We launched the pilot portion of Project LemonAid in May 2022 and Luis was a local student who joined us. Luis was there each of our sampling days and was a huge help!
We were thrilled to have him involved in the project.
“Doing this in my backyard is pretty cool, not having to travel to another country in order to do research when these resources exist in the waters that surround our Islands”.
1. What is your favorite shark and why?
My favorite shark is the Tiger Shark. I really like how it looks but that's what makes it stand out for me even though I like all sharks the same.
2. What is one shark you would like to see/dive with?
I would like to dive with a great white some day as I find them pretty cool but I am also scared of them.
3. Can you tell us a little about your experience working with sharks?
I have been able to do two different shark tagging trips. In the first trip we tagged a nurse shark and it was on a boat at a large scale. My second trip on the other hand consisted of multiple day sessions. We tagged primarily baby lemon sharks but we also tagged a nurse shark on one of our trips. The only other experience I have had was encountering a reef shark on a diving trip I did in 2017.
4. What was the best part of working on Project Lemon Aid?
The best part of project Lemon Aid for me was the actual tagging. I found it really amazing how we worked as a well oiled machine, everyone had a role and played it and it was always a little nerve racking to hold the shark and make sure it felt secured while we tagged and took samples. Overall the whole experience was amazing and I would love to do it again.
5. What is the most challenging thing about working with sharks?
I think the most challenging thing is not getting bit! I think having to keep the shark calm and as well avoiding putting your hand somewhere it could swing over and bite is a challenge because you have to get data.
6. What are your future goals?
My future goals are to continue learning about sharks and major in sharks when i continue my studies for Marine Biology. I also want to work with more species and travel and see the different species around the world.