Born on May 14, 1938, Dr. Samuel H. Gruber, founder and director of the Bimini biological research station, in the Bahamas, passed away on April 18. This is an opportunity to look back on a life dedicated to the underwater world, and more particularly to sharks (Photo above: © Bimini biological field station foundation).Born in the Brooklyn neighborhood of New York, Dr. Samuel H. Gruber spent his childhood in southern Florida: « j‘I’ve always loved the water and the beaches. When I was a child in Miami Beach, I started getting interested in marine biology by collecting seashells, and then I learned to dive at the age of 13,’ he recounted.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree with a specialization in zoology from the University of Miami: « during my first year in college, while spearfishing, I was threatened by a huge hammerhead shark. Both terrified and amazed by this immense fish that eventually left me alone, I decided then that I wanted to spend my life working on these splendid creatures ! » He then quickly followed up with a master’s and then a doctorate in marine sciences. « I chose to study the lemon shark because it was present in Florida and it could survive quite well in captivity. »
He received a postdoctoral fellowship which he completed at the Max-Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology in Seewiesen, Germany, where he worked with Professor Konrad Lorenz, Nobel Prize laureate.
During his career, he conducted numerous field studies at maritime stations in Eilat (Israel), Hurghada (Egypt), and Okinawa (Japan). « I spent my early career years in the laboratory studying the behavior and sensory physiology (vision, olfaction, and hearing) of lemon sharks. But spending so much time in the lab, I felt I was losing my interest in the animal itself, so I decided to change my career and dive with lemon sharks in their natural habitat. » In the 1980s, he went to the Bahamas and conducted his research aboard large modern ships provided to him by the National Science Foundation.
At the same time, he fought against malignant lymphoma. In remission, he decided to open his own research station in Bimini to study sharks at his own pace. Thanks to the dean of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), where he is a tenured professor, he managed to receive grants from the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the National Sea Grant, and the Florida Department of Education. Since September 11th and the decrease in public funding, the Bimini Shark Lab has continued its mission thanks to numerous patrons and private donors. It thus offers a conducive research environment for scientists who want to learn more about sharks.Several studies are currently being conducted at the Bimini Shark Lab, including:
- A study on tiger sharks, which are very present around the island of Bimini and serve it as a nursery.
- A study to distinguish the role of hearing and vision in the behavior of lemon sharks.
- A study on the fishing, conservation, management, and ecological role of hammerhead sharks.
- A study on the habitat preferences and movements of several species of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays).
- A study on the possible impacts of shark feeding, particularly concerning small-scale movements and the behavioral ecology of the great hammerhead shark Sphyrna mokarran in Bimini.
SLS