News

      Scientists are digging right down to the level of DNA to learn more about how to protect sharks. A new paper published by SOSF funded scientists Mahmood Shivji and Demian Chapman, led by lead author Rodrigo Domingues, shows how a better understanding of sharks’ genes can help…

The common name of the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus is a perfect reflection of its appearance and where it lives; it’s a small shark that is found along reefs and has black tips that are particularly prominent on its dorsal and lower tail fins. With an average total length…

The great hammerhead shark is the largest of the 10 species in the hammerhead family and an incredible animal. The first time I had the privilege to encounter a great hammerhead was during a local shark-tagging trip with the Guy Harvey Research Institute. As we were pulling in our line,…

By: Mahmood Shivji and Jeremy Vaudo The shortfin mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus is one of only a handful of shark species that can maintain a body temperature higher than that of the surrounding water. It is also thought to achieve the fastest swimming speed of any shark. One look at…

Shark DNA provides exciting insights into their ancient and efficient immune systems A new genomics study of shark DNA primarily funded by Save Our Seas Foundation, including from great white and great hammerhead sharks, reveals unique modifications in their immunity genes that may underlie the rapid wound healing and possibly…

It’s the last week of June and that means one thing in the shark world: Discovery Shark Week. Most shark scientists have mixed feelings about the show; it is a good thing that sharks are in the public eye, but sensationalist programmes that only show the fearsome side of sharks…

Having grown up close to the beach at São Paulo in Brazil, I have been interested in marine life since childhood. I surfed every day and each time I went out I would wonder, are there sharks around me? I felt a mixture of fascination and respect for them. In…

What is an angel shark? As the name would indicate, angel sharks really are the nicest and most heavenly sharks in the sea. Just kidding! Unfortunately, no, that’s not how they got their name. It’s more likely that their name derives from the sharks’ physical appearance rather than their genial…

Words by: Andrea Bernard Recently, I co-authored a paper entitled ‘Global mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and population structure of the silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis’, which has just been published online in the journal Marine Biology. In general terms, the paper describes a study that I, together with several Save Our Seas…

Words by: Cassandra Ruck The day was Friday 9 January. After battling traffic for an hour, finding the correct parking garage and navigating to the airport terminal, it was time to find a place to ‘chill out’. If you’ve ever driven in Miami on the infamously crowded I-95 freeway, you…

Words by: Cassandra Ruck   1) Once abundant, now scarce   It is no secret that shark populations are in decline. My study species, the oceanic whitetip, was thought to be one of the most abundant pelagic sharks at one time. Now research shows the species has declined by about…