New method for shark research: ‘No need to chase sharks anymore’
MANCHESTER (UK)- Forget about baiting, hooking and filming sharks for research. New methods are at rise. What about monitoring sharks through samples of seawater? Now a UK study, published in Scientific Reports, has shown it is possible to monitor these animals via environmental DNA (eDNA), whereby a sample of seawater can provide theContinue Reading
Tiger shark kills scuba diver
COCOS ISLAND (Costa Rica)- The pristine waters of Cocos Island, 340 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, saw their first ever shark attack when a 49-year old diver from the US was killed by a tiger shark this week. The woman, identified as a director at a New YorkContinue Reading
Stronger restrictions on overfishing mako sharks defeated at ICCAT
MARRAKECH (Morocco)- Bad news for the shortfin mako shark. Fishing nations gathered for the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) have failed to adopt recommended limits to protect shortfin mako sharks from overfishing or strengthen the regional ban on shark finning. The onlyContinue Reading
Remote coral reefs need protection for sharks
Shark diversity and abundance is highest in remote reefs, as far as 25 hours away from main cities. That’s the conclusion of an international study conducted in the New Caledonia archipelago. The authors urge to protect remote coral reefs, as only 1.5% on the entire planet – including a third ofContinue Reading
Will global warming increase shark attacks?
BRISBANE (Australia)- There were more shark attacks around Australia in the years of El Niño. Global warming will also see an increase in shark attacks, so says marine biologist Dr Blake Chapman in Australian news. “We know this affects shark interaction as shark attacks increased in 2009 and 2015 andContinue Reading
Rare frilled shark caught in Portugal
ALBUFEIRA (PORTUGAL)- ‘Living fossils’, ‘sea serpents’. Frilled Sharks are the stuff of legends. Not often do we come across them. One species was caught this week by a research trawler off the coast of the Algarve, southern Portugal, the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) said in aContinue Reading
‘UN Wildlife treaty for sharks is a good first step’
MANILA (PHILIPPINES)- A coalition of leading shark conservation organizations welcomed the decision by Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) to list more sharks and rays on their Appendices, but took the opportunity to stress that follow-up actions to reduce fishing are stillContinue Reading