Episode 404: Coastal Carnivores

On the southern tip of the Florida Everglades, the Shark River meets the Gulf of Mexico. This estuary is home to a number of predators, including the alligator and the bull shark. But despite its wild nature, the Everglades ecosystem is in trouble. Humans have greatly reduced water flows across the famed “River of Grass.” Now, a large scale restoration project aims to re-direct some of the fresh water back into the Everglades. A team of scientists from Florida International University has been studying predators in the estuary. Their goal is to better understand how these animals will respond to the changes in water flows, to ensure they continue to fulfill their critical ecological role in the food web.

A Co-Production with:

Experts

Meet the experts featured in this episode.

Episode Photos

Heithaus Lab

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Phil Matich taking blood from a juvenile bull shark.

Heithaus Lab

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Mike Heithaus, Ph.D and Phil Matich working up a shark with Robin Sarabia and Kirk Gastrich looking on.

Heithaus Lab

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Experts from the Heithaus Lab working up a shark in the Shark River Estuary.

Heithaus Lab

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Phil Matich preparing to make a small incision in the belly of a juvenile bull shark so he can implant a tracking device in the animal.

Heithaus Lab

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Phil Matich making a small incision in the belly of a juvenile bull shark so he can implant a tracking device in the animal.

Heithaus Lab

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Phil Matich weighing a juvenile bull shark soon after capturing it on a baited hook.

Kevin Gastrich

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Kirk Gastrich steadying a shark alongside the research boat.

Heithaus Lab

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Phil Matich preparing to take blood from a shark.

Heithaus Lab

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Phil Matich measuring a juvenile bull shark.

Heithaus Lab

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Mike Heithaus, Ph.D. and Phil Matich measuring a shark.

Heithaus Lab

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Attaching an ID tag to the dorsal fin of a shark.

Heithaus Lab

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Adam Rosenblatt holding an alligator so that the mouth can be taped shut.

Phil Stoddard

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A tracking device attached to the tail of an alligator.

Phil Stoddard

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Taking blood from an alligator.

Heithaus Lab

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Heithaus lab weighing an alligator.

Kirk Gastrich

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An alligator tries to escape after being snared.

Heithaus Lab

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Adam Rosenblatt and Adriana Weil taping an alligator’s mouth shut after collecting its stomach contents.

Heithaus Lab

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Adam Rosenblatt collecting the stomach contents from an alligator using the “hose-Heimlich” technique.

Heithaus Lab

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Mike Heithaus, Ph.D., Adam Rosenblatt, and Cynthia Aceves preparing to bring an alligator onboard the boat.

Heithaus Lab

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Mike Heithaus, Ph.D. and Adam Rosenblatt preparing to collect the stomach contents from an alligator.

Heithaus Lab

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An alligator waiting to have its stomach pumped.

Heithaus Lab

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Rain storms can move fast and appear suddenly in the Shark River Estuary.

Heithaus Lab

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Adam Rosenblatt, Katy Cameron, Kristin Kuehl, and John Evered measuring an alligator.

Heithaus Lab

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A trio of alligators waiting to have their stomachs pumped.

Heithaus Lab

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The partial stomach contents of an alligator, including blue crab pieces, an anhinga feather, a crayfish, and some parasites.

Heithaus Lab

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A monitor that tracks the positions of bull sharks and alligators in the Shark River Estuary.

Heithaus Lab

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Attaching a tracking device to the tail of an alligator.

Heithaus Lab

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An alligator having his stomach pumped.

Image Credits

Changing Seas would like to thank the following individuals and institutions who kindly allowed their footage, images and other media to be used in this production:

Patrick Greene
Symbio Studios

Mike Heithaus, Ph.D.
Florida International University

Heithaus Lab

Kevin Gastrich

Kirk Gastrich

Phil Stoddard

Robert Hegna

Special Thanks:

Everglades National Park

Florida International University

National Science Foundation

Episode 404: Coastal Carnivores

Experts

Mike Heithaus, Ph.D.

Phil Matich

Adam Rosenblatt

Image Credits

Special Thanks:

Funding for this episode of Changing Seas was provided by: