By Jaimie Woodard, University Marketing Communications
All it takes is one whiff of Kate Shepard’s laundry to know that she is gaining hands-on experience in her field of study – Fisheries Biology. A second-year graduate student in the University of West Florida Department of Biology, Shepard is researching population dynamics of and population mixing between King Mackerel in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
“Population dynamics are rates such as growth, mortality, reproduction, etc., which affect overall fish population size,” said Shepard. “Working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service, my research is used to help agencies like the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Councils set regulations to ensure that fish populations are harvested sustainably.”
Shepard’s master's thesis is focused on the King Mackerel, a migratory species that is popular among both commercial and recreational fisherman and most commonly found in the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Under the direction of Associate Professor of Biology William Patterson, she is studying the mixing rates of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Mackerel populations. Fish from each population exhibit certain characteristics, such as the shape and chemical signatures of the ear stone, or otolith. By gathering data on these characteristics and others, Shepard is able to estimate the rate at which the populations are mixing during the winter off the coast of South Florida.
“Currently, all winter landings from the mixing area around South Florida are assigned to the Gulf of Mexico population of Mackerel for management purposes, which could affect estimates of the population’s size and could cause an over estimation of the number of fish that can be sustainably harvested from the Gulf,” said Shepard. “I hope that my research will contribute to the scientific knowledge of the fish stocks, which hopefully will influence future management decisions.”
Working close to 80 hours per week during her busiest times, Shepard spends the spring and fall analyzing data that is collected during the summer. In the summer, she is out in the field either on boats in the northern Gulf of Mexico catching fish herself or hanging around the fishing docks sampling fish caught by recreational and commercial fisherman. And, in the winter, she travels to South Florida to sample fish caught at docks in the Mackerel mixing areas. Her work is very messy as she has to cut into each fish to retrieve the ear stone and determine its sex. At only five feet tall, Shepard is often smaller than the fish she is researching.
“I have gotten a lot of marriage proposals at the docks,” laughs Shepard. “I guess to fisherman I look like the ideal woman who is not afraid to get her hands dirty.”
Fearless is only one of the many personality traits students who are considering fisheries biology as a field of study should bring. Shepard says an inquisitive nature, dedication, strong writing skills and a high aptitude for math and statistics are also crucial in her field.
Upon earning her master’s degree from UWF, Shepard plans to pursue her doctorate in fisheries modeling and then a career in academic research.
UWF is Creating Great Futures – Want to help? Visit uwf.edu/greatfutures.Learn more about UWF’s Biology and Marine Biology programs at uwf.edu/biology.