Research
Sharks are among the most threatened vertebrates on the planet, with many populations at risk from overfishing, climate change, and habitat destruction. Thus, research aimed at understanding and mitigating the responses of sharks and their ecosystem effects to these threats are conservation priorities. The Shark Research Foundation address these needs through its core scientific activities and by collaborating.
Key research areas we aim to explore include, but are not limited to:
- Assessing impacts of urbanization, fishing, and climate change on shark behavior, physiology, and health
- Monitoring shark relative abundance and biodiversity through time and space
- Understanding and monitoring environmental and biological drivers of shark space use and movement
- Understanding impacts of shark declines and recoveries on ecosystem structure and function
- Identification of shark critical habitats and biodiversity hotspots
- Assessing the efficacy of time-area closures and marine reserves for the conservation of sharks
Featured Projects:
Ecology of Great White Sharks in Atlantic Canada.
The Shark Research Foundation is excited to be investigating the ecology of white sharks off Nova Scotia, Canada. This location is quickly emerging as a new global hotspot for white sharks. Our research is being supported in part by Atlantic Shark Expeditions Ltd, an ecotourism company, contributing its chartered vessel, crew, and data to the Foundation.
BioTrack - Conserving Marine Species Biodiversity Hotspots.
The Shark Research Foundation is leading a new NASA-funded project to integrate, store, process, visualize and share data on marine biodiversity hotspots based on animal tracking data that supports conservation and natural resource management. A project of the US National Marine Biodiversity Observation Network, results of this project will directly support resource management, conservation, and restoration needs in the US.
