Shark Bridge Training Packet
Assigned 205: Andrew Uhling
Primary Biologist Responsible for this Area: Jen Hazeres
Secondary Biologist Responsible for this Area: Ty Jobson Equipment
● Radio o Should always be on, at an audible level, and on channel 2. Should be worn, or at least within reach at all times. ● Mic o Should be worn and on at all times. Can be muted as needed to talk to guests in close proximity. If the volume is to hi/low, make adjustments to the mic’s proximity to your mouth. Do NOT adjust the sensitivity or any other settings on the mic pack. Be sure to turn off the headset prior to battery removal. Also the cord should never be wrapped around the headset or mic pack. ● AA Key o To be used to arm/disarm the gate alarm. Held by the entrance position when they are present. ● Flashlight o Use during power outages; otherwise kept in the cabinet. Do not point towards a guest’s face. ● Stanchions o Never move the stanchions. o The “Entrance” and “Shark Bridge Rules” signs must be easily visible at the entrance to the line. o Opening the back line. ▪ Call 205. They must be aware that the line is open. ▪ You can open the line yourself, or have 205 come to assist. ▪ This can be accomplished by opening/closing a select few stanchion belts. Ask a 205 for clarification on this. A diagram of stanchions is included in this packet. ▪ Call the 205 before shortening the line. Once the line has been extended, it will likely be kept open for the rest of the day. Policy & Procedures
● Opening Shark Bridge o 205 will remove the gates and station topper quoting the opening time. o Retrieve the mic, radio, and key from the cabinet. ● Taking over on the Shark Bridge mic. o You will take the mic, radio, and key from the cast member who is leaving the position. ● Closing the Shark Bridge. o Remain on the mic, talking to guests until the final guest has left the Shark Top Overlook. o Once the Shark Top Overlook is clear, the 205 will collect the radio, keys, and batteries from the mic. Take the mic to the cabinet. o The 205 will put the doors on the Shark Bridge. ● Stay near the Entrance to the Shark Bridge Line. A greeter must be present to welcome incoming guests. You are also there to address any safety concerns on the Exit Escalator. ● Greet all guests approaching from the Exit Escalator and Exit Elevator. ● Refrain from speaking over the mic too much while tours are at Shark Top. ● Inform guests of rules they appear they could possibly encroach (e.g., if they have small children they could pick up, a stroller they would need to park, or open food/drinks). This can be done on or off of the mic, use your best judgment. ● Shark Bridge Entrance position o Hold the AA key. You are responsible for disarming/rearming the gate by the Penguin House. o Engage the guests. Entertain, educate, encourage, and just interact with the guests around you. Just like any other position, you are to welcome guests, answer any questions, give fun facts, encourage participation, give a conservation message, and enforce rules. o Assist the cast member on the mic with any issues. Rules for Guests
● No open food or drink is allowed on the Shark Bridge. o Bottles are allowed so long as they are closed. ● All guests must be willing and able to walk the full distance; no guest can be carried. ● No running is allowed at the Shark Top Overlook or on the Shark Bridge. *All relevant rules should be relayed to guests before they enter the line. If a rule is infracted on the Shark Bridge (e.g., a parent picking up a child) politely correct the guest behavior over the mic once. If they cross again remind them face to face of the rule. If they continue to break the rule inform them that they will no longer be able to cross the Shark Bridge. Contact 205 with any issues.
Common Issues
● Gate alarm. o Disarm and rearm with AA key. ● Exit Escalator going down. o Call 205, if they don’t respond call 204. While the escalator is down, communicate to guests that they should stay off of the escalator until it is operating properly. If there is an entrance person at the bridge, they can go down either the elevator or emergency stairwell to block entrance to the exit escalator. ● Spill. o Call 205 or Task Force with details of the spill; including the size, location, what was spilt, and if there are bodily fluids. Guard the spill so that no one steps in it. ● People coming up escalator with a stroller or wheelchair. o Remind them of the Elevator. It is our policy that no stroller or wheelchair can go on the escalator, even if they are empty and folded up. ● Line needing to be extended due to crowd size. o Extend the line following the proper procedure. This can be done on your own, or by the 205. Either way, be sure to notify the 205.
Emergencies
● Emergency Exits o Emergency Exit doors by the Exit Elevator leading into the Upper Lobby. o Retail doors. Two options from Retail: best option is through Upper Lobby, second option is into the Administration Hallway and out through the Employee Entrance. o Emergency stairwell leading down to Penguin Palooza. o Last option is through the Emergency Gate by the Penguin House. You would then exit via the first stairwell on your left. Only use if necessary. ● Fire Pull Alarm o Located to the right of the Emergency Exit door by the Husbandry Office. ● Fire Extinguisher o Located at the end of the Shark Bridge, to the left. ● Power Outage o In the event of a power outage at Shark Bridge, front-line cast will evacuate the bridge and ask that guests remain at Shark Top Overlook until power returns or Engineering authorizes a General Evacuation. o Engineering also has the authority to call for an evacuation of Shark Bridge in the event of an eminent power outage. ● Severe Weather o Evacuate the Shark Bridge and escort guests down the Emergency Exit stairwell into Penguin Palooza. Retail and Upper Lobby will be sending people your way. Stand at the bottom of the Exit Escalator. o Engineering has the authority to call for an evacuation of Shark Bridge in the event of a suspected or eminent power outage due to severe weather. ● Fire o Follow General Evacuation Protocol. Evacuate the Shark Bridge, evacuate Shark Top Overlook through the emergency exit doors into Upper Lobby. If busy, evacuate the back line of Shark Bridge down the emergency stairwell and outside. ● Code “Blowfish” o Follow General Evacuation Protocol. Evacuate the Shark Bridge, evacuate Shark Top Overlook through the emergency exit doors into Upper Lobby. If busy, evacuate the back line of Shark Bridge down the emergency stairwell and outside. o Upon hearing “Code Blowfish” over the radio, take the guest in your area to the meeting locations further from the building. If you exit through the Upper Lobby, the meeting point is South of Third Street, across from Brio’s. If exiting via the emergency stairwell by Penguin Palooza, the meeting point is on Riverpoint Row by the BB Riverboats parking lot. ● Active Shooter o Run, Hide, Fight. ▪ If you can, run. Evacuate the building, encouraging other to follow. Do not wait for anyone, do not stop when you get outside, and keep your hands empty, open, and in the air. ▪ If you cannot run, hide. Hide wherever you can, no place is off limits. Barricade doors, turn off your phone and radio, and stay silent no matter what. ▪ If running and hiding are no longer options, fight. Fight until either you or the shooter is completely incapacitated. Use whatever you can as a weapon. If you are forced to fight, fully commit. Shark Bridge & Surrounded by Sharks Tank Facts
● Shark Bridge o 75ft rope suspension bridge. o Weight capacity over 20,000 lbs. o Opened in April 2015. o Had an estimated two million crossings in the first two years. ● Surrounded by Sharks Tank o Our largest tank at 385,000 gallons. o 4,275 gallons filtered every minute. o Depths ranging from 9.5’ to 24’. o Acrylic tunnels are 2.5” thick. Shark tunnel floor is 9.5” thick: 2.5” of glass above 7” of acrylic. FAQ
● Where is the closest bathroom? o In the café. Down the Exit Elevator, to the right through Shark Central. o After leaving the Newport Aquarium. A public bathroom just past Sweet Dreams Candy Co., across from Five Guys Burger and Fries. ● How do I get back downstairs? o The Exit Elevator will take you downstairs between Shark Central and Penguin Palooza. o They can head to the Upper Lobby and start at the beginning if they still have their ticket stub. ● Where is the exit? o The double doors at the end of the Shark Bridge and Overlook will lead to the Gift Shop, which empties into the Front Lobby. ● Where do I get my pictures? o Newport Aquarium Photography is located in the back of the Gift Shop. Just through the doors at the end of the Shark Bridge. ● Why are the sharks splashing? o It could be the sand tiger shark’s breeding season. During this time the males get more active.
Shark Bridge Stanchions
Close for extension
Open for extension
Always closed
Animals
Blacktip Reef Shark Carcharhinus melanopterus
Order: Carcharhiniformes Family: Carcharhinidae IUCN STATUS: Near Threatened Size: Individuals can grow to a maximum of 1.8m and 24kg. Diet: Feed primarily on reef fishes, but also feed on stingrays, crustaceans, cephalopods, and other mollusks. Habitat: Shallow waters near coral reefs and occasionally in brackish waters. Also inhabit mangrove areas, and even fresh water near the sea. Blacktip reef sharks are found in the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands and the Tuamotu Archipelago. Also found in the eastern Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Migration: This species is non-migratory. Predators: Preyed upon by other sharks and large groupers. Reproduction: Blacktip reef sharks are viviparous with a yolk-sac placenta. They have a gestation period of about 10 months and a litter size of 2-4 pups. Males reach maturity around eight years of age and a length of 95-105cm. Females reach maturity around nine years of age and a length of 93- 110cm. Conservation Importance: Due to their long gestation period and small litter size, this species is vulnerable to depletion due to fishing. Blacktips are fished for their fins, liver oil, and meat.
Nurse Shark Ginglymostoma cirratum
Order: Orectolobiformes Family: Ginglymostomatidae IUCN STATUS: Data Deficient Size: Can grow to a maximum of 4.3m and 110kg. More commonly reach around 3m. Diet: Bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as crustaceans, mollusks, and urchins. Nurse sharks will also feed on fishes. Habitat: Found in the shallows, up to 100m, around reefs in both brackish and marine environments. Migration: This species is non-migratory. Predators: Other sharks, including the tiger, bull, and great hammerhead sharks. Reproduction: Ovoviviparous, with 21 to 28 young in a litter. Development of young in the uterus is sustained by a large supply of yolk. Sand Tiger Shark Carcharias taurus
Order: Lamniformes Family: Odontaspididae IUCN STATUS: Vulnerable Size: Sand tigers range in length from 2.2 to 3.3m, with a weight range between 90 and 160kg. Diet: Feeds on bony fishes, small sharks, rays, squids, crabs, and lobsters. Habitat: Circumtropical with the exception of the Eastern Pacific. Found inshore from the surf zone and in shallow bays to at least 190m on the outer continental shelves. Migration: A migratory species in parts of its range, particularly in its northern and southern extremities where pronounced poleward migration occur in the summer and equatorial movements in autumn and winter. Predators: Reproduction: Ovoviviparous, embryos feeding on yolk sac and other ova produced by the mother as well as other siblings in the womb (uterine cannibalism). Usually gives birth to 2 pups after a 9-12 months gestation period. Conservation Importance: The sand tiger has one of the lowest reproduction rates among sharks, making them particularly vulnerable to overfishing. They are fished for their meat, livers, fins, and hides.
Zebra Shark Stegostoma fasciatum
Order: Orectolobiformes Family: Stegostomatidae IUCN STATUS: Vulnerable Size: Range in length between 2 and 3.5m. Diet: Mostly reef mollusks and crustaceans, as well as small fish. Habitat: Indo-West Pacific from East Africa to Southern Japan. Zebra sharks are typically found in tropical waters ranging in depth from 5 to 30m. Migration: Predators: Other sharks. Reproduction: Oviparous. Conservation Importance: Zebra sharks are fished for their meat, livers, and fins.
Bowmouth Guitarfish Rhina ancylostoma
Order: Rajiformes Family: Rhinobatidae IUCN STATUS: Vulnerable Size: Can range in size from 1.6 to 2.7m, weighing up to 135kg. Diet: Feeds mostly on bottom crustaceans and mollusks. Habitat: Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to Papua New Guinea, north to Japan. Found in tropical waters from 3 to 90m in depth. Migration: This species is non-migratory. Predators: Tiger sharks. Reproduction: Ovoviviparous. Ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding initially on yolk, then receiving additional nourishment from the mother by indirect absorption of uterine fluid enriched with mucus, fat or protein.
Southern Stingray Dasyatis Americana
Order: Myliobatiformes Family: Dasyatidae IUCN STATUS: Data Deficient (Not enough data to evaluate) Size: Adult southern stingrays have been known to reach sizes of nearly five feet (1.5 m) wide, but the average adult size is smaller. Like in most whiptail stingrays, the southern stingray’s tail is very long, often longer than the body width. Diet: Southern Stingrays feed on shellfish, worms, shrimp, crabs and small fish along the sandy ocean bottom. Habitat: Can be found in the Western Atlantic Ocean along Eastern South America, the eastern U.S., the Gulf of Mexico and parts of the Caribbean. They are considered a coastal species and inhabit shallow coastal and estuarine waters, and bury themselves in sandy and muddy bottoms, to a depth of 60 meters. Migration: Southern Stingrays are non-migratory. Predators: The primary predators of southern stingray adults are hammerhead sharks. Both scalloped hammerheads and Great Hammerheads have been observed using their wide heads to pin stingrays to the seafloor, wildly biting them until they can no longer move. When dissecting large hammerheads, scientists often find numerous of southern stingray spines lodged in their jaws. Juvenile southern stingrays are eaten by other species of sharks as well. Reproduction: The southern stingray is ovoviviparous. The pups hatch from their egg capsules inside the mother, and are “live” born soon afterwards. Like the cownose rays, Southern Stingrays are histotrophic. In captivity, gestation lasted 135 to 226 days, after which a litter of two to ten young were born. Conservation Importance: Fishing activities pose a potential threat to the southern stingray, either when caught as bycatch along the east coast of the USA, or when deliberately targeted in parts of South America where its meat is sold salted. Southern stingrays are key coastal food chains and often are popular with local divers and tourists and can commonly be found in public aquariums.
Round Ribbontail Ray (Blotched Fantail Ray)
Taeniurops meyeni
Order: Myliobatiformes Family: Dasyatidae IUCN STATUS: Vulnerable
Size: The maximum reported length is about 10.8 feet from tip of the tail to apex of the disc also known as total length (TL) and the maximum reported weight is 331 pounds. The maximum disc width is 5.9 feet. Diet: Like many rays, the Round Ribbontail feeds on bottom fish, bivalves, crabs and shrimp Habitat: Unlike many rays that can be found in relatively centralized areas, this ray can be found all around the world from the western coast of the US to the Indo-West Pacific and Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and East Africa to southern Japan, Micronesia, tropical Australia and Lord Howe Island and even range into the areas around central America. Migration: Round Ribbontail rays are non-migratory. Predators: The Ribbontail ray faces a variety of predators due to its large range but typically falls prey to common predators such as sharks and marine mammals. Reproduction: Like other stingrays, the Blotched Fantail Ray is ovoviviparous (aplacental viviparous.) Reproductive aggregations numbering in the hundreds have been observed at Cocos Island shortly after the onset of La Niña, which brings cooler temperatures. During these periods a single female may be pursued by dozens of males. Conservation Importance: As with most rays, the Round Ribbontail Ray suffers the majority of its population decline due to fishing practices in its natural habitat. Practices such as trawling, tangle netting, and even dynamite fishing can heavily impact this bottom dwelling species. Even when captured via bycatch and released back into the water, the rays can often suffer injury and even death due to the rough nature of these capture practices. The rays are often protected in off-shore areas such as coral reefs or marine wildlife preserves but changing climate trends and overfishing can still indirectly cause population decline.
Other Fishes: ● Arabian Angelfish ● Emperor Snapper ● Semicircle Angelfish ● Five-Lined Snapper ● Orbicular Batfish ● Grey Snapper ● Three Spot Damselfish ● Schoolmaster Snapper ● Barred Flagtail ● Convict Surgeonfish ● Giant Grouper ● Ocean Surgeonfish ● Nassau Grouper ● Orange Epaulette Surgeonfish ● Bluestriped Grunt ● Sohal Surgeonfish ● Sergeant Major ● Black Triggerfish ● Silver Moony ● Honeycomb Whiptail ● Porkfish ● Mangrove Whipray
Shark Senses
The eyes of sharks share many of the same structures as the eyes of other vertebrates including a lens, retina, iris, and cornea. Sharks also have a structure known as the tapetum lucidum. This structure, also seen in cats, is located behind the retina and reflects light back onto the retina. This increases the shark’s vision in low-light. Sharks vision is limited to around fifteen meters, especially in darker waters, therefor it is a sense that they can only utilize after they have closed in on their prey. The presence of cones in the retina allow for color vision, though sharks have a higher percentage of rods to provide a higher sensitivity to light intensity. Unlike other fish, sharks can dilate and contract their pupils, like us, to regulate the amount of incoming light. Sharks of the order Carcharhiniformes have a nictitating membrane which protects the eyes when attacking a prey animal. Sharks lacking this adaptation, like the great white, are known to roll their pupils back in their sockets to protect them when feeding.
Sharks have a very keen sense of smell. Just under the snout of sharks is a pair of nares, or nasal cavities. Each cavity has two openings, one for water to enter and one for water to exit. The nasal cavities are relatively large, and are full of skin folds known as olfactory lamellae. These folds are filled with sensory cells that send information to the olfactory lobes of the shark’s brain. Sharks are able to smell scent sources from hundreds of meters away. The sense of smell is based on chemoreception just as the sense of taste. For humans, these two senses are linked as our nasal passages are connected to our mouths. This is not the case in sharks. Sharks use their great sense of smell to locate potential prey. Once they have bitten an animal they with be able to taste using the taste buds found throughout their mouths. These taste buds are most densely packed just behind the teeth in many species. It is believed that sharks will sometimes do a “test bite” of a potential prey item to determine its palatability.
Sharks have inner ears and are able to hear prey from over two hundred meters away. This is due to sound traveling further and faster underwater than it does in the air. The movement of animals underwater creates sound. Injured animals that swim less efficiently often create more sound, which would potentially attract a shark. Just like us, the semicircular canals of the inner ear provide the shark with balance. The lateral line system is a sensory system that can detect changes in pressure. The smallest functional unit in this system is the neuromast, a sensory structure that consists of a hair cell epithelium and a cupula that connects the ciliary bundles of the hair cells to the water surrounding the fish. These neuromasts can occur in two forms: freestanding on the skin (superficial neuromasts) or in fluid-filled canals that open to the environment through a series of pores (canal neuromasts). The number and pattern of both types of neuromasts can vary greatly between different species of fish. Pressure gradients in water can be caused by a number of sources, not limited to insects moving along the surface, animals swimming, waves crashing on shore, and the flow of currents. Fish can use this information to their benefit. Predatory fish can use this sense to locate insects on the water’s surface or the wake left from another swimming fish. Blind cavefish can utilize this sensory information to both find food and to map out their surroundings. By sensing the proximity of a strong current, fish can avoid the turbulent waters, thereby conserving energy. There is still much we do not know about the lateral line system, but it is clearly a beneficial adaptation. Along with this system, sharks are able to detect direct touch through nerve endings in their skin. Some species also have barbels, which are sensory organs attached near the mouth.
The ampullae of Lorenzini is an electrosensory structure found in sharks and related fish. This allows for them to sense the weak electrical fields generated by other animals in seawater. Sharks have pores in their snout that connect to the bulb-shaped ampullae via well-insulated, gel-filled canals. The ampullae are lined with a single layer of sensing cells which respond to very slight changes in the electrical charge of the gel in the canal. These cells then activate nearby nerves, which send the electric signal to the brain.
Human use of shark products:
Sharks are fished globally for a number of uses. We use their meat, oil from their livers, cartilage from their skeletons, their skin, teeth, as well as many other parts for a variety of uses. People have been fishing sharks for thousands of years. When done sustainably, shark fishing can be a useful resource just as with many other species. However, sharks are exploited at a much higher rate than they can replenish. Many shark populations are decreasing in number due to human exploitation. As top predators and keystone species in many marine environments, the decline of sharks will have a ripple effect within their respective ecosystems.
Sharks have no swim bladder; an air filled internal organ that contributes to a bony fish’s buoyancy. Rather sharks, and other cartilaginous fishes, rely on their relatively large livers which are saturated with oil. Oil has a low specific gravity, and therefore will float on water. The size and weight of a shark’s liver varies between species. The liver can make up over a fifth of a shark’s overall weight in some species. Traditionally shark liver oil has been used in a number of applications. It was used as a lubricant in the tanning and textile industries, in cosmetic and health products, in traditional foods, as lamp fuel, as a treatment on wooden ship hulls, and during WWII it was used to produce Vitamin A for US and Australians troops. Shark oil has been replaced by alternatives, often synthetic, in many of these traditional uses. Today the demand is mostly for squalene oil, a highly unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon present in certain shark liver oils. Squalene naturally occurs in other sources including cod liver oil, olive oil, wheat germ oil, rice bran oil, and other vegetable oils. Squalene is used in cosmetics, health food, and high-grade machine oils. World shark oil production peaked in 1977 at 720 tonnes, with 420 tonnes from Japan.
Sharks belong to the class Chondrichthyes, from the Greek words for ‘cartilage’ and ‘fish,’ and consequently have a skeleton comprised of cartilage rather than bone. Cartilage contains chondroitin, which is manufactured into powder, creams, and capsules and is used for various health issues. The countries that produce and consume this product in the highest quantities include the USA, Japan, Australia, and India.
Members of class Chondrichthyes are also characterized by the presence of dermal denticles, also referred to as placoid scales. These dermal denticles are similar in structure to teeth consisting of an outer enamel layer, dentine, and an inner pulp cavity. Unlike bony fish, superclass Osteichthyes, which have scales that grow as the fish grows, dermal denticles reach a maximum size. As a member of Chondrichthyes grows, it instead will grow additional rows of dermal denticles. Along with providing a physical layer of protection, the dermal denticles affect the hydrodynamics of the animal. The reduction of drag and water turbulence allows the fish to swim more efficiently, as well as more quietly. Dermal denticles vary in size and shape, and are more pronounced in some species. The tooth-like projections on a sawfish’s rostrum and the barb of a stingray are both modified dermal denticles. People have used shark skin for polishing purposes and as a leather good.
Phylogenic Tree of Cartilaginous Fish:
Class Subclass Superorder Order
Holocephali Chimaeriformes (Ghost shark)
Myliobatiformes (Rays) Chondrichthyes Batoidea Rajiformes (Skates) Rhinopristiformes (Guitarfish, Sawfish) Torpediniformes (Electric Rays) Elasmobranchii Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks) Heterodontiformes (Bullhead Sharks) Hexanchiformes (Frilled & Cow Sharks) Selachimorpha Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks) Orectolobiformes (Carpet Sharks) Pristiophoriformes (Sawshark) Squaliformes (Gulper, Kitefin, Bramble, Rough, Sleeper, Dogfish Sharks) Squatiniformes (Angel Shark)