Sharkophile

The latest shark news, photos and videos

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Florida again leads nation in shark attacks for 2017

According to the annual report by the University of Florida International Shark Attack File, the state of Florida accounted for the majority of unprovoked shark attacks in the country, although the 31 verified incidents does not represent any major change over previous years. Of those 31 attacks, nearly one-third of those (9) occurred in Volusia […]

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Nina Dobrev, Oceana team up for shark conservation

Oceana announced Nina Dobrev, actress and ocean advocate, as its newest Oceana Ambassador. To mark the announcement, Oceana launched a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign that features Nina Dobrev and her efforts to help protect the world’s sharks. Oceana is currently advocating for legislation that would ban the sale and trade of shark fin […]

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Hammerhead nursery discovered in Galapagos

Researchers from Ecuador have discovered a hammerhead shark nursery in the Galapagos Islands, nearly 1,000 miles off the coast of South America. This remote sanctuary has likely remained relatively pristine for over a million years. “It was quite by chance that we found this natural nursery for baby hammerheads, a species that is under a high […]

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Researchers develop new system for conservation priorities

To shine light on and conserve rare shark, ray, and chimaera species (chondrichthyans), Simon Fraser University researchers have developed a fully-resolved family tree and ranked every species according to the unique evolutionary history they account for. “While we’ve all heard of white sharks and manta rays, how many of us have heard of the Colclough’s […]

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Oceanic whitetip sharks added to protected species list

The National Marine Fisheries Service reclassified the oceanic whitetip shark as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The decision recognized threats from overfishing and bycatch in pelagic longline fishing gear as major reasons for drastic population declines. Today’s listing responds to a petition from Defenders of Wildlife, with support from the Center for Biological Diversity, […]

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Shark bites increase on U.S. West Coast for 2017

According to data released this week by the Shark Research Committee, the West Coast of the United States nearly doubled its reported number of shark encounters between humans and the apex predators in 2017. According to the SRC report, there were 9 authenticated unprovoked shark attacks reported from the Pacific Coast of North America;  eight instances were […]

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Monogamy could hinder long-term tiger shark populations

Tiger sharks appear to be genetically monogamous – and it could be putting the species at risk. University of Queensland research has found tiger sharks differ from many other sharks in that they don’t use multiple paternity as a reproductive strategy. UQ researcher Dr. Bonnie Holmes said multiple paternity occurred when a single litter of […]

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Research shows complex social network of sharks

Although historically seen as solitary animals, new research being presented here shows sharks may have a more complex social structure than previously thought. Using tracking devices to trace the movements of individual animals in the open ocean, researchers found that Sand Tiger sharks form complex social networks that are typically seen in mammals but rarely […]

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New shark named after Alabama coaching legend Bear Bryant

A new species of ancient shark has been named in honor of Alabama football coaching legend Paul “Bear” Bryant. The species, Cretalamna bryanti, was discovered by scientists studying fossils housed in the collections of the McWane Science Center and the Alabama Museum of Natural History. The large-toothed shark lived during the Late Cretacious Period nearly 83 […]