The conversations that shape the fate of sharks and rays rarely happen in quiet laboratories or out at sea. More often, they unfold in fluorescent-lit halls, behind nameplates and microphones, inside sprawling congress centres where global decisions about nature are made. At the IUCN World Conservation Congress, surrounded by thousands of delegates debating the future of biodiversity, host Isla sat down with SOSF Scientific Advisor Sarah Fowler and Chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, Dr Rima Jabado, to discuss how far we’ve come in the race to save sharks and rays from extinction – and what steps we need to take next to ensure their future on this planet. 

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Find out more about the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) here: www.saveourseas.com or follow @saveourseasfoundation across all platforms. 

Did you know that there are over 60 species of shark who are luminous? In this episode, we learn all about the sharks who light up the darkness of the deep sea. How are they able to produce their own light? And why have they evolved the ability to glow? We are joined by Professor Jerome Mallefet, an expert in bioluminescence who has studied some of the most fantastical species on earth, including a shark with lightsabers on its back - the velvet belly lanternshark - and the largest known luminous vertebrate, the kitefin shark.  

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Find us on socials! @saveourseasfoundation

How do sharks locate prey when they’re roaming the open ocean? What does a shark ambush look like? Are sharks capable of hunting cooperatively? And why do cookiecutter sharks take on prey much larger than themselves (including submarines!)? We are asking all these questions and so much more this week as we dive into the fascinating world of shark behavioural ecology to better understand foraging and hunting, with marine biologist and co-lead of the Predator Ecology and Conservation Lab at Florida International University, Dr Yannis Papastamatiou.

Find out what it was like to dive with over 300 blacktip reef sharks at once (in the dark), what sharks and seabirds have in common, and why white sharks might be more social than we think.

You can follow Yannis (@yannispapastamatiou) and the PECLab (@peclabfiu) on Instagram.

You can find us across all platforms: @saveourseasfoundation.  

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

It’s spooky season, and what a great excuse to visit our friends in the dark; the deep-sea sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras! We’re joined by fisheries scientist and deep-sea legend Dr Brit Finucci to go on a journey into the darkness – a far from barren landscape filled with weird and wonderful creatures. We’ll meet icons like the small-but-ferocious prickly dogfish, the luminous lanternsharks, the ancient and toothy frilled sharks, and a ghost shark called Colin, who just so happens to be new to science.

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast 

If you want to learn more about ghost sharks, Brit has co-authored a new book all about them! Ghost Sharks: A Fully Illustrated Guide to the Chimaeras of the World is available for pre-order now.

Find out more about Brit and her work here: 

Instagram: @britfinucci

https://niwa.co.nz/people/brit-finucci-0

https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/brittany-finucci/

Follow us on social media! We are @saveourseasfoundation across all platforms. 

From a shovel to a mallet, and even an aeroplane - the hammerheads really do win the prize for some of the most bizarrely shaped sharks out there. But why do they have such oddly-shaped noggins? What do they eat? Where do we find them? And why are one of the most charismatic groups of sharks in the world also one of the most threatened? 

In this episode we are joined by Dr Kelly Kingon, Associate Professor at the University of the Bahamas, SOSF project leader and co-director of the non-profit CHaPO (Conserve Habitats and Protect Organisms). Kelly has been trying to find scalloped hammerhead nurseries in Trinidad and Tobago to inform conservation and management strategies for this heavily fished species. We discuss the amazingness of hammerheads, their unique adaptations and conservation status, before zooming in on Kelly's research to discover what's happening to baby hammers in the warm waters of the Carribean. 

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Find out more about Kelly's work: 

https://saveourseas.com/project/community-supported-conservation-goals-for-scalloped-hammerhead/

https://www.facebook.com/iCHaPO.TT/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ichapo/

Instagram: ichapo_tt

TikTok: chapo_tt

ichapo.com

FREEthelab.com

Find out more about us: 

www.saveourseas.com

@saveourseasfoundation

Tagging hammerheads, tracking silky sharks and exploring a remote coral paradise in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico…This week, we’re diving into the fascinating world of shark trophic ecology with PhD researcher and SOSF project leader Brett Sweezey! Brett is investigating the interactions between predators and prey, and how they influence where sharks go amongst the unique habitats of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Join us as we discuss the innovative methods Brett is using, some fascinating early findings, and the challenges and triumphs of studying these incredible creatures in their natural habitat.

You can follow Brett across all platforms: @saltwatersweezey. You can also find out more about his project here: https://saveourseas.com/project/methods-to-reduce-shark-stress/

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

A turtle that looks like a pig, and a shark that looks like a plane...in this episode, we're heading to the colourful, diverse lands of the Kikori River in Southern Papua New Guinea to meet researcher and director of the Piku Biodiversity Network (www.pikubionet.org.pg). In 2018, Yolarnie expanded the PBN - which originally focussed on the community-led conservation of the endangered pig-nosed turtle - to include the 45 species of shark and ray that can be found in the Kikori river system. These species include the unusual and understudied winghead shark, one of the few sharks that passes between salt and freshwater to give birth to its young. 

Find out more about Yolarnie's project, which she co-leads with Dr Michael Grant, here: https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/yolarnie-amepou/

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Dive into the deep, remote waters of New Zealand's Fiordland with us as we meet the mysterious broadnose sevengill shark and the scientist who is trying to study them: Dr Alice Rogers. Alice's research aims to discover how these ancient creatures are responding to climate change - will the fiords provide vital refuge for the species as our waters get warmer?Along the way, she and her team are uncovering uncovering the secrets of these elusive "grandpa" sharks.

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Follow Alice: @dralicerogers

Find out more: https://saveourseas.com/project/climate-change-at-the-end-of-the-earth-sevengill-sharks-in-fiordland-new-zealand/

https://www.southernfiordland.nz

We're taking to the skies to find out what great white sharks get up to when no-one's looking...

From his drone’s vantage, Carlos Gauna — AKA The Malibu Artist — has captured previously unrecorded behaviours of one of the ocean’s most captivating predators, the great white shark. His footage has fascinated viewers from across the globe, challenged misconceptions of white sharks, and even altered Carlos’ own perspective of the species. In this episode we talk about some of these behaviours; from a shark apparently 'eating' kelp to their interactions with dolphins and people. And, we discuss the moment that Carlos captured the first possible newborn white shark on camera - a key discovery that could secure important protections for white sharks in the area.  

You can follow along with Carlos' work and see all his incredible footage here: 

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@TheMalibuArtist

Instagram: @themalibuartist

Website: www.themalibuartist.com

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Tagging tiger sharks, seamount navigation, and a great white shark called Princess Sparkles...  This week, we're diving into the fascinating world of shark movement ecology with research scientist Dr Sammy Andrzejaczek to explore how and why sharks move about the oceans - in particular zooming in on their vertical space use and asking why some sharks take frequent dives to depths of over 1,000 metres. We also discuss the potential effects of the lunar cycle, and what white sharks are up to off the coast of central California. And, we take you behind the scenes as Sammy explains some of the different technologies that she uses to carry out this research and live her dream working with these incredible animals in the wild. 

You can follow Sammy on Instagram (@sammy_shark and @MonteraryBayWhiteSharks) and on BlueSky (@sammy-shark.bsky.social)

Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast

Timestamps:

8.48: About Sammy

14.07: Tagging technologies and working in the field

22.59: Shark vertical space use (how and why do sharks move up and down in the ocean)

30.30: Deep water navigation

34.16: Overlap in distribution and what this means for species interactions

37.41: Conservation implications

40.19: The impact of the lunar cycle

44.55: Movements and behaviour of great white sharks