Dr. Shivji, along with Dr. Michael Stanhope from Cornell University, and numerous other collaborators have been able to peek back in shark-history thanks to genome sequencing, a scientific method that is used to determine the entire genetic makeup of a specific organism or cell type.
Volunteers are being recruited to identify sharks, skates and rays captured on underwater cameras around the Welsh coast. Data from more than 90 hours of footage needs to be logged to help build a picture of the diversity of species.
The world’s largest fish had never been reported as visiting the Mediterranean Sea until yesterday (8 December) – when a whale shark caught in a tuna trap in the Strait of Gibraltar was released by scuba divers.
Until recently, scientists knew of eight species of sawshark, including one that has six gill slits in the side of its body. “This is unusual among sharks,” says Weigmann – as most sharks have five gill slits. With the help of fishers in Madagascar and Tanzania, two more species of sixgill sawsharks have come to light.
Sharks have roamed the world’s oceans for millions of years. Most of it has been swimming up and down our water column, yet a select few have decided to learn to ‘walk.’
Songbirds and sharks have received what conservationists say are vital new trade protections.
Several shark species and two songbirds were added to a list of species whose trade is restricted to prevent them being "traded to extinction".
All four proposals to list ~100 additional sharks & rays on Appendix II of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have received the final approval for adoption at the closing session at the CITES Conference of Parties in Panama!
Ocean lovers of all ages are being invited to dive into marine conservation and watch life under the
waves in Wales – to help marine scientists understand the aquatic species that call the country’s
coastline home.
The call to action is the latest from Project SIARC (Sharks Inspiring Action and Research with
Communities) a collaboration led by ZSL (Zoological Society of London) and Natural Resources Wales
(NRW) designed to further understand the rare sharks, skates and rays living in the area, with the
help of fishers, communities and researchers across Wales - and now citizen scientists across the
UK.
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