Mote Marine Laboratory

Jack Morris joined the Center for Shark Research in April of 2001 as a staff biologist and field support for a variety of shark migration projects. In 2005 he was promoted to senior biologist and manager of the Marine Experimental Research Facility.

Since 2001, Jack has been involved with a diverse range of research projects that include field studies of shark nursery habitats, shark movements and migration patterns, habitat utilization and relative abundance of large coastal sharks. These projects have required the use of several sampling and tracking gear types: longline, drumline, gilnet, seine net, otter-trawls, aerial surveys and passive tracking involving acoustic receivers and transmitters.

Jack designed, constructed and manages the Marine Experimental Research Facility, which was completed in 2004. A number of studies have taken place in the Facility with sharks and rays and have been focused on sensory capabilities, feeding morphology and kinematics, isotopic uptake and tag retention. These projects have involved the collection and husbandry of numerous shark and ray species including bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), blacktip shark (C. limbatus), sandbar shark (C. plumbeus), great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran), bonnethead shark (S. tiburo), nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum), leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata), horn shark (Heterodontus francisci), atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina), cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonanus), spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) and the clearnose skate (Raja eglanteria).

Currently, Jack is working with colleagues in Cuba to establish and conduct a shark fishery survey of the northwest coast of the country. Other projects include assisting graduate students and visiting scientists with sensory and feeding kinematic projects; conducting surveys for the spotted eagle ray and large coastal sharks along the west coast of Florida, and whale shark tracking off of Mexico and Cuba; satellite, acoustic and accelerometer tag attachment technology. Jack is also completing his master's degree in environmental engineering, focusing on nitrogen removal in aquaculture wastewater treatment.

Currently enrolled in the Environmental Engineering Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

B.S. in Marine Science & Biology, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

• Georgia Aquarium: Great Hammerhead (Sphryna mokarran) Nursery Habitat Survey (2008), $48,000

Yeiser, Beau G., John J. Morris, and Anton D. Tucker. 2008. Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle), Predation. Herpetological Review 39(3):343-344.

Tyminski J.P., Ubeda A.J., Hueter, R.E., and Morris, J.J. 2007. Relative abundance of blacknose sharks (Carcharhinus acronotus) from coastal shark surveys in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, 2001-2006. SEDAR 13-DW-37-V2

Morris, J.J., Hueter, B., Gelsleichter, J., A New Seawater Facility for Experimental Research on Large Elasmobranchs and Other Marine Species, poster; American Elasmobranch Symposium meeting, June 2005.

Gelsleichter, J., Szabo, N.J., and Morris, J.J.2007.Organochlorine contaminants in juvenile sandbar (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) sharks from major nursery areas on the east coast of the United States.Submitted for publication in Shark Nursery Grounds of the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast waters of the United States.(C. McCandless, N. Kohler, and H.L. Pratt, Jr., eds).American Fisheries Society symposium 50: 153-164.

Department: National Center for Shark Research