Researching and Protecting Sharks

Understanding the population structure of a species and the barriers that disrupt dispersal is important to accurately assess the global conservation status and manage the risk of local extinction.

Reproductive isolation was found between and across ocean basins (eastern Pacific, western Atlantic, eastern Atlantic, Indo-West Pacific) with distinct island populations in Japan and Fiji.

Genetically isolated and small island populations, such as Japan and Fiji, currently face a number of threats, such as targets or bycatch in fisheries and require close monitoring as even low levels of catch may cause a population reduction.

Full story here.

eOceans‘ post here!

Not a lone shark: bull sharks may form ‘friendships’ with each other: Companion and casual acquaintances: the nature of associations among bull sharks at a shark feeding site in Fiji. Frontiers in Marine Science 8: 678074.

Read Mike’s blog post here.

Read Tom’s article in The Guardian here.

Read Caroline’s article in Newsweek here.

Listen to NPR here.

Further research and resulting scientific literature should be clear and specific with the terms they use to describe activities facilitating wildlife tourism interactions, following the framework developed in our paper just published.

Insights Into Insular Isolation of the Bull Shark in Fijian Waters

Today we published the first population genetic structure study conducted in bull sharks using SNP markers. The major finding is that the insular bull shark population from Fiji is genetically distinct from its continental counterparts. The genetic differentiation of the Fiji bull sharks makes this population of special interest due to its genetic and geographic isolation.

And here’s Mike’s blog post.

“There are so many fascinating things and behaviors to detect and observe in the marine realm. Once you start looking and paying attention to the little, or not so little, things, a rich world full of fascinating stuff opens up”: videos here, press release here.

Rohner, C.A., […],  Brunnschweiler, J.M., […], Pierce, S.J. (2020) No place like home? High residency and predictable seasonal movement of whale sharks off Tanzania. Frontiers in Marine Science 7: 423

Tourism-driven ocean science for sustainable use: A case study of sharks in Fiji.

And here’s Mike’s blog post.

Enjoy!

And another one from Fiji’s Shark Reef Marine Reserve: Two years of impairment: plastic packing strap on a bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) in Fiji.

And here’s Mike’s blog post.

Enjoy!

Essential waters: Young bull sharks in Fiji’s largest riverine system

• @Ecol_Evol blog by Kerstin Glaus
• Mike’s blog post

Enjoy!