Dr. Kim Ritchie and her Undergraduate Team of Researchers go Shark Hunting
USCB in the Media, Student Research, Faculty Research
Kim Ritchie, Ph.D., USCB’s marine microbiologist, and her team of undergraduate research
assistants ventured out on the OCEARCH research vessel to gather beneficial microbes
from live sharks caught in the waters off South Carolina in late February. The research
team was capturing the microbes in an effort to increase our understanding of wound
healing in humans and shark ecology. Joining her on the research expedition were USCB
students Mark Elliott, Kaiya Cain and Daniel Conrad, along with Lucas Tomita, a Hilton
Head High School student whose work on shark bacteria in Dr. Ritchie’s Marine Microbiology
Lab earned him a place in national science fairs. He competed in the Intel International
Science Fair last year and won a full college scholarship. The expedition and Dr.
Ritchie’s work gained widespread attention when they garnered national news coverage
on the AP wire, in newspapers, and in television and radio reports. Here’s a brief
sampling:
Sharks Tagged off US South; Uncovered Canada Spot in 2017
On board with OCEARCH tagging great white in Lowcountry
ABC 15 joins Ocearch on a shark tagging trip in the Atlantic Ocean
Three great white sharks tagged off Hilton Head
OCEARCH tags great white shark off Beaufort County coast
Sharks tagged off US south; uncovered Canada spot in 2017
University of South Carolina Beaufort
Biology, Science & Mathematics, Savannah Morning News, U.S. News & World Report, ABC15,
WSAV, The Washington Times, Research Highlights