#SharkbitesSaturday
Maui: The Tiger Shark’s Paradise
Article Habitat geography around Hawaii’s oceanic islands influences tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) spatial behavior and shark bite risk at ocean recreation sites. (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23006-0. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23006-0 Background The U.S. state of Hawaii is an archipelago of eight major islands, of which Maui is one of the major islands, also considered the second most populated. The island […]
How much fish does it take to keep a salmon shark warm?
With a body reminiscent of its larger cousin the great white, the salmon shark chases its namesake in the cold waters of the northern Pacific – but how does it keep warm in these frigid temperatures? This week we’ll look at how much fish it takes to keep a salmon shark going. Tyler PlumI’m a […]
Rock your Antibodies: Understanding an Ancient Immune System Protein in Brownbanded Bamboo Sharks
Sharks evolved into the top predators we know and love today millions of years ago. Because of their success at the top of the food chain, sharks have remained, in an evolutionary sense, relatively constant, meaning they haven’t evolved or changed much. This consistency provides shark scientists a window into the past, as some characteristics […]
Release the Robots! How researchers are studying stressed sharks
Have you ever wondered what happens to a fish after you catch and release it? Does its behavior change? Does it survive after it’s been taken out of the water? Researchers are now using remote controlled robots to answer these very questions! Grace CasselberryI am currently a Marine Science and Technology Doctoral student at the […]
How Jaws Could Cure Cancer: The White Shark Genome and Its Influence on Human Health
When you hear the words “great white shark” what thoughts come to mind? Awe, reverence, maybe even fear? I’m sure you don’t think of how great white sharks can impact the future of human medicine. However, a new study by the Save Our Seas Shark Research Center recently found links between great white sharks and […]
How do skates of the deep survive the crushing pressure?
On this Sharkbites Saturday we look at a fish that isn’t a shark at all! Here we explain how skates, the cousins of sharks and rays, use an interesting physiological mechanism to survive the pressure of the deep ocean. Carolyn WheelerI am currently a PhD student studying marine science at the University of Massachusetts Boston, […]
You Light Up My World: Using Genetics to Understand How Velvet Belly Lanternsharks Produce Light
The velvet belly lanternshark, a deep sea shark species, can create its own light to attract prey and evade predators. How is it able to do this? A recent study uses cutting edge genetics technology to find out the genes involved in this process. Sydney HarnedI received my BS in marine biology from the University […]
Greenland sharks: Caught on tape for conservation
In 2016 researchers discovered that Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) are the oldest living vertebrates on the planet. What does that mean for the conservation and management of these large, cold-water predators? This week we’ll find out. Grace CasselberryI am currently a Marine Science and Technology Doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I use […]
Tracking the Bay’s Rays: Cownose ray migration along the Atlantic coast
If you’ve ever tickled the back of a stingray in an aquarium’s touch tank, you’ve likely introduced yourself to a cownose ray. Despite their popularity in aquaria throughout the U.S., little is known about the movements of these fish in the wild. Grace CasselberryI am currently a Marine Science and Technology Doctoral student at the […]
In the hot seat: Hot spots for pelagic shark movement reflect hot spots for commercial longline fisheries in the North Atlantic.
Check out the latest from Matt Larsen about shark habitat around the globe, and how these areas overlap with fishing hotspots! Matthew LarsenI am a second year master’s student at Coastal Carolina University in the Abel Lab. My interests focus on the ecology and life history of large marine megafauna with a central focus on […]
Shark Intelligence: Who needs a degree when you’re schoolin’ life?
People often associate intelligence with mammals because humans are mammals and we like to think of ourselves as being pretty smart. The movie Deep Blue Sea toys with the concept of genetically modified hyper-intelligent sharks running loose in a research facility. While this Sci-Fi thriller is a sensational over-exaggeration, it does pose an interesting question: […]
Saving Sawfish: Adventures in the Everglades
A few months ago, I wrote about sawfish research in Papua New Guinea, but if you live in the U.S. you can find sawfish much closer to home. The smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) once roamed throughout the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast, but now calls South Florida, particularly Everglades National Park, home. […]
The shark and the side salad
Everyone knows all sharks are carnivores. Or are they? Grace CasselberryI am currently a Marine Science and Technology Doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I use acoustic and satellite telemetry to study the spatial ecology of lemon, nurse, Caribbean reef, and tiger sharks in St. Croix to better understand habitat selection, residency, and […]
Intent to Bite: changing attitudes towards sharks
Fear of sharks has been a long standing yet irrational notion facing beachgoers for decades. Herein we discuss how we may be able to curb this fear to change public opinion and promote conservation efforts of many species. Carolyn WheelerI am currently a PhD student studying marine science at the University of Massachusetts Boston, with […]
A new take on disco fever: using “the disco effect” to save sharks
Happy Shark Week! In this article we discuss the potential use of disco-like stimuli to deter various species sharks from being accidentally caught in fisheries. Carolyn WheelerI am currently a PhD student studying marine science at the University of Massachusetts Boston, with my research based at the New England Aquarium. My research interests center around […]
Stuck in the middle with you: The trophic ecology of Caribbean reef sharks and large teleost coral reef predators
We often think of sharks as the top of the ocean food web, chowing down on seals and big fish to their heart’s content. That is often not the case! Where does the Caribbean reef shark fall in this hierarchy? Let’s find out. Grace CasselberryI am currently a Marine Science and Technology Doctoral student at […]
Saving Sawfish: Using local knowledge to study critically endangered species in remote areas
What if I told you sharks have cousins that are so morphologically distinct, they swim around sporting a toothy, chainsaw-like projection between their eyes, called a rostrum? Now what if I told you that largely because of that unique rostrum, these are some of the most endangered shark relatives in the world? Don’t lose hope! […]
Homebodies on the move: Documenting partial seasonal migration in mature nurse sharks
If I asked you to name a migrating shark, you might list pelagic ocean rovers like the white (Carcharodon carcharias), shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), or maybe even the filter feeding whale (Rhincodon typus) shark. I would be willing to bet that no one would say “the nurse shark of course!” With their new paper, long-time […]
Citizen Science and Undersea Stars: The Value of Photographs to Global Megafauna Biology
Check out this article about how tourist pictures of whale sharks are helping scientists learn about whale shark populations around the globe! Matthew LarsenI am a second year master’s student at Coastal Carolina University in the Abel Lab. My interests focus on the ecology and life history of large marine megafauna with a central focus […]
Megalodon: a puzzle piece to understanding ecological concerns around apex predator extinction
A Prehistoric Nightmare? The Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon), or “big tooth” is arguably one of the scariest creatures that has ever roamed the ocean. You may have heard about the Megalodon as a prehistoric gigantic shark that dominated the ocean millions of years ago, or even that scientists are still looking for them today, just like […]
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