current Research Projects
Tiger sharks in indonesia
In collaboration with Project Hiu of Indonesia, we became the first team to ever satellite tag a tiger shark in Indonesian waters. This research project is ongoing to monitor the habitat use of this vulnerable species and to recommend management areas to protect them.
I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, NC. My current research here focuses on identifying spatial-temporal changes to shark populations and also includes microbial work to classify shark health.
Past Research Projects
I co-led a project titled BioTrack to monitor and assess the biodiversity hotspots of marine megafauna, including sharks. This work was part of my PhD dissertation.
For my masters research I investigated the microbiome of bull, blacktip, and tiger sharks in South Florida waters. My research suggests that each shark has a unique microbiome that in combination with their skin creates an extraordinary defense mechanism from outside pathogens and infection.
Chelsea Black, PhD 