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Dr. Edward Farrell
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Smooth-hounds are important sport fish in Ireland and Britain and are a regular bycatch in demersal fisheries. There is a lack of information on their basic biological characteristics and their spatial population structure in the North-east Atlantic. This uncertainty hinders the adoption of sound conservation and management strategies and leads to non-sustainable exploitation. The aim of this project was to investigate the life history and population biology of Mustelus asterias in order to gain data on stock diversity. To this end, the specific objectives are to:
(1) Accurately establish the life history characteristics of M. asterias (e.g. age/length relationship, age at maturity, fecundity, reproductive cycle).
(2) Map the distribution and movements of M. asterias and identify the environmental characteristics of their preferred habitat
(3) Utilise molecular analyses to examine the phylogeography of M. asterias in the Northeast Atlantic.
This study is the first detailed investigation of M. asterias in the Northeast Atlantic and will provide data that will enable us to assess their abundance, distribution and status. This information will be vital for identifying population trends and in establishing future conservation and management plans for these species.
Supervisors: Dr. Stefano Mariani and Dr. Maurice Clarke
PhD student, commenced 2006, funded by IRCSET embark initiative. Project completed February 2010.
What to do if you catch a tagged smooth-hound
Publications
Scientific Journals
Farrell, E.D., Mariani, S. & Clarke, M.W. (in review). Reproductive biology of the starry smooth-hound shark (Mustelus asterias): geographic variation and implications for sustainable exploitation.
Farrell, E.D., Mariani, S. & Clarke, M.W. (2010). Age and growth estimates for the starry smoothhound shark (Mustelus asterias) in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsp295
Farrell, E.D., Clarke, M.W. & Mariani, S. (2009). A simple genetic identification method for Northeast Atlantic smoothhound sharks (Mustelus spp.). ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66:561-565.
Farrell, E.D. & Crowe, T.P. (2007). The use of byssus threads by Mytilus edulis as an active defence against Nucella lapillus. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 87:559-564.
Popular Science
Farrell, E.D. (2009). The secret world of smoothhounds. Shark Focus. 35: 16-17.
Farrell, E.D. (2008). In search of smooth-hounds. Irish Specimen Fish Committee. Annual Report 2008: 64-67.
Farrell, E.D. & Crowe, T.P. (2007). Web-slinging mussels defend themselves against predators. JMBA Global Marine Environment 5.
Featured in the media
'Smooth-hounds (Triakidae: Mustelus) in Irish and Northern European waters'. Article by Declan T. Quigley in Sherkin Comment, Issue 46, 2008. pdf
'Ray-zor Sharp Vision'. UCD Images of research Competition. UCD Today, December 2008. pdf
'When Science Becomes Art'. Irish Times Innovation Magazine, November 2008.
'Big-hound Day'. Article by Terry Thomas in Total Sea Fishing, January 2008, p 96. pdf
'Mussels show some muscle'. Article by Neil Fletcher in BBC Wildlife Magazine, September 2007, p 32. pdf
'SSTI Bright Sparks Award Announced'. Marine institute press release, August 2007. link