A whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is eating plankton on the surface. Rhincodon typus is a filter … [+] feeder. It swim slowly at the surface filtering plankton through their enormous gill slits. Getty Images Recent studies have illuminated predictable relationships between these majestic creatures and their surroundings, hinting at their heightened sensitivity to environmental changes. …
Epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, in mangrove area, Queensland, Australia (Photo by: … [+] Auscape/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images Elasmobranchs (which includes sharks, skates, and rays) have thrived for over 450 million years and survived Earth’s most dramatic climate shifts, including the five mass extinction events. Yet, in today’s …
Reconstruction of Megalodon, (O. megalodon) extinct species of shark which lived between the Eocene … [+] and the Pliocene Period. Drawing. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) De Agostini via Getty Images Fish, as a diverse group, have evolved various strategies to thrive in their underwater realms. One of the most intriguing and remarkable adaptations seen in …
Once abundant in the clear waters around Indonesia’s Raja Ampat islands, zebra sharks (Stegostoma tigrinum) were admired for their striking beauty. However, unregulated fishing in the 1990s and early 2000s, mainly for their fins and meat, led to a drastic decline in their numbers. “[Today] it is very rare to see them … The population …
A shark having babies? Not always newsworthy. But a shark having babies after the mother shark in question had not been in the company of a male shark since her arrival at the facility back in 2019? More newsworthy. This epaulette shark pup hatched Aug. 23, 2023, at Brookfield Zoo, born from what staff believe …
In response to growing concerns about public safety following two fatal shark attacks in the past three years, the Western Australian government is set to enforce a comprehensive ban on the use of shark fishing gear at all Perth beaches, effective from November 3. This includes a ban on the use of wire trace within …
Sharks have been navigating our oceans for million years (they appear before trees, to put it into perspective). And during this timespan, Earth and its inhabitants have experienced monumental transformations, but sharks have remained remarkably consistent in both their biology and body shape. This unchanging nature has long puzzled scientists, but a groundbreaking international research …
In the crystal-clear waters off Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef, a group of snorkelers huddle together in eager anticipation. Sunlight dances on the surface, casting mesmerizing patterns on the sandy seabed below. The ocean, stretching out in every direction, seemed infinite in its shades of blue. As they bob gently on the surface, snorkels in mouths …
Despite their ecological importance, sharks face one of the highest extinction risks among vertebrates, with more than a third of shark and ray species currently at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Overfishing is a primary driver of this decline, exacerbated by the life history traits of sharks, including …
In 2014, a remarkable encounter with a whale shark sparked a journey of discovery off the coast of Madagascar’s Nosy Be. Little did marine enthusiast and researcher, Stella Diamant, know that this encounter would lead to a groundbreaking initiative in citizen science. Fast forward to today, and the results are nothing short of extraordinary: the …