World of Sharks

What's Happening to the World's Sharks and Rays? With Dr Rima Jabado and Alexandra Morata

We know that globally, sharks and rays are in trouble. But just how bad is it? And can we still do something about it? 

In this special bonus episode of World of Sharks, host Isla sits down with chair of the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group (IUCN SSC SSG), Rima Jabado, and program officer of the IUCN SSC SSG Alexandra Morata to discuss their latest report The Global Status of Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras. This pivotal document compiles the knowledge of over 350 experts from 115 countries and stresses the urgent need to address the major threat facing sharks and their relatives across the globe: overfishing. But, it also highlights some beacons of hope. With the right protections and management measures, populations can recover - but for that to happen, we need action now. 

You can read the full IUCN SSC SSG report here https://www.iucnssg.org/-the-global-status-of-sharks-rays-and-chimaeras.html 

You can follow the work of the IUCN SSC SSG on instagram (@iucnshark). 

For a summary and infographics of the report, you can also visit https://saveourseas.com/the-iucns-report-on-the-global-status-of-sharks-rays-and-chimaeras-a-crisis-but-there-are-solutions/ or follow @saveourseasfoundation on instagram and @SaveOurSeas on X/Twitter. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Next Frontier: How AI and Underwater Robots Can Help Us Better Understand Sharks with Martina Lonati

Sadly, us humans can't spend every hour in the ocean staring at sharks (unfair, right?!). But do you know what can? Robots. UNDERWATER robots. In today's episode, we are diving into the super cool world of ocean tech with research scientist Martina Lonati! Martina seeks to understand how new technologies, like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) can help fill in the gaps in our sharky knowledge, such as what they get up to at night, and who's hanging around in the deep...

You can follow Martina on Instagram (@martipermare) or by heading to these links: 

https://aims.jcu.edu.au/our-people/students/martina-lonati.737/

https://www.fishandfisheries.com/

https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/martina-lonati/

You can also read her latest publication, ‘Novel use of deep neural networks on photographic identification of epaulette sharks across life stages’ here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jfb.15887

 

Shownotes for this episode: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

You can also follow us on social media, we are @saveourseasfoundation on instagram and @SaveOurSeas on x/twitter!

Searching for Sawfish on the Amazonian Coast with Dr Patricia Charvet

There is a place where the largest and most powerful river in the world meets the Atlantic ocean, and one of the most threatened species of elasmobranch - the largetooth sawfish - finds one of its last refuges on earth. In this episode of World of Sharks, we are joined by shark scientist and conservationist Dr Patricia Charvet, who has dedicated her life to understanding and protecting sharks and rays in her home country of Brazil. We discuss why the Amazonian coast is such a special place, the astounding diversity of sharks and rays that live there, and why Patricia's passion for the weird, wonderful but Critically Endangered sawfish. We also discuss Patricia's current SOSF-funded project (co-led with Dr Vicente Faria), which seeks to confirm the region as one of the last strongholds for this species, and works across fisheries, government and law enforcement agencies to raise awareness and encourage support for sawfish, and tackle the illegal trade of sawfish products. 

You can follow Patricia on Instagram (@patricia.charvet, @amazoniancoastsawfish) and X/Twitter (@PatriciaCharve2, @amcoastsawfish). 

You can also find out more about her project here: https://saveourseas.com/project/conserving-largetooth-sawfish-on-the-amazonian-coast/

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

 

Lemon Sharks: Baby Sharks That Live in Trees with Jillian Morris-Brake

When life gives you lemon sharks...make a podcast about them! This week we are answering a request by listener Charlie to devote an episode entirely to warm-water loving Negaprion brevirostris, the lemon shark. And to help us learn everything there is to know about them is marine biologist, educator, author and founder/president of Sharks4Kids, Jillian Morris-Brake, who has a lot of experience with this species and even describes them as her favourite shark!

Expect a journey into the mangrove forest to meet the baby sharks that live among its tangled roots, with detours into shark yoga, social behaviour, and fish bellybuttons...

You can follow Jillian on social media (@biminisharkgirl) and Sharks4Kids (@sharkeducation). You can also find out more about the non-profit and how to get involved here https://www.sharks4kids.com/ and find out more about Project Lemon Aid here https://www.sharks4kids.com/lemon-shark-research

Find the shownotes for this episode here: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Come say hi to us! You can find us on socials: @saveourseasfoundation (instagram) and @SaveOurSeas (x/twitter)

How to Build a Career in Shark Science (Part 2!) Featuring the Guests of Seasons 5 and 6

Thinking of a career in shark science and conservation? Struggling to find your niche? Found your niche, but trying to advance in your field? Or wondering what on earth to write in that email to the person you admire? 

We're back with another special episode dedicated to careers with sharks and the ocean. For the last year, we've asked each podcast guest to share their advice and own experiences to help you on your journey. From tips and tricks for writing grants and developing your research interests, to starting your first book, working with collaborators, getting into science communication, and even what to do when you feel stuck in a career rut - there's something for everyone. 

You can find the shownotes for this episode, along with additional resources and links, here: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast. 

You can also follow us for updates on our grants and fellowships. We are @saveourseasfoundation on instagram, and @SaveOurSeas on X/Twitter. 

Capacity Building for Shark Conservation with Dr Andrew Chin

“Conservation is not drones and DNA samples or pamphlets or computers. It is people, and we should be investing in those people.” In this episode of World of Sharks, we sit down with fisheries scientist, director of the Fish and Fisheries Lab at James Cook University and Save Our Seas Foundation Scientific Advisor Dr Andrew Chin to discuss the challenges and realities of shark conservation and management, and how we can support the people working on the ground to make the ocean a better place. 

Key time stamps:

5.47: Andrew's early career and swimming with reef sharks

15.43: Sharks of the South Pacific

23.21: Citizen Science

28.27: The importance of feedback and long-term relationships with stakeholders

33.18: Shark Search Indo Pacific

38.31: Conservation in practice and capacity building

46.00: Support for people in the field

Links

Andrew: @spinnershark7

Fish and Fisheries Lab: (https://www.fishandfisheries.com)

Shark Search Indo-Pacific: (https://www.sharksearch-indopacific.org/).

SOSF Conservation Fellowships: https://saveourseas.com/grants/funding-applications/conservation-fellowship

Dan Pallotta's TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong?subtitle=en

You can also find an accessible summary of this episode and more information here: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

 

 

Megalodon: Inside the Life of a Superpredator with Jack Cooper

It’s the one you’ve all been waiting for…we’re going back in time to meet the largest shark to have ever existed: Otodus megalodon. Growing up to twenty metres long, with teeth as large as a human hand and jaws that could fit you and a friend (with some room to spare), this apex superpredator continues to capture our attention, despite having been extinct for at least 2.6 million years. But what is the truth behind this gigantic fish? Were they just a beefed-up white shark, or did they look completely different? How did they sustain themselves? Why did this apex superpredator cease to exist, and what did that mean for the prehistoric marine ecosystem? We talk about all of this and so much more with Dr Jack Cooper, paleobiologist and expert in prehistoric sharks!

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Follow Jack on X/Twitter (@cooperpaleo) and check out his most recent publications here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=C2zxEm4AAAAJ&hl=en. You can also find out more about the Pimiento Research Group here: https://www.catalinapimiento.com/

You can find out more about the Save Our Seas Foundation on Instagram (@saveourseasfoundation) and X/Twitter (@SaveOurSeas). 

 

The Importance of Linguistic Diversity in Shark Science with Jaime Penadés and Hettie Brown

Sharks and rays are found all over the world; from the freezing waters of the Arctic to the tropical Indo-Pacific, and just about everywhere else in between. This means that shark conservation is a global effort, spanning multiple countries, cultures, customs and languages. But did you know that 98% of scientific research is published exclusively in English? In this episode of the World of Sharks podcast, we discuss how linguistic bias can limit shark conservation and the value of publishing and communicating shark science in multiple languages. We are joined by Jaime Penadés-Suay, founder and president of Associacó LAMNA, and Hettie Brown, conservation officer for The Shark Trust. Jaime and Hettie recently collaborated to organise the first 'Wikimaratón de Tiburones y Rayas' (Sharks and Rays Wikimarathon), an event that motivated people from around the world to expand and improve information about elasmobranchs on the digital encyclopedia, publishing over 100 articles in Spanish!

You can read more about Wikimaratón de Tiburones y Rayas here: https://wikimedia.es/mas-de-100-articulos-sobre-tiburones-y-rayas-enriquecen-la-wikipedia-en-espanol/ and here: https://www.sharktrust.org/tiburones-y-rayas

You can also follow the project on Instagram: @rayas_y_tiburones

You can also follow Jaime (@jaimepenades) and LAMNA (@lamnaassociacio) on instagram. You can find Hettie on X/twitter (@hettiemermaid) and The Shark Trust on both instagram (@thesharktrust) and X/twitter (@sharktrustuk)

You can find out more about the Save Our Seas Foundation by heading to www.saveourseas.com or by following us on instagram (@saveourseasfoundation) and X/twitter (@SaveOurSeas).

Regional Endothermy: The Secret Superpower of the Mackerel Sharks with Dr Haley Dolton

Did you know that some sharks can keep parts of their body warm to allow them to move faster, swim for longer, see more clearly and think better?? Or, that basking sharks have a gigantic heart?! This week we are diving into the fascinating world of shark physiology and anatomy to learn about a special trait only found in a handful of species: regional endothermy. To take us on this journey of discovery we are joined by Dr Haley Dolton, marine biologist specialising in the physiology and ecology of large, regionally endothermic fishes!

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast 

You can follow Haley on X/Twitter (@haleydolton) or head to her website, www.haleydolton.com

You can find out more about us by heading to www.saveourseas.com, or following us on social media. We are @saveourseasfoundation on Instagram and TikTok, and @SaveOurSeas on X/Twitter. 

 

Failure to Launch: Understanding Reproductive Failure in Turtles and Tortoises with Alessia Lavigne

This week on the podcast we are taking a brief detour from sharks to explore the fascinating world of turtles and tortoises! We are diving into the research of SOSF project leader and turtle specialist Alessia Lavigne, who has been trying to understand why turtle and tortoise eggs sometimes fail to hatch. Turtles and tortoises (known collectively as the testudines) are, like sharks, one of the most threatened groups of animals on the planet. Understanding when and why reproduction fails is crucial to ensuring their protection - and Alessia has made huge strides in this area. In this episode we dive deep into her research and learn everything there is to know about these amazing creatures. Plus, we meet some iconic species, including the Aldabra giant tortoise. 

Alessia is on instagram and TikTok as @turtle_eggsplorer. 

Timestamps: 

0-7.00: Intro

7.07-17.11: How did Alessia get into the world of turtle research?

17.28 - 26.20: Turtle biology

26.40 - 32.51: Climate change and other threats

32.00 - 47.00: Alessia's research and reproductive failure

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

You can find out more about the Save Our Seas Foundation on Instagram and TikTok (@savourseasfoundation) and twitter (@SaveOurSeas).