Project Lemon Aid: 2025 Field Season Recap
- Sharks4Kids
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Our team just returned from a successful field season for Project Lemon Aid—now in its fourth year and fifth research expedition. For those unfamiliar with the initiative, Project Lemon Aid is a community-driven research and education program based in Turks and Caicos, focused on studying the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris).
As always, our partnership with Big Blue Collective (BBC) remains invaluable. Co-owner Phillip Shearer and staff captain Kaylam Pratt have been instrumental in all aspects of the project, from scouting new research sites to data collection and analysis. This season, we were thrilled to bring several BBC staff members into the field, teaching them not only how we conduct our research but why it matters. Their enthusiasm and support were exceptional, and this hands-on collaboration helps spread awareness throughout the community and beyond.
Advancing the Science: Acoustic Tagging
As our project grows, we continue to piece together a more complete picture of lemon shark life history. This year marked an exciting milestone: the introduction of acoustic tagging into our research. Acoustic tags are a widely used tool in shark science, enabling researchers to track movements, behavior, and habitat use either in real time or over extended periods.
These tags emit unique ultrasonic signals, which are detected by underwater receivers placed strategically around the islands. For this project, the tags are surgically implanted into the sharks’ abdominal cavities. The sharks cannot feel or hear the tag, and we periodically retrieve the receivers to download and analyze the data.
During this trip, we successfully deployed six acoustic tags. While previous years focused primarily on young-of-the-year and newborn lemon sharks, this season we shifted attention to larger, older individuals. These data will help us understand where sharks go once they leave the mangrove nursery areas and provide insight into their fine-scale movements around nearby channels. One major highlight was tagging our first adult female, who received both a PIT tag and an acoustic tag. We also collected a DNA sample, which will help us determine if any of the pups we've tagged in past seasons are her offspring.
“We see juvenile lemon sharks every day as we paddle through the mangroves. Trying to piece together the beginning of their journey through this wonderful collaborative tag and release effort is extremely rewarding and fulfilling. Jillian and Duncan’s passion to learn and educate through Sharks4Kids is perfectly mirrored by our education-through-adventure approach. With two large adult females recently tagged, the Lemonaid story is about to become very interesting indeed. Are the juveniles related? If so, to whom? The questions are endless, but then so is our curiosity.”— Phillip Shearer, Co-owner, Big Blue Collective.
Students in the Field: Hands-On Shark Science
While the data we collect is critical, the heart of Project Lemon Aid is education, especially involving local students in the field: this year, 31 students and teachers from three high schools. We worked in familiar study sites but also explored a new channel, where we caught three blacktip sharks—a non-target species, but an exciting find that provided students with broader insight into the local shark population.
Students are involved in every step of the research process, including:
Measuring total, fork, and pre-caudal lengths
Taking a girth measurement
Collecting a DNA sample
Determining the shark’s sex
Recording the umbilical scar status
Inserting a PIT tag
“The trip I had the privilege of attending was truly incredible. I thought it was eye-opening, as even though I’ve never been afraid of sharks, seeing them as babies and realizing just how small they start changed how I viewed them. I learned a lot while we were out there, even though it was only a couple of hours. It was an amazing experience, and I would recommend it to anyone, whether you are or aren’t afraid of sharks, because it shows you just how incredible these animals are.”— Keegan James, Year 10 Student.
"We selected the students for the 'Shark 4 Kids' activity because we believe in providing hands-on, immersive learning experiences that ignite curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of the world around us. These particular students demonstrated a remarkable blend of enthusiasm, a thirst for knowledge, and a commitment to responsible learning, making them ideal ambassadors for this exciting exploration into marine biology and conservation. We're not just teaching facts; we're cultivating future advocates for our planet.”- Mr Forbes, ALGHS.
Reaching Classrooms Across the Islands
In addition to fieldwork, we spent several days visiting schools across Providenciales. Our local team also traveled to North Caicos to meet with students from both North and Middle Caicos. Our interactive programs brought sharks and ocean science into the classroom, covering general shark biology, local shark species, and the mission of Project Lemon Aid.
We spoke to nearly 1,400 students from 10 schools, ranging in age from 4 to 18 years old. Alongside our presentations, we distributed:
110 laminated shark posters
6 educational books
300 activity packets
200 coloring pages
100 3D shark models
100 4Ocean bracelets
Our goal is to inspire students to learn about—and care for—the incredible marine life found right in their backyard.
“Our Institution makes every effort to allow students to gain learning experiences that can serve to enhance their personal growth and development. Learning about sharks is essential as it helps to remove the myths and other misunderstandings that students may have. By exposing students to this, it fosters a deeper understanding of marine ecosystems and the interconnectedness of all living species. They also learn valuable lessons in the protection and conservation of marine life."- Sophia Garland, Principal, Enid Capron Primary
Gratitude
"I am incredibly proud of the program we have created. Far too often, researchers visit an area to collect data but fail to involve the local community. For conservation to be impactful and sustainable, all regional stakeholders, including kids, need to be part of the conversation. I am excited about the data and what we are learning, but I am even more excited about the opportunities we are creating for the local community and students. We are making an impact and empowering future ocean stewards for Turks and Caicos and beyond."- Jillian Morris, Founder & President, Sharks4Kids, project leader.
This work would not be possible without the generous support of our partners and donors. Thank you to:
Save Our Seas Foundation
Rock the Ocean Foundation
The Sandals Foundation
Everyone who adopted a shark to support our research
A special thank you to our local partners:
Big Blue Collective
Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR)
Ministry of Education
Grace Bay Car Rentals
And of course, thank you to the schools and educators who welcomed us and allowed students to join us in the field. You’re helping shape the next generation of ocean advocates.
