A new study found that are sharks are much rarer in habitats near large human populations and fish markets. A team of researchers, led by the Zoological Society of London, found that that the average body size and number of sharks and other marine predators fell significantly in proximity to cities with more than 10,000 people […]
Shark metabolism may hold key to species survival
According to a new study by the University of Queensland, the internal energy flow of large sharks and rays could be essential to surviving climate change. University of Queensland Ph.D. candidate Christopher Lawson found that bioenergetics of sharks and rays will determine the animals ability to adjust to temperature changes in historical habitats “Shark and rays […]
Plastics, ocean trash a growing threat to sharks
A new study by Exeter University found that discarded plastic, derelict fishing gear and other man-made oceanic trash may pose a bigger threat to apex predators like sharks than previously thought. The paper was published in the latest issue of the journal Endangered Species Research. Entanglement—mostly involving lost or discarded fishing gear—is a “far lesser threat” to sharks and […]
Hammerhead research project wins funding
A group of conservation projects in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea will receive funding thanks to Conservation Leadership Programme’s 2019 awards. The Peruvian conservation organization from Tumbes will use the awards to study the seasonal movements of smooth hammerheads off the coast of northern Peru. “I didn’t know what to do with so much […]
Study finds Irish porbeagles making a comeback
After over 50 years of overfishing, the porbeagle shark, the smallest of the mackerel shark family, has been making a comeback in the waters off the coast of Ireland, a new study shows. Researchers used data taken analyzed from the Marine Sport Fish Tagging Programme which tagged 268 porbeagle sharks over 47 years, mainly in Irish waters. […]
The Conversation: Sharks pop up in some surprising places
By Michael Sievers, Griffith University; Rod Connolly, Griffith University, and Tom Rayner, Griffith University When we think of mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and saltmarshes, we don’t immediately think of shark habitats. But the first global review of links between large marine animals (megafauna) and coastal wetlands is challenging this view – and how we might […]
Citizen scientists identify sand tiger aggregation site in North Carolina
The photos, many of which were submitted as part of the SpotAShark USA program through the North Carolina Aquariums, dated back to 2007.
VIDEO: Watch as great white shark stalks prey in kelp forest
A new study found that some great white sharks in South Africa may enter kelp beds to hunt for seals, a behavior that had rarely been observed. Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium have used satellite tracking tags equipped with underwater cameras to observe these large predators in their natural environment by providing a “shark’s-eye-view” of […]
Chemical fingerprints of plankton unlock shark feeding habits
Across the globe, sharks have been hit hard by fishing and habitat destruction, which has led to declines in many populations. Marine conservation efforts are increasingly focused on managing particular regions to prevent certain kinds of fishing, or to restore a certain habitat, within their boundaries – things like marine protected areas. So knowing how […]
Study: Loss of great white sharks alters entire ecosystems
A new study has documented unexpected consequences following the decline of great white sharks from an area off South Africa. The study found that the disappearance of great whites has led to the emergence of sevengill sharks, a top predator from a different habitat. A living fossil, sevengill sharks closely resemble relatives from the Jurassic […]