blog

The importance of elasmobranchs, the group comprising sharks, skates and rays, is indisputable – several play essential roles as marine apex predators, many are of commercial value and some are key models in biomedical research. Overfishing to feed an incessant appetite for shark fin soup has led to the killing of ~100 million sharks every year or approximately 6.4-7.9% of sharks of all species. This has led to 25% of all sharks and their relatives currently being threatened with extinction.

It is crucial to collect and disseminate as much information about this group of organisms, especially regarding conservation efforts. In recognition of this, we are planning the release of an Elasmobranch Biology & Conservation Article Collection on Monday, August 11^th in order to coincide with Shark Week.

This collection will act as a scholarly hub for original research, ecologically important observations, data sets, computational tools and commentaries relating to sharks, skates and rays. Its scope will cover all aspects of elasmobranchs including their genetics, phylogeny, life history, ecology, fishery, conservation policy and representation in mass communication.

To kick off the discussion surrounding Shark Week and our soon-to-be launched elasmobranch article collection, we will be hosting a live Google+ Hangout on Thursday, August 7^th at 1PM EDT. Guests will include:

-David Shiffman (@whysharksmatter; southernfriedscience.com) – University of Miami

-Chuck Bangley (@SpinyDag; southernfriedscience.com) – East Carolina University

-Vicky Vasquez (@VickyV_TeamORF; oceanresearchfoundation.org) – Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

-Christie Wilcox (@NerdyChristie; christiewilcox.com) – University of Hawaii

Topics to be discussed include:

• Education and conservation efforts

• Current state of fisheries

• Shark research in an era of big data and open data

• Reporting of shark findings in an era of social media and digital publishing

And of course a little Shark Week fun! Spread the word and join us for what is sure to be a fun and fact filled afternoon chat.

EDIT: To join our Google Hangout On Air, just follow this link.