"Foraging ecology of cookiecutter sharks on pelagic fishes in Hawaii, inferred from prey bite wounds"

Summary:
     It has been observed that certain fish have had strange bites on them. These bite marks are from cookie-cutter sharks. They feed on crustaceans but they have also been known to take a bite out of much bigger fish, whales, and seals. After observing this, scientists set out to do a study in order to answer a few questions. The goals of this study were to see how the bites varied each season, see what species were targeted, and use the marks to identify the size of the cookie-shark.
     The scientists were able to study the bite marks that the sharks made on fish from the Honolulu Fish Auction. They went their weekly for one year in order to collect data. The data was collected at the same time each week. They took the percentage of fish that were bite each week. They then used a sub-sample of fish in order to get a more in depth examination of the shark bites. The scars were classified as being new, partially-healed, and healed.
      The fish most effected by bite marks were swordfish, opha, and bigeye and yellowfin tuna. Swordfish had the highest percent of fresh bites, followed by opah. Pacific blue marlins didn't have any bites from the cookie-cutter shark. Swordfish and opah also had the highest amounts of healed bites. Swordfish, bigeye tuna, and opah had consistent scaring throughout the year. The probability for some species varied throughout the year. Swordfish had the most bites per individual. Overall the data showed that swordfish were the most preyed upon along with the yellowfin and bigeye tuna, and the opah. The pacific blue marlin was not preyed upon.

Evaluation: 
     This article gave accurate information on the study. It gave specific data and explained how the study was carried out. The article was clear on why the study was being conducted, how it was, and what the results were. The article was concise in most parts but it did become repetitive at some points, like in the discussion. The article didn't stray from the topic however. The sentences weren't too wordy either. This study was ethical. The scientists did not harm any animals during this study. The study actually helps the fishermen because the cookie-cutter bites decrease the value of the fish, so if they know when the bites are more likely and what fish are more likely to get bitten they can base their fishing off the data. The article wasn't hard to read. Their were some parts that were difficult to read because of jargon. It was also lengthy to read. The reader satisfaction is moderate because it can be a very helpful study for fishermen and marine scientists. It could be hard for others to read. The article was organizes and not too hard to read though.
     The intend purpose of this article was to inform scientists and fishermen the species most effected by cookie-cutter sharks, along with the seasonal patterns, etc. The article was meant for a low to high tech audience, mostly fishermen and marine scientists. The organization of the article was well done. The figures were properly introduced and the sections had effective headings.

Reference:
Papastamatiou, Y. P., Wetherbee, B. M., O'Sullivan, J., Goodmanlowe, G. D., & Lowe, C. G. (2010). Foraging ecology of Cookiecutter Sharks ( Isistius brasiliensis) on pelagic fishes in Hawaii, inferred from prey bite wounds. Environmental Biology Of Fishes, 88(4), 361-368. doi:10.1007/s10641-010-9649-2