All sharks caught are identified, measured, and recorded by station, mesh size, and sex. Sharks in good condition are tagged and released and those in poor condition are saved for life history studies. Environmental data are collected prior to sampling. Juvenile Shark Index of Abundance Sampling Methods Gill nets that are used in the index of abundance are the same as those used in the nursery ground delineation study. Index sampling is conducted in previously established nursery areas following the same methodology.
Preliminary evidence suggests that shark species composition differs among areas.
Juveniles are the dominant life-history stage captured in all areas. These species are mostly blacktip, spinner, sandbar, and finetooth sharks. Most species were found to have no clear trend in CPUE .