A variety of equipment is used to catch sharks. When conducting research, scientists choose gear and procedures that will not harm the sharks they capture. The scientist's goal is to capture the shark, collect data, tag the shark and return it to the ocean to live a healthy life. The information gathered is recorded on data sheets for later analysis. The size of the mesh is chosen according to the size of the sharks being caught.
Smaller mesh is better for catching smaller sharks.
When using gill nets, scientists are careful to remove the sharks immediately, collect data and tag the sharks quickly and then return them to the ocean. Very large sharks, which are too big to be hauled out of the water, are tagged from the boat using a pole. Scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory have a special permit to use gill nets and are required by law to follow procedures that prevent harming the sharks. Gill nets, if not used with special care, can cause damage to sharks or may kill them. Scientists have studied different types of tags and different techniques for applying them in order to design the best types of tags to use.