An international team of researchers studying globally declining shark populations report that they used carbon isotopes as biochemical markers in shark muscle tissue to identify where in the oceans the mobile predators have been feeding, in the hope that such analyses provide a useful tool for conservation.* Michelle Staudinger, an adjunct faculty researcher at the…
Trade shows and boat shows are always good venues to see what is new and exciting in the world of water sports and boating. Surf Expo, the watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow held in Orlando, is no exception. Manufacturers from stand up paddle boarding, surfing, paddle sports, freediving, kiteboarding, wake sports and others all converge…
White sharks are not considered a public safety concern in South Florida waters so the app is useful to boaters to participate in our citizen science program… Track White Shark Sightings with New App A new app launched July 1 by The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC), based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, makes it easy…
Together, the two new sanctuaries cover a total of 46,190 square miles (119,631 square kilometers), raising the total number of Caribbean sanctuaries to seven. Pew Charitable Trusts applaud New Caribbean Shark Sanctuaries St. Maarten, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, and Grenada boost regional protections for sharks. Sharks are safer across the Caribbean Sea, with the announcement of…
The slit mouth yawns open. Upper and lower jaws unhinge and the gums peel back over the jaw bone. Rows of pearl-white triangular teeth appear in jagged semi-circular rows. The muscular body flexes, accelerating the shark faster than you thought possible for an animal the size of a Mazda Miata. The tip of the dorsal…
Last month’s article on bottled juvenile sharks for sale as souvenirs touched on the disclaimer put forth by those selling them that they are merely bycatch from legitimate fishing operations. Fact aside that the shark pups cannot be bycatch of commercial deep water fisheries because they are found in shallow waters along coasts and estuaries;…
While identifying the species of juvenile shark featured in last month’s article – Bottle Sharks for Sale it was evident that the preservation bottle could easily be assembled in a garage or on a kitchen table. With that in mind I began to wonder what other marine life may have met its demise and is…
While wandering through a dockside shopping area I happened upon a shocking sight in a souvenir shop – bottled sharks for sale. Eleven Spiny Dogfish pups were encased in jars for sale to tourists.Since this shop has branches in other areas I visited each one to find a total of 30 additional jars of bottled sharks for sale. Questioning a…