Our changing oceans, and the changing lives of coastal sharks
Mohsen is looking to the future, comparing the life-history traits of coastal tropical elasmobranch populations between the Gulf of Oman, which represents present-day tropical seas, and the Persian Gulf, which mirrors the climate conditions expected by the end of the century. By doing so, he aims to investigate how ocean warming could potentially alter the elasmobranchs’ life-history traits and subsequently impact their vulnerability to overfishing. His comparative study aims to provide insight into the adaptive capabilities of these species and inform effective conservation strategies in the face of ongoing climate change and other pressures.
Mohsen Rezaie-Atagholipour
I grew up in north-eastern Iran with a deep love for nature and animals, but far from the ocean. Therefore, unsurprisingly, I immensely enjoyed the thrill of looking at books about marine life, which seemed to be made up of alien creatures from science fiction. One of my most cherished possessions from childhood is an illustrated book called Fishes. I spent countless hours gazing at its pages, marvelling at the strange fish it depicted: torpedo rays that deliver electric shocks, whale sharks larger than school buses, mudskippers that walk on land, and flying fish. I tried to imagine...
Multi-omic analysis to explore elasmobranch life-history drivers in response to climate change
The ultimate aim of this project is to understand how the life history of tropical coastal elasmobranchs, and consequently their vulnerability to overfishing, might be affected by ocean warming.
Overfishing is the most serious threat to sharks and rays, requiring our utmost attention. Yet overlooking the adaptability of these species’ life-history traits to environmental shifts could skew assessments of their vulnerability to overfishing and hinder effective conservation strategies. Aiming to enhance conservation efforts in a changing climate, my project explores how shark and ray life histories adapt to long-term elevated temperatures and what factors drive these adaptations.
Every living organism exhibits specific characteristics essential for its survival and reproduction. These characteristics, known as life-history traits, include growth rate, lifespan and reproductive age and output, and they vary significantly across species. For instance, the turquoise killifish in African seasonal pools matures within 2–3 weeks and typically lives for half a year, whereas Greenland sharks in the North Atlantic and Arctic may take up to 150 years to reach reproductive age and live for more than 500 years. Exploring life-history traits is crucial for conservation management, as they determine populations’ ability to recover from hazards.
My research focuses on the dynamic variation of life-history traits within species in response to environmental changes through changes in genes or adaptive changes in traits, as demonstrated in several taxa, including sharks and rays (collectively known as elasmobranchs). The slow life history of elasmobranchs, characterised by late maturity and low reproductive output, renders them extremely vulnerable to overfishing. However, the susceptibility of elasmobranch populations to overfishing in future climate-altered oceans may differ from current conditions due to potential changes in their life-history traits in response to ocean warming.
My project involves comparing the life-history traits of coastal tropical elasmobranch populations between the Gulf of Oman, representative of present-day tropical seas, and the Persian Gulf, which mirrors future climate conditions expected by the end of the century. By doing so, I aim to investigate how ocean warming could potentially alter the elasmobranchs’ life-history traits and subsequently impact their vulnerability to overfishing. In addition, to establish the drivers of these climate-driven life-history changes, I integrate advanced genetic and molecular analyses by examining DNA and RNA from elasmobranchs in both gulfs.
This comparative study aims to provide insights into the adaptive capabilities of these species and inform effective conservation strategies in the face of ongoing climate change and human-induced pressures.
- To examine how changes in the life-history traits of tropical coastal sharks and rays are influenced by the climate gradient along the southern Iranian coastline.
- To study how climate-driven changes in life-history traits affect these species’ vulnerability to exploitation.
- To find out whether genetic changes or expressions play a bigger role in the differences in life-history traits within these species using advanced molecular analysis.