So I asked leading shark ethologist and behaviourist, Professor Samuel 'doc' Gruber to elaborate. After pointing out how much pain women feel when they give birth, making the point that suffering has no effect on reproduction, he reminded me that sharks evolved their mating behaviours and the physical structures involved, separately from other animals.
A groundbreaking study led by Dr. Michael Byrne from the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources is pulling back the curtain on why mako sharks, the racecars of the ocean, aren’t venturing where they used to, and it’s all about one critical factor: oxygen.
The moment, captured on video by researchers from the Auckland University of Technology, has quickly attracted international attention.
While octopuses are known for their intelligence and problem-solving abilities, such behaviour is highly unusual. Researchers suggest the octopus may have been using the shark as cover, attempting to avoid predators or navigate more efficiently through the water. It is also possible the octopus was defending itself after an attempted predation by the shark.
According to Kirah Forman-Castillo, the national coordinator of MarAlliance’s Belize programme, fishers have reported seeing more sharks than ever in the waters of Belize, including in areas where they were previously rare.
Megalodon, the largest great predatory shark to have ever lived, dominated the oceans millions of years ago during the Neogene period. Despite its fame, much about its appearance and biology remains a mystery since its skeletons, made mostly of cartilage, are rarely fossilised. However, this new research offers valuable clues.
Sharks have long been the subject of fascination for scientists and enthusiasts alike and observations in the wild have revealed that their behaviour is far more complex than was previously assumed. But though the fossil record has provided a wealth of information about their prehistoric existence, it has rarely shown anything about their behaviour.
Marine biologists are investigating unexplained deaths among great white sharks along the Atlantic coastline of the United States and Canada. Since 2022, at least nine carcasses have washed ashore, with necropsies revealing a common factor: meningoencephalitis, an inflammation of the brain and its surrounding tissues.
In response to scientific and community concerns, the NSW Government has listed the great hammerhead as vulnerable and the scalloped hammerhead as endangered under the Fisheries Management Act 1994.
"Formally recognizing that these two shark species are threatened is a significant step forward to protect some of our most vulnerable marine wildlife. We congratulate the NSW Government for taking a proactive approach to conserving these magnificent sharks, which are swimming against the tide of extinction," said Tooni Mahto, AMCS Marine Campaigns Officer.
The new study reports that the mako shark travelled an estimated 408km over a period of 54 days, showcasing the vast distances these creatures can cover even at a young age. This discovery underscores the need to rethink traditional ideas about mako nurseries, areas where young sharks are born and grow up, as the tracked shark moved far from its presumed nursery near Tunisia.
The Greenland shark, a giant species that can grow to more than five metres in length, has stunned scientists with its exceptional lifespan—estimated to last over 390 years, making it one of the longest-living vertebrates on Earth. Now, researchers are beginning to uncover the genetic secrets behind the Greenland shark's remarkable longevity.
Bonnethead sharks, known for their uniquely shaped heads, are part of the hammerhead shark family. For years, there was thought to be only one species, Sphyrna tiburo, with two subspecies. One is found in the western Atlantic, including the waters off the US, Mexico, and the Bahamas, and the second is found in the eastern Pacific. However, new findings suggest a more complex picture.
