's the case too.
3:30
An hour passed, and as if on cue, yeah, there's something tugging.
3:34
It's not a sawfish, but I'm excited nonetheless.
3:37
That's a big hammerhead.
3:38
Yeah, there's a great.
3:39
Yeah, it's a big, great hammerhead.
3:41
I want him on and off in 30 seconds.
3:44
Ready.
3:45
Even a large shark like this one is fragile out of the water.
3:48
The team needs to measure and tag it as quickly as possible.
3:52
Gotta move fast.
3:53
Tag.
3:54
It's OK, We're almost like a pit crew in there.
4:02
You know, NASCAR, we get them in there, we do our work on them safely but effectively and release the animal.
4:07
P 010432.
4:10
We got 1 hook out.
4:12
Both hooks are out.
4:13
We done.
4:15
OK, let's get her off.
4:18
123 in no time flat.
4:22
This shark is back in the water.
4:24
It's like being in an Aqua surgery room.
4:26
That's right.
4:28
According to the tracking data from Sawfish Dean and previously tagged, the sawfish should be out here.
4:34
We're trying to hit all the spots where sawfish have been detected in the past and also where it looks like it's pretty good habitat, but they've eluded us so far.
4:43
I always get hopeful when I see one pulling straight down like that, that it could be a sawfish.
4:48
See, it could be a sawfish.
4:49
Yeah.
4:50
Yeah.
4:50
We've got something on here.
4:52
Is our luck about to change?
4:55
It's a big tiger.
4:56
Big tiger shark.
4:58
He's too big to get on board, I think.
5:00
Here comes the tail to you.
5:00
Here comes the tail shot.
5:02
Grab that tail tight.
5:10
OK, let's get a measurement.
5:12
Some shark species, like this one, go into a state of calm immobility when turned on their backs.
5:20
So the team intentionally flips this female tiger shark over to collect data.
5:25
She is clearly mature, and Dean suspects she may be pregnant.
5:29
We're going to run a quick ultrasound on this female tiger, see if she's pregnant or not.
5:34
Go back to where you just were.
5:36
Just hover around in that area.
5:38
Something there, something there.
5:41
With the ultrasound completed and recorded, we implanted A tag.
5:44
Yeah.
5:44
And to bring her up again.
5:46
OK, There we go.
5:49
Yep.
5:49
OK.
5:49
You ready?
5:50
Yeah, She's free.
5:52
OK, There she goes.
5:53
She goes, all right, all right, good job, team.
6:00
Later that day, Dean checked the ultrasound, and this shark was indeed pregnant.
6:05
This data will help researchers determine when and where tiger sharks give birth.
6:11
Soon after we released the pregnant tiger shark, we caught a feisty spinner shark, T 007848 and then three Atlantic shark nose sharks in rapid succession.
6:23
And then for the total, you just stretch the tail out straight.
6:26
93.
6:27
So when you're looking for a sawfish, you just don't always end up with sawfish.
6:31
You get to meet some of these other beautiful species as well.