In collaboration with Suzanne Mills (EPHE), I will investigate shark hormones. Our preliminary aims are the following:
1) investigating if steroid hormones (testosterone and/or 11 keto-testosterone and corticosterone) were correlated with male reproductive success,
2) comparing stress hormones levels (corticosterone) and steroid hormones (T) between individuals found in the shark feeding sites with those in the non-shark feeding sites and potential effects on reproduction,
3) comparing growth hormones of sharks between these two sites to see if feeding affects fat deposition and,
4) monitoring an individual’s hormone level throughout the year, this would demonstrate its hormone profile over the year for each sex within both feeding sites.
Loads of blood are taken from the caudal venipuncture of sharks.
