Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation tags sponsored sharks for a chance to best reigning champion Sir Richard Branson
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – May 9, 2016 – The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) and Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) recently hosted a cage dive and tagging expedition in Isla Mujeres, Mexico in advance of the second annual Great Shark Race. The Isla Mujeres expedition, the first of the series, saw eight mako sharks fitted with satellite tags (Click here for B-Roll)

During the Great Shark Race, which is modeled after the International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) marlin race, mako sharks are tagged and tracked in real time over a six-month period. The mako sharks are fitted with a satellite tag to enable researchers and the public to follow them online in near real-time via the GHRI Tracking Website (nova.edu/sharktracking).

The race benefits the GHOF, which conducts scientific research and hosts educational programs aimed at conserving the marine environment. The GHOF will help ensure that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a naturally balanced ocean ecosystem.

“The Great Shark Race is fun, but it is all about the groundbreaking research that allows us to obtain relevant data to better understand mako shark migration,” said Dr. Guy Harvey, the world renowned artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist and explorer. “The Great Shark Race is a way to engage, enlighten and educate the public in our ocean conservation efforts. The information we gather is essential for proper fisheries management and conservation of mako sharks.”

A limited number of tags are available for individuals and companies to name a mako shark and compete with last year’s reigning champion Ebenezer, the shark that was sponsored by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Unite Foundation. Ebenezer logged 11,000 km, or nearly 7,000 miles, during a six-month period.

“Given the large reductions and declining population trends, mako sharks are in need of better management and immediate conservation,” said Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., professor at NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography and the director of NSU’s Guy Harvey Research Institute. “Makos are known to travel long distances but hardly anything is known about the details of these movements in terms of their timing, orientation, scales of movement, differences between sexes and sizes and what factors drive these migrations. This knowledge is essential for developing effective conservation measures, such as time and area closures for shark fisheries.”

In addition to Isla Mujeres, mako sharks will be tagged off the coast of Ocean City, Md. later in May, which is part of the Great Shark Race. The winners of the Great Shark Race will be announced in December. For more information, visit www.GreatSharkRace.com.

About Guy Harvey:
Guy Harvey is a unique blend of artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist and explorer, fiercely devoted to his family and his love of the sea. His childhood passion for the ocean and its living creatures not only inspired him to draw, but fueled a burning interest that prompted a formal education in marine science. Having graduated with honors in Marine Biology from Aberdeen University in Scotland in 1977, Guy returned home to Jamaica to resume his education, earning his Ph.D. from the University of the West Indies in 1984. Though he gave up a budding career as a marine biologist for that of a highly acclaimed artist, Guy has continued his relentless pursuit to unravel the mysteries of the sea, traveling the world to better understand the habits and habitats of the marine wildlife he paints. For more information, please visit www.guyharvey.com.

About the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation:
The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is an organization of philanthropists, conservationists, scientists and educators that emphasize sensible strategies for promoting ocean conservation and the development of the next generation of marine scientists. The foundation funds research and educational programs developed by universities, colleges, institutes and nonprofit organizations.

About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution with more than 26,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

About NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography: The college provides high-quality undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) and graduate (master’s and doctoral degrees and certificates) education programs in a broad range of disciplines, including marine sciences, mathematics, biophysics, and chemistry. Researchers carry out innovative basic and applied research programs in coral reef biology, ecology, and geology; fish biology, ecology, and conservation; shark and billfish ecology; fisheries science; deep-sea organismal biology and ecology; invertebrate and vertebrate genomics, genetics, molecular ecology, and evolution; microbiology; biodiversity; observation and modeling of large-scale ocean circulation, coastal dynamics, and ocean atmosphere coupling; benthic habitat mapping; biodiversity; histology; and calcification. The college’s newest building is the state-of-the-art Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, an 86,000-square-foot structure filled with laboratories; offices; seminar rooms; an auditorium; and indoor and outdoor running sea water facilities. Please visit cnso.nova.edu for more information.