World of Sharks

Conservation is often more about understanding people than studying the animals we are trying to protect. In this episode we learn from Dr Hollie Booth, research fellow at the University of Oxford, who has worked extensively with small-scale fisheries in Indonesia, the world’s largest shark fishing nation. Hollie’s work aims to disentangle the drivers of shark fishing in order to find solutions th...

The ocean is warming at a rapid pace. This year (2024) began with the highest global Sea Surface Temperature (SST) on record, and scientists are already warning of mass coral bleaching events and other worrying consequences for marine life. But how could rising temperatures impact sharks, particularly in the early stages of life when they are most vulnerable? PhD student and “mother-of-sharks” Noé...

In February 2024, a round stingray from a small, rural aquarium in the middle of a shopping mall unexpectedly took the world by storm. She was pregnant, but how this had happened was a complete mystery - there were no male stingrays in the tank, nor had there ever been... In this episode we are joined by scientist and science communicator Dr David Shiffman (@whysharksmatter) to examine Charlotte's...

The international shark fin trade is a billion-dollar industry. It is also driving declines in shark populations around the world. In this episode, we are joined by Luke Warwick, expert in global shark policy, to learn how CITES - an international agreement between governments to regulate trade in endangered species - could help protect sharks and rays from overexploitation. In particular, we disc...

Do sharks have ears? Are they good listeners? What are they listening for? Do great white sharks get freaked out by orca sounds? And what kind of music do sharks like?! We cover all this and so much more with bio-acoustician and shark hearing expert, Dr Lucille Chapuis. Join us for a fact-filled episode that includes disco sharks, curious humpbacks, putting sharks in 'sleepy-time baths' and R2D2 w...

Time travel. Ancient coral reefs. Shark sleuthing. The AMAZING properties of shark skin...this episode has it all! We're chatting with Dr Erin Dillon, conservation paleobiologist and researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Erin's work uses fossilised shark skin (fancy term: dermal denticles) as a window into the past, to understand what kinds of sharks were around on coral reefs...

It's our 50th episode!! To celebrate, host Isla is joined by shark scientist and CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation Dr James Lea to talk about the amazing evolutionary success of sharks and their relatives. We talk about just how much sharks have had thrown at them over the 440 million years they've existed on this planet (super volcanoes, ice ages, the terror of plants and a mass extinction even...

Starting out on your own career journey can be a little daunting, which is why we’ve put together this special episode of World of Sharks, filled with advice, experiences and anecdotes from the guests of season 4. We talk about how to make your dreams of working in shark science and conservation a reality – from how to approach professors, to finding your niche, to overcoming setbacks and staying...

Plastics. Oil spills. Industrial chemicals. Herbicides. Pesticides…the list of substances that we have dumped in the sea is endless. But scientists are only just beginning to understand the true extent of the impact of marine pollutants on marine life. Fish biologist and SOSF project leader Franco Cristiani is investigating the effects of harmful pollutants on chondrichthyans, using the American e...

We’re heading back to the Seychelles this week to chat with research and programme directors for the Save Our Seas Foundation D’Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC), Dr Rob Bullock and Henriette Grimmel! Both Rob and Henriette have lots of experience and knowledge in the application of scientific research to marine policy, spatial planning and conservation. And, where they live and work – D’Arros, loc...

It's spooky season! And we're taking the opportunity to celebrate some close relatives of sharks and rays who don't get talked about as much as they deserve: the chimaeras. Also known as ghost sharks, spookfish, ratfish and rabbitfish, these ancient creatures glide in the dark of the deep ocean, much of their life shrouded in mystery. Helping us learn more about them is our guest, fish biologist a...

Have you ever wondered what a shark’s brain looks like? How the brain of a goblin shark compares to a mako? What makes a whale shark tick? Or…what it’s like to get a shark brain in the post? These are all things that Dr Kara E. Yopak, shark brain expert and director of the EXCELLENTLY named ZoMBiE lab knows a thing or two about! Kara is interested in what different shark brains look like and how t...

This week, we are transporting you to a tropical island haven for sharks and rays in the beautiful outer islands of the Seychelles! We will be guided by the wonderful Dillys Pouponeau (@dillyseychelles) and Ellie Moulinie (@miss_tropics), who are research officers at the Save Our Seas Foundation D'Arros Research Centre. D'Arros island and its sister atoll, St. Joseph, have been labelled a 'pristin...

Sharks have a reputation as 'swimming noses' - but just how well can they smell? This week we are diving into the fascinating world of snoot science with aquatic sensory biologist Dr Lauren Simonitis! Expect the ins and outs of shark noses, along with detours to explore the anti-predator strategies of sea slugs and cuttlefish, a shark that eats its greens, and a type of whale that inks while it po...

Greenland sharks are the world's longest living vertebrate, with a longevity that can be measured in centuries. But what do they do during that long life? In this episode, we speak with scientist and "Greenland Shark Detective" Dr Julius Nielsen, who has studied these mysterious creatures for many years. Julius was part of the first team to estimate their extraordinary lifespan, and explains exact...

The impact of the Hollywood blockbuster Jaws on shark conservation, public perception and even policy-making has been studied since its release in 1975, but today we’re looking even further back in time to understand where that idea of sharks as man-eating monsters first came from, and how it gained traction to get to where we are today. It’s a fascinating story involving Victorian game hunters, s...

Grab your labcoats! This week we are diving into the fascinating world of genetics to find out what we can learn from shark DNA with Mahmood Shivji, professor of marine science at Nova Southeastern University in Florida and director of the Guy Harvey Institute and Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center (SOSF-SRC). In this episode we discuss shark forensics, the magical healing abilities of...

Something we talk about a lot on this podcast is the sheer diversity of sharks and their relatives. With over 500 species of shark alone - not to mention the rays, skates and chimaeras - there is so much to them than just the Jaws stereotype. In this episode, we are talking about some species you may never have heard of, each with their own fantastical adaptations - a tiny deep sea shark with ligh...

This week on World of Sharks, we are diving into the Great African Seaforest - the world's only forest of giant bamboo kelp, which stretches more than 1000km from the shores of Cape Town to the coastline of Namibia - with conservation film-maker and SOSF project leader Craig Foster (The Sea Change Project, My Octopus Teacher). In this episode we talk about the importance of the Seaforest, especial...

On today's episode of World of Sharks, we are discussing a very important topic in conservation: how to encourage, support and nurture young people to care for and protect our ocean, while being mindful of the many other pressures that they face. How can we teach them about the issues facing the natural world, while maintaining hope? How do we empower them to take action for conservation, while st...

We're learning new things about the ocean every day, but for centuries the ocean has taught us so much more. After the pandemic, many of us evaluated our connection to the sea and nature in general, seeking deeper meaning in our relationship with it and realising how necessary it is for our mental and emotional wellbeing. Award-winning film-maker and conservation storyteller Pippa Ehrlich (My Octo...

This week on World of Sharks we are diving into the world of an iconic species: the blue shark, Prionace glauca. Known for their big eyes, pointed snouts, mesmerising metallic blue colour and inquisitive nature, blue sharks are a species of requiem shark that occur in temperate and tropical oceans around the world. We are joined by Dr Jenny Bortoluzzi, shark scientist and SOSF project leader, who...

In this episode of World of Sharks by the Save Our Seas Foundation, we're chatting all things spurdog, relatedness and genetics with molecular biologist and PhD student Fenella Wood! Fenella's research delves into the fascinating world of spurdog population genetics to find out if the individuals that form large aggregations are related, which could have conservation implications if they are caugh...

So, you want to study sharks. You have a brilliant research question, a solid methodology, and buckets of passion. There's just one thing missing...funding. Applying for grants to support your research is a huge part of the scientific process - and it's certainly not easy. But fear not! This week, we are taking a break from chatting about sharks to bring you some expert tips on how to get your dre...

Sharks and ray populations across the world are in freefall. Reversing these declines requires a coordinated, global effort - but how can this be achieved? At the International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) in Vancouver, Canada, host Isla sat down with Rima Jabado, fisheries scientist and head of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, and elasmobranch scientists Emiliano García Rodríguez and...