Author: Elvira Bowen

The skin of fast-swimming sharks protects against biofouling and reduces the drag experienced by sharks as they swim through water. The tiny scales covering the skin of fast-swimming sharks, known as dermal denticles (skin teeth), are shaped like small riblets and aligned in the direction of fluid flow (figure 1). Is shark skin aerodynamic? Shark […]

Sharks play a crucial role in marine ecosystems In an algae-dominant ecosystem, the coral reefs can’t compete and will cease to survive. Shark conservation is important because these types of negative environmental changes could take place if they were to decrease in numbers. Why is it important to make sure that sharks do not become […]

It’s a feat for the next decade. A shark skin-like material might also serve as a line of defense against biofouling, or the accumulation of algae and barnacles on the bottom of ships. Most anti-fouling paint is toxic, so artificial shark skin could provide an environmentally friendly alternative. What is special about a sharks skin? […]

Explainer: How a fossil forms Much later, about 66 million years ago, a huge asteroid fell to Earth. It killed off most dinosaurs — and 30 to 40 percent of shark species. What killed the sharks 19 million years ago? Analysis of the fossil record shows a mysterious mass extinction that decimated the diversity of […]

Shark nares are used only for smelling, and not for breathing the way we use our noses. And just in case you are still wondering how sharks smell… they smell a bit fishy! Do sharks have a smell? They’re super-sensitive to smells that are important to their survival. Including scents produced by potential predators, prey […]

They don’t produce milk, they don’t have hair, and most of them are cold-blooded. Do sharks produce milk? Sharks are not mammals; sharks are fish. Sharks lack mammalian characteristics such as hair and lungs, and do not produce milk. Do sharks give milk to babies? GREAT WHITE SHARK PRODUCES “MILK” TO FEED ITS BABIES The […]

What happens when shark finning continues? Let’s assume sharks disappear and therefore another fish can overpopulate the reefs, let’s say this fish feeds primarily on juvenile reef fish. Meaning the population of reef fish will decline quite fast which means coral reefs will suffer. How does shark finning affect us? For instance, the loss of […]

On January 4, 2011, the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 was signed into law, amending the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the MSA. The Shark Conservation Act requires that all sharks in the United States, with one exception, be brought to shore with their fins naturally attached. Are shark protected? Today, several […]

No, you can’t. Swimming with great whites is inherently dangerous. These are large and powerful predators who have eaten people in the past. While they are not as dangerous as films and popular-culture might have you believe, they are also not safe animals to be around without adequate protection. Can I swim next to a […]

Can sharks bite through metal cages? They might leave a tooth scratch.” In reality, a cage’s strength is just a precaution. Sharks tend to bite things that look like they’d taste good. They almost never bite a shiny metal box. What can sharks not bite through? Basically, this means that in situations when personal deterrents […]

Solana Beach, California. California ranks second after Florida for the most unprovoked shark bites in the United States. According to the ISAF there have been 124 since 1837, and the highest number (19) took place in San Diego County, the area of the state where Solana Beach sits. What are the top 5 places for […]

Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources says heavy rains can actually attract sharks closer to shore, KHNL reported. That’s because rain runoff pushes “dead animals and stream fish” out to sea, creating a feast for sharks, the news outlet reported. What time of day are sharks most active? Sharks are the most active at […]

Though they are rare, true shark attacks on kayaks do happen. According to the Global Shark Attack File, 21 have been recorded since the early 1900s. Can a shark tip over a boat? Seventy-three-year-old Terry Selwood was fishing off the north coast of New South Wales, Australia, when he was reportedly injured by a shark […]

The shark skin is unique in many ways. It is characterised through its grey colour and the contrast between its slippery appearance and its rough tactile texture. The shark’s skin has dermal denticles and it give the rough texture that has earned it its primary human function as sandpaper. What is a sharks skin made […]

As much as a good look at a shark’s skin might convince you, they don’t actually have smooth skin. Shark skin is extremely rough. Most sharks have a central pulp cavity on their outer body along with the dentine and outermost layer of enamel. Do all sharks have smooth skin? Your skin might not feel […]

Satellite tags Satellite tracking tags are fitted to the dorsal fin and can send a signal each time the fin comes out of the water. These tags allow scientists to follow sharks over the tag’s battery life. Does it hurt a shark to be tagged? The satellite tags are carefully attached to the dorsal fins […]

This means that places that seem like ‘hotspots’ could just be places where OCEARCH has done a lot of tagging. Sharks are tagged with satellite tags, which send a signal (called a ping) to a satellite every time they near the surface. How do they ping sharks? What is the OCEARCH process for tagging a […]

If you see a shark, calmly alert other ocean users around you. Remain in or create a group, and leave the water in a calm and swift, but smooth, manner. Alert the lifeguards or shark spotters. What happens if you swim with a great white shark? Some divers can swim with great white sharks without […]

Sharks have been around for hundreds of millions of years, appearing in the fossil record before trees even existed. Did sharks evolve from trees? Sharks did emerge before the first trees appeared on Earth, however, but they bore little relation to the sharks we know today. Some shark species have remained relatively unchanged during millions […]

Sharks heal quickly from wounds. They don’t get cancer very often. And they resist infections. Do sharks get infected? Sharks have only a few predators in the ocean, but a new study has found that they resistant to infection — thanks to germs. Can sharks get diseases? Sharks are known for their natural resistance to […]