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A 7-year study analysing tracking data from female Tope sharks (aka Soupfin Sharks) found off California has revealed they have a triennial migratory cycle. Returning to the same location off La Jolla, California every 3 years.

This pattern of returning to the same location, known as philopatry, is often linked to the reproductive cycle of a species. Scientists confirmed these female Tope sharks were pregnant. And likely using the warmer water in the area to help incubate their developing young.

These new findings have implications on future management strategies for this Critically Endangered species.

Scientists studying deepwater sharks off the east coast of New Zealand have documented bioluminescence in 3 more species. Including what is now the largest known luminous vertebrate, the Kitefin Shark, which grows to nearly 6ft.

These sharks produce light from special organs located on their underbellies. Helping to camouflage them from predators looking up from below. These new findings highlight the need for further research into deepwater species and the role luminescence plays on structuring this ecosystem.

Scientists studying ecosystem recovery in Shark Bay, Australia have further highlighted the crucial role sharks play in maintaining resilient marine environments. After extreme climatic events, the presence of sharks was shown to be essential to supporting the recovery of marine ecosystems. Through regulating prey behaviour and helping to maintain a balanced and stable food-web.

Turns out Blacktip Sharks are more flexible than initially thought. Researchers studying the annual Blacktip Shark migration off Florida have discovered they can move the front part of their bodies on a different wavelength to the back part of their bodies. This change in motion likely helps support efficient hunting and manoeuvring. Allowing the front to focus on sensory information. While the back focuses on swimming.

Latest Whale Shark research reveals their ability to heal rapidly following significant injury. Some individuals can even partially re-grow lost tissue after possible boat strikes. These new findings support existing evidence of highly developed trauma recovery mechanisms in elasmobranchs. Click here to read the full paper: https://academic.oup.com/conphys/article/9/1/coaa120/6102284#228070271

A multinational partnership made up of research institutions, aquariums, government bodies and conservation groups are rallying around to save the Endangered Zebra Shark. Whilst population declines have been seen in the wild, Zebra Sharks fare well in aquariums. The Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery (StAR) project aims to use eggs produced by Zebra Sharks in aquariums to repopulate the species in the wild in areas where numbers have dwindled.

Depleting fish stocks, due to industrial fisheries, has led artisanal fishermen and coastal communities in the Congo to increasingly depend on shark meat as a source of protein. But they’re encountering fewer sharks than ever before. An increasing number of challenges including unregulated fishing and climate change, continue to pose threats to fish populations and livelihoods.

Once known as the shark diving destination of the world, Cape Town continues to wonder...where have all the White Sharks have gone? Possible causes for their disappearance have been linked to overfishing resulting in the depletion of food sources. As well as changes to the environment, and the arrival of orcas in the area who prey on White Sharks. Yet, there's other questions that also concern scientists. Is their disappearance temporary or long term? And what implications will this have on local tourism and the marine ecosystem?

One of the worlds most threatened families of marine fishes is in a precarious position. Latest research estimates that sawfish are now locally extinct in 55 of the 90 countries they were once found. Due to overfishing and habitat loss. Fisheries management and habitat protection measures are urgently needed to prevent further loss and secure the future of this iconic family of shark-like rays. Find out how you can get involved in sawfish conservation at: sharktrust.org/sawfish

Marine biologists are using technology adapted from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope program to support Whale Shark Conservation. The pattern on a Whale Shark’s skin is made up of numerous spots and stripes, like a starry night sky. Using an algorithm initially designed to map stars, researchers can scan these patterns that are unique to each shark and identify if an individual has been sighted before.