Written by Eve Dean The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) has been portrayed as a ferocious ‘mindless eating machine’ for generations. Fears, fuelled by the media and movies, lurk in the back of people’s minds every time they step into the ocean. However, there is a creature who has, in recent years, gone head to … More Great white sharks: top predators or unlikely prey?
Written by Janey Sellars The media presents a huge platform of which to relay information in a way that influences the way people perceive things. Since the 21st century, technology and online databases have developed significantly and the global media is expanding as a result, reaching more people than ever before. Human perceptions, values and … More Friends or foes? The media’s portrayal of sharks & the influence on human perspectives
Epaulette sharks are a small group of sharks capable of walking above and below the water on modified fins, but recent discoveries are uncovering even more interesting facts about these amazing animals. The idea of a shark that can chase you across a beach may sound like the stuff of nightmares, but in reality the … More Newly discovered sharks can walk on their fins
Great white sharks and killer whales are the two most deadly predators in our oceans. But what happens when these killers cross paths and who comes out on top? Great white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, and killer whales, Orcinus orca, are quite possibly the top two when it comes to the most dangerous animals in the … More Great white sharks vs killer whales: who is the ocean’s true top predator?
Sharks are essential to marine ecosystems but millions of them are being killed every year across the globe. But now the state of Hawaii is aiming to fight back and fully protect their sharks with ground breaking legislation. Hawaii has become the first state in the US to put forward legislation to fully protect all … More Hawaii proposes new bill to fully protect its sharks
The mysterious Greenland shark is the world’s longest living vertebrate species capable of surviving in the deep icy waters of the Arctic for many centuries. But their long lives may be a curse rather than a blessing. Greenland sharks are mysterious and fascinating creatures capable of living extraordinary long lives. Not only are they older … More Meet the sharks that can live for 400 years
Experts explain why misleading documentaries about sharks can be problematic. When Brendon Sing first encountered sharks he was as a young boy behind the safety of aquarium glass in his native South Africa. Like many children of his generation, Brendon’s limited knowledge about sharks came from the 1975 smash-hit movie “Jaws,” which meant he was … More Fear factor: How sensationalised shark documentaries undermine conservation efforts
A landmark study by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has found bottom trawling to occur in 98% of the UK’s offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Their newly released ‘Marine unProtected Areas report’ outlines the issue of this destructive fishing practice in areas of protected sea life and calls for its ban. With our oceans already … More Trawling practices hit rock-bottom
When we think superheroes, we think big, powerful and majestic, right? So, in the ocean, the superheroes have to be the all-powerful orcas, stealthy sharks or sentient whales? Wrong! These apex predators constitute an integral part of the marine food web and represent the top tier within the hierarchy, but the magic begins right at … More Seagrasses: The ocean’s real superheroes
A new study into the fluid dynamics of blue whales has given researchers the first ocean recordings of their famous hitchhiking partner, the remora, revealing the suckerfish’s secret whale-surfing skills as they ride aboard the world’s largest animal. Sticking to the bodies of sharks, whales and other large marine creatures is a well-known specialty of … More The secret surfing skills of hitchhiking remoras
Marine Madness 