Sharks & Other Fish
Five times the ocean helped us learn about the human body
For people studying the human body, big ideas can sometimes come in small, briny packages
Read MoreJaida Elcock: diversity is essential–in the marine ecosystem and in science
MIT-WHOI Joint Program student Jaida Elcock always knew she was going to work with sharks. Oceanus caught up with her to find out more about why sharks—and representation—matter.
Read MoreFive marine living fossils you should know about
After living for millions of years, these species may have mastered evolution in our ocean
Read More‘Rolls-Royce’ of shark cameras can extend to turtles, whales, seals and squid for ocean’s big picture
A high-tech SharkCam invented by a Cape Cod researcher offers an unprecedented window into the lives of the ocean’s toothy predators, and can also extend to seals, whales, turtles and squid for a big-picture view of precious ecosystems and how to protect them. “These vehicles, these underwater robots that look like highly complex systems are just an extension of yourself to be able go where people can’t go, and there’s no limitation to what they can do,” said Amy Kukulya, research engineer and principal investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Sharks and the ocean’s twilight zone: Some female great white sharks can deep dive for hours
Much of the shark focus around the Cape is on great whites roaming close to the shoreline as they prowl for seals, but researchers are finding out that several sharks are actually diving deep into the twilight zone out in the middle of the ocean. Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod are researching the sharks’ deep diving behavior and how sharks’ bodies have evolved to handle these deeper conditions. They’re learning that deep diving is far more frequent and extensive across species than previously thought, said Simon Thorrold, a senior scientist in the biology department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Shark Week 2021: Sharks and the Ocean’s Twilight Zone
How large marine predators use the twilight zone to thrive, and survive Woods Hole, MA (July 11, 2021) — Sharks…
Read MoreBiology Department Virtual Seminar: Embryos to Ecosystems: Effects of the DWH Oil Spill on Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)
Christina Pasparakis, University of California, Davis Sponsored by: Biology Department This will be held virtually. Zoom link: https://whoi-edu.zoom.us/j/97999427569
Read MoreNOAA Live! Webinar: How Old Is That Fish? And What Fish Ear Stones Can Tell Us
Craig Kastelle, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle Sponsored by: NOAA and Woods Hole Sea Grant This will be…
Read MoreNOAA Live! Webinar: Texas Corals, and Mantas, and Sharks, Oh My!
Kelly Drinnen, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, TX Sponsored by: NOAA and Woods Hole Sea Grant This will be…
Read MoreBiology Department Virtual Seminar: Interactions Between Large Brown Algae and Reef Fishes from the South Pacific
Alejandro Pérez Matus, Universidad Católica de Chile Sponsored by: Biology Department This will be held virtually. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89055351749…
Read MoreNOAA Live! Webinar:Dambusters at Work: Restoring Habitat for Migratory Fish
Eric Hutchins, NOAA Restoration Center in Gloucester, MA Sponsored by: NOAA and Woods Hole Sea Grant This will be held…
Read MoreNew technology expected to play a key role in shark research
In November, Skomal and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy fitted two sharks with new satellite positioning tags developed by a team at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that can be fastened to a white shark’s fin without having to capture it and drill mounting holes.
Researchers tag free-swimming sharks off Cape Cod using minimally invasive device
Researchers and scientists were recently able to use fin-mounted location tracking tags on free-swimming sharks off of Cape Cod while using a device that allowed them to tag the sharks without capturing them.
Listening to fish with passive acoustics
Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and NOAA Fisheries combine forces to adapt technologies used to detect marine mammals for fisheries management.
Read More‘SharkCam’ films basking sharks off Scotland
A robot camera has been used in UK seas for the first time to monitor the behaviour of basking sharks. WHOI’s SharkCam was deployed off the west coast of Scotland where the sharks gather to breed after migrating from waters off west Africa.
A Marine Heatwave Is Warming Up The Ocean Along The East Coast
Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson talks to Glen Gawarkiewicz, an oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, about why the ocean temperatures are warming as well as what it means for ocean life and weather patterns.
Hot ocean waters along East Coast are drawing in ‘weird’ fish and supercharging hurricane season
Warm waters are a major concern with Hurricane Isaias forecast to ride up the Eastern Seaboard. Glen Gawarkiewicz, an oceanographer at WHOI, describes Gulf Stream fish being caught off Block Island, R.I., in January 2017 and increases in the “rate and amount” of species like mahi-mahi passing through.
Shark sightings are up, along with ocean temperatures. Here’s what to do if you encounter a shark.
“If they preyed on humans, there would be humans dead everywhere,” said Simon R. Thorrold, a biologist at WHOI in Massachusetts. “It would be a bloodbath out there.”
Ocean Encounters: Sharks!
Sharks are one of the most iconic, and feared, groups of animals in our wild ocean. Like other apex predators, they play a crucial role in the ecosystem they call home. Join us to learn about sharks and their behavior and role in a healthy ocean with shark biologist Greg Skomal, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and WHOI ocean ecologist Simon Thorrold.
Read MoreSpecial WHOI Webinar: Sharks! New Insights into an Iconic Ocean Predator
Simon Thorrold, WHOI & Greg Skomal, Mass Division of Marine Fisheries Sponsored by: WHOI Sharks are one of the most iconic,…
Read MoreNOAA Webinar: Sharks Make Sense
Sponsored by: NOAA To register, please visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/379755633828857934
Read MoreKatharine, the Great White Shark Who Ghosted Her Trackers, Resurfaces
Simon R. Thorrold, a senior scientist in the biology department at WHOI in Falmouth, Mass., said it was “not crazy surprising” that a signal was picked up.
Tagging Sharks to Study the Twilight Zone
Former WHOI Joint Program graduate student and current University of Washington postdoc Camrin Braun and his team on the charter fishing vessel Machaca managed to tag two porbeagles, a relative of the goblin shark, about 30 miles east of Chatham, Mass. One was a female nearly seven feet long and weighing 270 pounds. A male came alongside the boat while the team was tagging her and, when they were finished, they quickly hooked the curious male, which measured 6.5 feet and weighed 230 pounds.
Both fish are now equipped with fin-mounted SPOT satellite tags, which will report their location each time they surface and can last up to five years. For the Ocean Twilight Zone team, the big predators are an important indicator of where mesopelagic animals are collecting deep below the surface. In short, the predator will go where the prey is.
Read MoreWhale sharks are on the move, but why?
Whale sharks are endangered, hard to track, and minimally protected, but thanks to a new tracking study and a lot more information, scientists have been able to monitor the movement of these gentle ocean giants.
