After 45 years at IMS — and over 30 as research vessel captain — Joe Purifoy is retiring. He has a plethora of fond memories captaining hundreds of shark surveys and research expeditions. “One of the reasons I’ve stayed so long is because I enjoy what I do. If you enjoy doing something and can get paid for it, that’s a plus in life,” he says. “The people here have been like family. It’s been a great adventure for me.”
Coming from a commercial fishing family on Harkers Island, North Carolina, crew member Stacy Davis has fished and worked on boats his whole life. “I have taken many a shark off the hook,” he says. “I’ve handled some big sharks, small sharks, big sting rays — all kinds of stuff. I’m comfortable doing that because I’ve been doing it for years.”
Researchers from visiting universities and students of all ages frequently joined in on survey outings — a highlight for technician, J Ipock. “I really enjoy meeting those people and watching them while they were seeing what we caught. A lot of them had never done anything like that before,” he says. “It’s always a great experience for them to see it for the first time and put their hands on some sharks.”
Like his predecessor Frank Schwartz, Joel Fodrie knows he probably won’t see all the fruits of his labor when it comes to the shark survey — it takes a long time to see ecological trends in the data. “There’s no instant gratification. We don’t get to run experiments for a week in a tank and get the answers to our questions. You have to commit for many years to begin understanding these large and highly mobile animals,” he says. “It’s really an aggregate exercise in doing that reliably and consistently. But in the end, that’s what makes me feel good because that’s where the value is.”
After moving from California to Wilmington, Holly Doerr was looking to get her foot in the North Carolina research door. This summer, she is working in the Fodrie Lab as a research technician. “It’s been a great way to get to know different scientists in the area and learn more about the geography and species diversity on the East Coast.”
Originally from California, crew member Phil Herbst has always been interested in the natural world. “My favorite thing about the survey is just being on the boat and away from land. Morehead City’s a pretty big place compared to where I grew up. When I can get away from Morehead, when I can get away from everything, it’s nice to have that connection with the water and nature.”
A young Atlantic sharpnose is measured, making it one of more than 10,500 collected thus far. Survey data is valuable to not only the broad academic community, but also the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) shark stock status. “NOAA ranks datasets, and based on the longevity of the IMS survey ours typically ranks quite high,” Fodrie says. “In terms of its value, it’s pretty unparalleled.”