sharks

The epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) is a small species of reef shark with a set of unique abilities. It can use its fins to walk both in and out of the water, and it can go without oxygen for up to two hours.  These traits have helped the species succeed in rapidly-changing coral reef environments, […]

While shark attacks are rare, humans can better protect themselves by steering clear of these creatures and their habitat. That doesn’t mean that people can’t still enjoy the ocean, and a new app is set to help people do just that without disrupting nearby sharks. Sharktivity, an app by the New England Aquarium and the […]

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean, but even they can’t go up against a large shipping vessel and emerge unscathed.  A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Monday found that international shipping may be a “cryptic” cause of death for this endangered species.  “The maritime shipping […]

Documents collected via the Official Information Act in New Zealand show that commercial fishers in the area have been killing or injuring sharks to retrieve their fishing gear, including hooks that cost as little as $1. The documents come from government observers who worked to oversee commercial longline fleets in the country from 2016 to […]

Ambiguous pet food labels like “fish,” “ocean fish,” or “white bait” may be hiding a secret ingredient: endangered shark meat.  A new study published in Frontiers in Marine Science Friday found that 31 percent of samples of pet food tested by the researchers contained shark DNA.  “The majority of pet owners are likely lovers of […]

Scientists have discovered a very rare baby ghost shark in deep waters off the coast of New Zealand.. Ghost sharks are a poorly understood relative of sharks and rays also known as chimeras, but the new find may help change that.

A volcanic mountain landscape with lava plateaus and white coral sand beaches rimmed with blue-green sea, the Galápagos archipelago is inhabited by more than 180 species found nowhere else on Earth. The first recorded visitor to the group of islands was Tomás de Berlanga, fourth Bishop of Panama, who happened upon it on his way […]

It’s no secret that fishing gear often results in the entanglement of untargeted marine species, including those that are endangered, threatened and protected like seabirds, sea turtles, sharks and marine mammals. Gillnets are one of the most widely used types of fishing gear in the world and are often the culprit in this unwanted bycatch. […]