Sharkophile

The latest shark news, photos and videos

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Threatened sharks still make up large portion of illegal shark fin trade

A recent study, published in Conservation Letters, found that several threatened shark species are still common in the fin trade after being listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The study’s lead author, Diego Cardeñosa, a Ph.D. student in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at […]

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Shark research credited for expanded marine refuge

Data collected from shark-tagging efforts helped expand the borders of the Revillagigedo National Park in Mexico, according to University of California-Davis. The UNESCO World Heritage site surrounding the Revillagigedo Archipelago, a string of four volcanic islands about 300 miles southwest of the Baja Peninsula, now protects over 57,000 square miles. If not for the work of researchers and alumni from […]

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Eugenie Clark has shark species named in her honor

The legacy of the pioneering shark researcher Eugenie Clark, known throughout the shark science community as “The Shark Lady,” will live on with the naming of a newly discovered species of shark. The new species of dogfish, named Squalus clarkae, was formally identified this month in the journal Zootaxa. The report was written by Florida Institute of […]

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Celebrate Shark Week by becoming a Shark Angel

Approximately 73,000,000 sharks will be killed this year. Most of them just for their fins. That’s over 10,000 an hour. Some shark populations are down 90% over the last 20 years. This Shark Week, Shark Angels is working to build awareness and raise funds to protect sharks from illegal finning, irresponsible fishing, and other things that […]

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SharkCon blends education and conservation with fin-laden fun

SharkCon wrapped up its fifth year in Tampa this weekend. Among the highlights of this year’s event, which was held at the Florida State Fairgrounds, included a Jaws-related panel featuring actor Richard Dreyfuss, who played shark biologist Matt Hooper in the seminal piece of cinema, and a Sharknado panel featuring series stars Ian Ziering, Cassie […]

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SharkCon returning to Tampa July 14-15

SharkCon, Tampa’s annual convention for shark lovers, is back with more bite than ever. SharkCon 5, which will be held on July 14 and 15 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, will again feature an All-Star offering of shark researchers, biologists and shark-centric celebrities from pop culture. Along with the speakers and panels, SharkCon will also feature […]

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Study shows shark behavior altered by ecotourism activities

A recent study published in Conservation Physiology found that great white sharks become more active in the presence of humans taking part in caged shark dives. While ecotourism such as cage-diving activities has helped spur conservation-minded attitudes among participants, the impact on the sharks being exposed to such activities had not been thoroughly studied. Great white-centric […]

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Shark research bill moves forward in California

The Orange County Commission voted to fund the $3.7 million White Shark Population Monitoring and Beach Safety Program this week. Assembly Bill 2191, if passed, would provide funding for additional Great White population studies, educational outreach and research efforts. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) along with Long Beach State University’s Shark Lab. […]

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Tracking tags provide insight into great white survival rates

Using pop-up archival tag data, a team of researchers found that commercial by-catch of juvenile white sharks is the leading cause of mortality, according to findings published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Assistant professor at the University of Nebraska and lead author of the study, Dr. John Benson, said that PAT data represented “a widely-available, untapped data […]