Yannis P. Papastamatiou
Department of Zoology,
University of Hawai`i
2538 McCarthy Mall,
Edmondson 152
Honolulu, HI 96822
yannis@hawaii.edu
Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests:
Foraging behavior and digestion go hand in hand. While one process involves locating and capturing prey, the other involves extracting and absorbing energy from the food items. Currently, little is known about either biological process for most shark species, due in large part to the difficulties in studying these animals in the wild and in captivity.

I completed my Masters at the California State University Long Beach, where I used pH data-loggers to study some of the aspects of gastric digestion in leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata). I also found that "digestion" remote sensing devices could be used to study the foraging habits of the sharks in the wild.

I am continuing this work for my PhD at UH. I am going to use digestion remote sensing devices to look at some of the aspects of digestion and feeding behavior in blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) at a remote coral reef atoll. I aim to answer such questions as 1) How frequently do blacktips feed? 2) What time of day do they feed? 3) How much energy are they removing from the ecosystem? 4) How is their digestive system adapted to their foraging lifestyle?

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS:
Papastamatiou Y, C Lowe. 2005. Variations in gastric acid secretion during periods of fasting between two species of shark. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A. 141: 210-214

Myer C, K Holland, Y Papastamatiou. 2005. Sharks can detect changes in the geomagnetic field. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 2: 129-130

Papastamatiou Y, C Lowe. 2004. Postprandial response of gastric pH in leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata) and its use to study foraging ecology. Journal of Experimental Biology 207: 225-232

Lowe C, D Topping, D Cartamil, Y Papastamatiou. 2003. Movement patterns, home range and habitat utilization of kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus) in a temperate no-take marine reserve. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 256: 205-216

Lowe C, G Moss, G Hoisington, J Vaudo, D Cartamil, M Marcotte, Y Papastamatiou. In prep. Caudal spine replacement in the round stingray, Urolophus halleri: implications for management of human injuries. Environmental Biology of Fishes.