Shark Season 2011 By Alastair Bland A Southern California marine
biologist's permit to tag great white sharks with long-term
tracking devices at the Farallon Islands expired this fall, but
federal officials are currently considering granting an
extension on the research project. Dr. Michael Domeier, who
captured two great white sharks at the Farallon Islands in the
fall of 2009 and fitted them with smart position or temperature
transmitting (SPOT) tags before his project was prematurely
halted, submitted a permit renewal application in May, according
to documents supplied by the Gulf of the Farallones National
Marine Sanctuary. Should the sanctuary renew his permit, Domeier
could work in the sanctuary's waters for another four years and
capture and tag as many as 11 more sharks. Domeier, executive
director of the Marine Conservation Science Institute in
northern San Diego County, has SPOT-tagged at least 20 great
white sharks, almost all in Mexican waters. The controversial
procedure includes baiting a large