In 2009 Daniel departed on expedition to examine sharks of the deepsea. This expedition saw him set out to sea for three weeks on a research cruise run by Marine Scotland Science (formerly the Fisheries Research Services) on board the FRV Scotia.

Daniel was investigating ageing and growth in a number of deepsea shark species including the Blackmouthed Dogfish (Galeus melastomus), the Longnosed Velvet Dogfish (Centroscymnus crepidater) and a number of Ghost Catshark species (Apristurus spp.). Shark samples were retrieved via deepwater trawl with species taken from over a mile below the surface.

Despite some very rough weather which required the FRV Scotia to sail for shelter in the remote islands of St. Kilda, this expedition was a resounding success and led to Daniel publishing some fascinating science on these rare species in the journals Aquatic Biology and the Journal of the Marine Biological Society of the United Kingdom.

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St. Kilda – one of the hidden gems of the North Atlantic.
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The trawl deck of the FRV Scotia.
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Deepsea sharks are unusual creatures and look quite unlike their shallow water counterparts.
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