Sharkophile

The latest shark news, photos and videos

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Dr. Jaws: A love letter to Carcharhinus Leucas

This guest column is brought to you by award-winning author Zachary Webb Nicholls, also known as “Dr. Jaws.” Read more from him at www.drjaws.net or pick up his latest book, The Bull Shark Compendium, here. People who dearly love sharks (Sharkophiles, if you will) may find themselves frustrated by the lack of deep coverage on sharks in popular culture; […]

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New 3D printing technology could aid shark bite survivors

University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers—including Ali Tamayol and Prahalada Rao—are working on a technology that could enable 3D printing of tissue that could aid the recovery of shark bite survivors. “Today, if you lose a leg, shatter a knee or break a bone, we can print custom replacement implants,” said Rao, assistant professor of mechanical and […]

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The Meg! When the (giant prehistoric) shark bites, the science bites back

Warner Bros. Pictures By Michael Milford, Queensland University of Technology and Peter Stratton, The University of Queensland The Meg is the blockbuster shark monster movie we didn’t realise we needed in our lives. With a cast led by Jason Statham, this is a big-budget version of several megalodon movies that have popped out over the […]

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Study shows how evolution may shape sharks’ senses

A recent study explored how shark’s electrosensing organ reacts when it detects tiny electrical fields emanating from nearby prey. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the journal “Nature,” was conducted by David Julius, Ph.D., professor and chair of physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, and post-docs Nicholas W. Bellono, […]

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Whale shark study reveals new insights on lifespan

A long-term study has revealed that whale sharks, the largest fish on the planet can live upwards of 130 years. Researchers from Nova Southeastern University’s Guy Harvey Research Institute and the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme published their findings on whale shark aging growth dynamics in the latest Marine and Freshwater Research Journal. The ten year study was […]

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Insights from nine years of tracking South Africa’s white sharks

A white shark attacks a seal. (Photo by Dave van Beuningen) This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. By Alison Kock, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity How big is South Africa’s white shark population? Nobody really knows: estimates range from 500 to more than 1200. This is an important question […]

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Philippines play vital role for whale sharks

A comprehensive tracking study of juvenile whale sharks show the importance of the Philippine archipelago in their migration patterns through Indo-Pacific waters. Researchers from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines, Marine Megafauna Foundation and Tubbataha Management Office attached Wildlife Computers SPOT5 satellite tags to juvenile whale sharks to follow the movements in near real-time to […]

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Sharks can have bellybuttons – and other facts about their incredible diversity

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. By Georgia French, University of Sussex The first thing that pops into most people’s minds when they think of sharks is of big dumb fish with pointy teeth that are to be greatly feared. But as someone who spends their days studying these […]

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Warming oceans could bring more sharks to UK waters

A new report from England’s University of Southampton found that warming ocean temperatures could lead to more species of sharks being able to survive where they were unable to before. National Oceanography Centre Southampton senior research fellow Dr. Ken Collins stated that 10 species of sharks currently found in warmer parts of the world may be […]

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New study points to great white shark nursery off Long Island

A new joint study conducted by Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries and OCEARCH found a potential great white shark nursery in the New York Bight off the Atlantic coast from Cape May Inlet in New Jersey to Montauk Point on the eastern tip of Long Island, New York. […]