The cost of life in the slow lane: Linking metabolic rate to activity metrics and temperature in Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus)

The metabolic theory of ecology states that the rate at which an organism uses energy is a key driver of its ecology and can provide a framework for the study of its behaviour, life history, population dynamics, and impact on the ecosystem. Despite being an important aspect of a species’ biology, metabolic rate has not been thoroughly studied in large sharks because of the many logistical and biological challenges associated with doing so. My goal for this project is to estimate the metabolic rate of wild Greenland sharks inhabiting the waters of the Canadian Arctic. I will do so by combining activity and temperature data from sharks equipped with archival biologgers, with measurements of oxygen consumption from respirometry trials. By developing a model to estimate the field metabolic rates of Greenland sharks, we can begin predicting their ecological role as consumers in Arctic food webs.

Faculty Supervisor:

Nigel Hussey

Student:

Partner:

National Institute of Polar Research

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Windsor

Program: