Photo courtesy of Paul Clerkin
Paul Clerkin is a shark expert who has worked to identify and document elusive species in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean. In a GEF Voices interview, he shared life lessons from his work and research, and stressed the potential of digital smart keys as game-changers for species identification and deep-sea conservation.
What do you do for a living?
My work focuses on studying sharks and I am currently finishing my Ph.D. at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. During my time as a graduate student I have consulted on some interesting projects related to sharks including taxonomy, genetics, and deepwater video. Sharks are a diverse group, and I enjoy using different methods to study them.
How did you get into this line of work?
After my undergraduate degree, I worked in Alaska as an observer on different kinds of commercial fishing vessels where I found that I had a skill for identification of fish and taxonomy. I then went on to pursue a master's degree in the Pacific Shark Research Center at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. While studying my master's, I worked with Ross Shotton to gain access to a fishing vessel to study the taxonomy of sharks in the Indian Ocean. In 2012, I volunteered to go out on the commercial fishing vessel Will Watch to document the shark species that they encountered, and it was then that I began to really hone my experience in deep-sea Indian Ocean shark identification.
I discovered around a dozen new species on that trip. These shark species don’t look like your typical shark but include species of lantern sharks (small, dark animals that can generate light on their bellies and sides), demon catsharks (a very poorly studied group of small brownish black sharks with long flat snouts and small reflective eyes), and ghost sharks (a close relative to true sharks that are unique in having large eyes, a long tapering body, and three pairs of tooth plates).
This was the same time that FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations] was developing field guides and identification workshops in that area, and I was excited to be involved in some of their projects. Since then, I have worked in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, studying sharks and trying to develop better methods for identifying the sharks so that we can better document them and their populations.
Could you describe a project you are currently working on?
I am currently working on some projects on deepwater sharks found in the Southwestern Indian Ocean. This past year I was able to work onboard a commercial fishing vessel in FAO Area 51 – an area stretching from Africa to about halfway between Africa and Australia. As part of this research, I collected data and samples that will be used to make a taxonomic catalogue of deepwater sharks in the area with accompanying genetic barcodes, which will ultimately help us document the species in the area and help understand their populations’ health. In addition to life history data, we collected eDNA samples, genetic samples, vertebrae, and spines for age and growth, as well as many other samples and specimens representing each species encountered. Some of these species documented during the most recent trip to the Indian Ocean are new species.
Is there a GEF-funded project or program that is close to your heart?
The FAO-led Common Oceans deep-sea fisheries project is the GEF project that I am most excited about. The initiative is building and developing a digital smart key to aid in species identification. Species identification of deep-sea sharks has been a long-standing challenge. Collecting accurate life history information is important to responsibly manage species. This gap has normally been addressed with the development of traditional identification dichotomous keys and training workshops. There have been some excellent keys and very informative training workshops in the past, but the problem is on the user side. Our new digital key has been designed to help users more easily identify traits based on their intuitiveness and conspicuousness. I have been working closely with Tony Thompson and Edoardo Mostarda and I am very excited about this key. I think it will be a game changer for species identification.
Has anyone you have met through your work made a lasting impact on you?
During my work I have been fortunate enough to have met many impactful people working in conservation and sustainability. Two people come to mind.
One of these people is Ross Shotton, who used to work for FAO and is now with the Southern Indian Ocean Deep Sea Fisheries Association. I have known Ross for nearly 15 years, and he has been a supportive mentor with a deep understanding of the Indian Ocean, sharks, and fisheries. He has been one of the most influential people in my trajectory to date, often giving me advice, and he is always eager to talk about science and sharks with me.
The other person is Remy Garolacan — one of the crew on board the fishing vessel Will Watch, whom I have known for over a decade. Although he is not a scientist, he has a deep appreciation and keen eye for shark and fish species in the Indian Ocean area. Each time I have gone to sea with him, he has helped me to collect the specimens, even though it was not part of his paid work. His support has helped us to discover and collect specimens of new species in the area, and his kindness has deeply impacted me as a researcher.
What life lessons has working on environmental issues taught you?
I think a big life lesson that work has taught me is that anything is possible with collaboration. I have worked on many different projects over the years. Many of the ideas I had for collecting data often seemed “impossible” (and in fact were often deemed infeasible by other researchers). However, what I have found is that — in almost every case — the projects were possible when multiple groups and individuals got together and collaborated.
For example, in 2018 I worked with a team of fishers, scientists, non-profits, and local people in Taiwan to tag rare megamouth sharks in the area. Finding and tagging megamouths had been deemed “impossible” prior to that moment. But with a team of people each contributing, we were able to successfully attach satellite tags to three different megamouth sharks and collect months of high-resolution data.
The state of the global environment can be concerning. What gives you hope?
I am hopeful when I see the tasks we accomplish when we are cooperating. I have seen that many people and groups want sustainable fisheries and a healthy ocean habitat — something which gives me hope. And I have seen groups come together to work on that problem including fishers and policymakers. I am also hopeful as I have watched new technology contribute to the issues — technology such as collecting environmental DNA to help us better survey fish and shark populations, and artificial intelligence to aid in identification of shark and fish species.
What message do you have for today’s political leaders, about the ocean?
Our reliance on the ocean for protein is increasing. If we want to be able to continue to rely on the ocean as a resource, it has to be used sustainably. I once heard an analogy that likened our planet to a spaceship — this has always stuck with me. If you think about the Earth as a spaceship — meaning, a finite thing with limited resources floating through space — then you would become more aware and careful about how you use and conserve the resources we have. If we thought about Earth in those terms, I think we might be more intentional and mindful about our resources and more thoughtful about the decisions we make to conserve those resources.
What advice would you give a young person today who is interested in a career related to the environment?
Think of ways to not only do your research, but how to make that research impactful. Learn new technology and harness it. Make your work applicable, whether it means getting that research out to the public or to policymakers.
