By 7 p.m., our team was running sharks from the water to the work-up area, and then back to the release area. Every shark we caught tonight was a re-capture from the last time we set our nets. The numbers from their implanted tags were recorded in the book, and a handful were re-measured to compare with the initial measurements from two weeks ago. The difference between the two sets of measurements gives our researchers an idea of the statistical error in their measurements. The relaxed pace gave the stomach-eversion team a chance to go to work.
Lemon sharks have a natural ability to throw their stomach outside of their bodies.
It's a technique they use to rid themselves of indigestible material like bones and shells. We use this ability to our advantage when we study what lemon sharks have been eating. Maureen Kuenen supports the anesthetized shark on its back while Ricardo Rosa and Jessie Jenkins look on. Then they held the shark upside-down. Maureen slid a long set of forceps in through the shark's open mouth, down its throat, and gently grasped the lining at the rear of the animal's stomach.