Shark Side of the Moon: Are Shark Attacks Related to Lunar Phase?

Animals across taxa have shown behaviors linked to moon phase (or the proxy of lunar illumination), and marine organisms are well-documented to calibrate certain activities with the moon. Few studies have looked at a possible connection between moon phase and shark attacks on humans, and the results have been preliminary or lacking relationships. We used nearly 50 years of shark attack data from across the globe to test for a relationship between shark attacks and moon phase. We examined factors of geography, shark species, and outcome of attack. From 12 relationships that we tested (totaling 120 comparisons), we found 12 significant outcomes, of which five were positive (i.e., more attacks than expected) and seven were negative (i.e., fewer attacks than expected). Specifically, all the instances of more shark attacks than expected occurred at lunar illumination >50%, while all the instances of fewer shark attacks than expected occurred at lunar illumination of <50%. The findings presented here provide global evidence that shark attacks may be related to moon phase, and such information could be useful toward evaluating attack risk and developing recommendations for water-based recreational activities.

Hunting the hunter: using genetic profiling for improved management of shark attacks on humans

DNA evidence is routinely used to identify individual predators responsible for attacks on people and livestock in terrestrial settings. However, the use of transfer DNA techniques in aquatic environments20 for similar purposes is a recent development. To date, DNA barcoding has been used successfully to identify shark species depredating fish catches and biting surfboards and neoprene surfaces. In this study we demonstrate the successful DNA barcoding and fingerprinting of individual sharks from transfer DNA collected directly from the wounds of two shark bite victims. The successful use of DNA techniques to identify both species and specific individuals responsible for shark bites opens the door to selective removal of these individuals as an innovative shark bite risk management strategy. This selective approach would be a more effective, eco-responsible, cost-effective and ethical solution for vulnerable taxa than ongoing non-selective culling campaigns.

Hunting the hunter: using genetic profiling for improved management of shark attacks on humans

DNA evidence is routinely used to identify individual predators responsible for attacks on people and livestock in terrestrial settings. However, the use of transfer DNA techniques in aquatic environments for similar purposes is a recent development. To date, DNA barcoding has been used successfully to identify shark species depredating fish catches and biting surfboards and neoprene surfaces. In this study we demonstrate the successful DNA barcoding and fingerprinting of individual sharks from transfer DNA collected directly from the wounds of two shark bite victims. The successful use of DNA techniques to identify both species and specific individuals responsible for shark bites opens the door to selective removal of these individuals as an innovative shark bite risk management strategy. This selective approach would be a more effective, eco-responsible, cost-effective and ethical solution for vulnerable taxa than ongoing non-selective culling campaigns.

The intersection of shark research, policy and the public: a bibliometric and altmetric view

Sharks have traditionally been portrayed as dangerous animals by modern media, contributing to a negative perception in the public eye. On one hand, despite some species being listed as critically endangered, news about the perceived risk of sharks for humans protrudes more than other topics. On the other hand, conservation topics tend to focus on specific topics, such as finning, highlighting the divergence between scientific and mediatic discourses about sharks. Our research compares the attention of shark research topics across citations, tweets, news and policy mention to assess the salience of specific themes. We find that citations are evenly distributed across research communities, tweets and policy mentions exhibit a significant focus on conservation, and news mentions tend to focus on more sensationalist topics such as shark attacks or the repercussions of fisheries on coral reefs.

A Biting Review of Shark Attacks Off Florida's Coast, 1960 - 2016

The authors examine the monthly total and average number of unprovoked shark attacks off Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts between 1960 and 2016, with special emphasis on the last twenty-seven years, divided into three nine-year intervals. Two-way connected-line plots, bar graphs and a series of two-sample t-tests reveal that monthly averages were highest in April (1999 – 2007) and September (1999 – 2007 and 2008 – 2016). Topographic maps created for each nine-year period show the lowest densities (shark attacks per square mile) from 1990 to 1998 and the highest densities from 1999 to 2007, off the shore of the east-central part of the state, northeast of Orlando in Volusia County, home to Daytona Beach.

Fibre-Reinforced Composite for Protection against Shark Bites

The number of shark attacks resulting in fatalities and severe injuries has increased steadily over recent years. This is mainly attributed to a growing population participating in ocean sports such as swimming, diving, and surfing. To mitigate the severity of shark attacks, the current study presents a novel fibre-reinforced composite for bite protection. This material is intended for integration into neoprene wetsuits, e.g., in the form of protective pads. A suitable material must be able to withstand significant bite forces, which are concentrated within a small contact area at the tips of the shark teeth. At the same time, the material should not hinder the complex motion sequences of aquatic sports. To this end, a novel fibre-reinforced composite was created by integrating Kevlar fibres into an elastic matrix. Uni-axial testing using shark teeth replicas was conducted on a specially designed test rig to quantify the effectiveness of the novel protective material.