Ocean News

How popular press adds to public misunderstanding of environmental issues surrounding sharks.   Sharks face several threats every day, but one that doesn’t make the headlines are the headlines themselves. How sharks are portrayed in mainstream media is often misleading, inaccurate and commonly directed towards a single risk factor. This…

How fish ear bones and nuclear testing help manage shark fisheries Age is an important factor for fishes in the ocean as it directly links to the animal’s physiology, life history, ability to reproduce and ultimately population resilience.…

From coastal cities to landlocked towns the ocean plays a crucial role in our environment. The biodiversity of the ocean breathes fresh air into our atmosphere and brings rainfall and food to us all around the world. Our existence and the existence of all the world’s creatures hangs in the…

People’s eyes are often drawn to the big and eye-catching. From scaling the largest mountains to building the largest skyscrapers. So much so with wildlife, where people often go on safari to see the giant elephant, a pride…

Will a COVID-19 vaccine increase shark fishing pressure? Are shark bites more common as they have less food? How are sharks different from other fish, and why do shark eggs have strange curly bits on them? Find out…

Sorry no sawfish, yet, but will a crocodile do? For those of you who have not followed the story so far, here is a quick recap. In 1974/5 I went to Senegal and The Gambia as part of…

Manta Project Fiji The Fiji Islands have long been considered one of the best dive destinations in the world, boasting the title of the ‘Soft Coral Capital of The World’ and with the world-famous Beqa Shark Dive, it…

One of the main challenges during this project is the lack of previous data regarding shark and ray biology and fisheries, as well as other marine species in general. With no comparison point, it is extremely important to…

In July 1974, while in West Africa, I had the chance to join a short expedition up the River Gambia with a Dutch FAO scientist, Wim Scheffers. He was sampling for plankton; I was searching for sawfish. Each…

Spending two months living in confined quarters with twenty-something people is enough to drive anyone mad. On the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, it’s conducive to creating long-lasting connections and friendships based on mutual passion. So, when…

Sharks have gotten a lot of conservation attention in recent years, in part because of well-documented population declines, particularly of certain species in specific places. These declines have primarily been driven by commercial fishing, both target (fishermen going…

October 17th marks an important day on our calendars where we highlight one of our oceans most marvellous creatures – International Sawfish Day. First launched four years ago, this day is dedicated to increasing knowledge and awareness of one of the most endangered groups of elasmobranchs. As long-time supporters of…