Author: David Shiffman

Shark Conservation: The problem, the goal, and how to get there

Posted on By David Shiffman 12 Comments on Shark Conservation: The problem, the goal, and how to get there
Conservation, Science

ResearchBlogging.org

The problem

Sharks consistently rank near the top of lists of American’s greatest fears. In reality, they have much more to fear from us than we do from them. Because of our actions, many species of sharks are on the verge of extinction. A recent International Union for the Conservation of Nature Shark Specialist Group report shows that fully 1/3 of open-ocean species of sharks are in danger of extinction in the next few decades. Many shark species have had population declines of over 90% in the last few decades.

 

Fins from a blacktip shark. Photo credit: David Shiffman

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Shark science fail in a Jeffery Deaver novel

Posted on By David Shiffman 1 Comment on Shark science fail in a Jeffery Deaver novel
Uncategorized

I am a big fan of Jeffery Deaver’s bestselling “Lincoln Rhyme” series of mystery novels. However, I was disappointed by the lack of basic fact-checking in one part of his latest, “The Burning Wire“. In this book, the bad guy is sabotaging the electricity grid of New York city.

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Vote for the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program

Posted on By David Shiffman
Conservation, Science

The University of Miami Shark Research Program is in the running for a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project. The money will be used for tags, boat time, underwater video cameras, and paying for local underprivileged children to participate. Among their many other projects, UM scientists are attempting to track sharks to see if … Read More “Vote for the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program” »

Shark Celebrity Auction

Posted on By David Shiffman 1 Comment on Shark Celebrity Auction
Conservation, Science

Throughout Shark Week, the Shark Research Institute is hosting a fundraiser. You can bid to meet various “Shark Celebrities”, and winners can join them for a meal, a face-to-face discussion, or in some cases a trip into the field to interact with sharks! The shark celebrities being auctioned include scientists, filmmakers, authors and conservationists. Unless … Read More “Shark Celebrity Auction” »

Summer SharkTakular links

Posted on By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Summer SharkTakular links
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The Oceans4Ever Summer SharkTakular is now over. I was honored to participate and I hope that Alexa and Cindy will continue this tradition in the future. In case anyone missed one, here are links to the SharkTakular posts (except for the ones I wrote, those will be resposted here in their entirety). Introductory post Conservation … Read More “Summer SharkTakular links” »