Parthenogenesis, from the Greek meaning “virgin birth” is an odd quirk of embryonic development that allows female animals of some species to give rise to offspring without a male genetic contribution – usually by a doubling of the egg genome to generate a new embryo with the proper number of chromosomes. Parthenogenesis has also been … Read more
Mike Neumann of Beqa Divers, that organizes the Fiji Shark Dive often describes his ventures as a conservation project masquerading as a dive shop. His ultimate goal: protection the sharks of Fiji. Started in 2003, the Fiji Shark Project resulted in the establishment of Shark Reef Marine Reserve, Fiji’s first MPA dedicated to researching and … Read more
We do not yet know much about the reproductive strategies of sharks and rays. Sharks have probably been very successful through evolution because they have adapted their reproduction to many different conditions. Many sharks bear live young (viviparity), others lay eggs (oviparity). Several shark species mate the entire year, others prefer certain seasons and regions. … Read more
Sharks are living in a changing ocean… Understanding how sharks sense and interact with their environment is vital for sustaining populations of these marine predators, which support the health of oceans around the world. Overfishing is the greatest known threat, but pollution and other environmental changes may affect the natural signals that sharks need for … Read more