The beautiful turquoise waters of Turks and Caicos are home to an amazing variety of shark species. From sleek Caribbean reef sharks to the critically endangered oceanic whitetip, these islands offer a unique opportunity to learn about sharks in their natural habitat. Sharks play a crucial role in keeping the ocean healthy and exploring the waters around Turks and Caicos helps us better understand and protect these critical animals through science and education.​

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What is Project Lemon Aid?

The goal of Project Lemon Aid is to learn how many juvenile lemon sharks are using certain areas (mangrove habitats)
around the Turks and Caicos Islands. Using DNA, we will also investigate how many female lemon sharks use these areas to give birth. DNA allows us to create a shark family tree! We do a scientific workup for each shark we catch, collecting data including length measurements. Before releasing the shark, we insert a small PIT tag below the dorsal fin. The PIT tag, similar to the one that you may tag your dog or cat with, will stay with the animal for the rest of its life. If we catch the shark again, we can see how much it has grown or if it has moved to a new area.