Document Type
Poster
Publication Title
Northrop Grumman Engineering & Science Student Design Showcase
Abstract
Sharks are keystone predators in marine ecosystems, andremoving them can cause environmental collapse1. But shark populations have fallen in recent years, especially in small countries. Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, whose waters contain over 100 species of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). Sri Lanka is also one of the top 20 shark fishing countries, though little is known about the status of most elasmobranch populations2. Our goal was to estimate genetic diversity and connectivity, an indicator of extinction risk, in two elasmobranch species from Sri Lanka. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are common in the Indo-Pacific, but those caught offshore of Sri Lanka have never been studied. The most frequently caught ray in Sri Lanka is a whipray, belonging to the genus Brevitrygon, thought to be either B. imbricata, or the morphologically-similar B. walga.Misidentification and the lack of data on diversity can lead to extinction, so assessing patterns of diversity is crucial for conservation.
Advisor
Toby Daly-Engel
Publication Date
4-25-2025
Recommended Citation
Gore, Dylan; Peters, Kenna; Pathirana, Buddhi; Muschett-Bonilla, Annais; Sarkis, Christine; and Thilakaratna, Sahan, "Genetic Insight on Two Elasmobranch Species in Sri Lanka" (2025). Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications. 75.
https://repository.fit.edu/oems_student/75