Objective 2

The size of some species of sharks in Alaska brings its own set of challenges. The Pacific sleeper shark (Somniosus pacificus) has been found to grow to over 4 meters in size, with some reports suggesting maximum sizes in the 7 meter range. This size prevents longline vessels from being able to safely bring most individuals on deck. As a result, we have very little data on most of the sharks caught - without a shark on deck to measure, even at-sea observers aren't able to accurately collect size data.

EM and machine learning may again be able to help address this data shortfall. By "training" a computer program to differentiate sharks by rough size categories (such as small, medium, and large), the sharks caught by vessels with EM equipment can be more accurately measured for both scientific and monitoring purposes. This program is able to assign size categories without the need to bring the shark on deck, allowing us to gather data about sharks we would otherwise have no information about. These data will in turn be used to inform the total catch estimates.