{"id":145,"date":"2022-03-01T13:30:51","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T03:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/stem\/?p=145"},"modified":"2022-03-01T14:55:18","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T04:25:18","slug":"taryns-field-of-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/stem\/2022\/03\/01\/taryns-field-of-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Taryn’s field of dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It was a chance to study with a bizarre creature of the deep and work with some of the best minds in her field that led Taryn-Lee Perrior to Flinders University and more adventure than she could have imagined.<\/p>\n

Taryn (as her friends call her) is studying a bachelor of science (honours) (marine science) and looks back at the reason she landed in Adelaide. \u201cProf Charlie Huveneers and Dr Lauren Meyer (leaders of the Southern Shark Ecology Group) replied and offered me an opportunity of studying this amazingly bizarre creature called an elephant fish (Callorhinchus milii<\/em>), a chimaera species which is closely related to sharks, skates, and rays.<\/p>\n

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\u201c(It has) A nose like an elephant, a body like a shark, wings like a ray they use to fly like birds underwater, and a huge sharp barb on its dorsal fin. Like an ocean themed griffin (a mythical creature). I had never seen anything like it, and it sparked a curiosity in me like never before.\u201d<\/p>\n

While her fascination with the elephant fish sparked her passion, it was working with some of Flinders\u2019 best that sealed the deal. \u201cHaving the opportunity to be mentored by Prof Charlie Huveneers, and Dr Lauren Meyer contributed to the decision to move, as working alongside leading researchers in this field was an opportunity I couldn\u2019t turn down.\u201d<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s still much to learn about elephant fish, something Taryn is happy to take a leading role in. \u201cChimaeras receive very little research attention and there is so much we don\u2019t know about them. My Honours project aims to describe and compare the feeding ecology of elephant fish (Callorhinchus milii<\/em>) amongst South Australia, Victoria, and New Zealand. To do this, I have applied a multi-method approach including stomach content analysis, where I dissect the stomachs and identify prey items visually. I am also using biochemical tracers, i.e., stable isotopes (carbon and nitrogen) and fatty acids (like omega 3), that are incorporated in tissues to explore recent feeding ecology such as diet, habitat use, and ontogenetic or spatial-temporal shifts. This has involved a tremendous amount of lab work, where I am either working with a lot of chemicals or getting stinky from dissecting fish.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/Taryn_Perrior\/status\/1443498277358297090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1443498277358297090%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FTaryn_Perrior2Fstatus2F1443498277358297090widget%3DTweet<\/a><\/p>\n

Not only does Taryn\u2019s research fire her passion, she also gets a taste of adventure helping other research projects being undertaken by the Flinders marine science team. \u201cI am lucky enough to work in a lab that is very involved with one another\u2019s projects. Whenever other Honours or PhD students have field work, I am often invited to assist. Not only is this extremely fun, but it is also helping develop my skill set and build a network within multiple fields.<\/p>\n

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While it\u2019s tough to pick a field trip favourite, Taryn\u2019s experiences researching white sharks near the Neptune Islands near Port Lincoln triggers fond memories. \u201cThese research expeditions are action-packed as we always work on multiple projects simultaneously, and use a range of tools and devices such as acoustic tags, accelerometers, feeding pills, biopsies, microbiome swabs, underwater videos, and wave buoys. These are not only to research the white sharks, but also the resident fish communities and surrounding environment. It is very up close and personal with nature and it was the first time I saw a white shark.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think every moment interacting with white sharks is exhilarating and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever not feel the adrenaline around them. I am 5\u20191 ft so even a smaller great white is a monster fish next to me. We work off a marlin board at the back of the boat and there have been many times the team is trying to get a biopsy sample or swab, and a shark will come that close that the flick of its tail drenches us all in sea water.<\/p>\n

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I have finished dissecting all of my Australian ghostsharks (Callorhinchus milii) from South Australia and Victoria. Muscle, liver and the stomach was taken so that stable isotope analysis, fatty acid analysis and stomach content analysis can be performed. @SouthernSharkEG<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Q9VuQ9H48z<\/a><\/p>\n

— TarynPerrior (@Taryn_Perrior) August 8, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n