Sharkophile

The latest shark news, photos and videos

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New study finds dangerously high levels of heavy metals in Caribbean sharks

   A new study finds that alarmingly large levels of 12 heavy metals, including mercury, exist in the muscle tissues of reef and tiger sharks sampled throughout The Bahamas. Discovered by research crew Beneath the Waves, the new findings carry important implications for human health in the Greater Caribbean region, where humans occasionally consume sharks. […]

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Trump vetoes drift-net fishing bill in California

On Friday, President Donald Trump vetoed a bill planning to gradually ban the use of large-mesh drift gillnets deployed exclusively in federal waters off the coast of California. Large-mesh drift gillnets are notorious for accumulating high levels of bycatch- incidental capture of non-targeted species such as sharks (Le Fol, Gwendal). Trump claims that such legislation […]

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Researchers create new shark tagging software

  Sharks are known to change their activity levels according to varying environmental conditions (Schlaff, Huepeul, & Simpfendorfer, 2014). However, the complex lives of sharks are hidden beneath the surface. The sheer vastness of the ocean makes it difficult to monitor sharks’ natural behavior. Studying activity levels in sharks is a challenge for shark scientists. […]

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US and Canada form new white shark research group

Government agencies and shark research groups from Canada and the northeastern US announce the establishment of the New England White Shark Research Consortium (NEWSRC). This new consortium marks the first-ever collaboration between the US and Canada to study white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the northeastern US-Canadian range. The timing for this collaboration is good, given […]

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Colombia bans shark fishing

Here is some good news to start December! Colombia announced Friday that sharks’ artisanal and commercial fishing would be prohibited within Colombian waters. By decree, shark fishing is illegal throughout the 127,413.7 square miles of Colombia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Additionally, the Colombian President Iván Duque announces that fishers affected by the ban will be […]

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Shark Hero Talks: Jasmin Graham

Jasmin Graham is the president of MISS, Minorities in Shark Science. Founded by four Black female shark researchers, MISS strives to be seen and take up space in a discipline that has been mostly inaccessible for women of color. They strive to be positive role models for the next generation. MISS seeks to promote diversity […]

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Shark Hero Talks: Melissa Cristina Marquez

Melissa Márquez is the founder of the Fins United Initiative, an educational initiative that introduces audiences to the diverse sharks and scientists who study them. She is also the host of the ConCiencia Azul science-based podcast. She has starred on shark week, having an interesting encounter with a crocodile. Melissa has been called the ‘Mother […]