📸 + 💭: @kendallrosephoto
“The leopard shark or zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum) is a large, slow-moving carpet shark commonly known as the zebra shark, found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It is easily recognised by its long body, prominent ridges and spotted leopard-like body. Zebra sharks typically inhabit shallow waters, often between 5m and 30m deep but they have been recorded at depths of up to around 60-70m. Their relatively limited depth range reflects their preference to warm, coastal reef environments where they feed on mollusks, crustaceans and small fish.”
#MarineMonday #LeopardShark #Sharks #SharkWeek
📸 + 💭: @kendallrosephoto
“Thresher sharks are large pelagic predators belonging to the genus Alopias, distinguished by their exceptionally long, whip-like caudal fins used to stun prey. These sharks are capable of significant vertical movement, typically ranging from the surface down to depths of about 500 meters, although some species have been recorded diving deeper. Their ability to tolerate varying temperatures allows them to exploit prey across different layers of the water column.”
#MarineMonday #ThresherShark #Sharks #SharkWeek
Tag, you’re it!
Researchers tag sharks in a safe, harmless way to track their movement, migration, and population trends. This information is crucial for understanding shark behavior.
Now it’s your turn: tag who from your crew will be watching #SharkWeek with you this year 🦈⬇️
🎥 + 💭: @matthewunderwater
“A wobbegong shark cruises over a hard coral reef in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
With its fringed face and camouflage pattern, it barely looks like a shark at all. It could just be part of the reef, until it moves.
Raja Ampat still holds some of the richest coral ecosystems left on Earth. Many parts of Raja are still healthy and full of life. Scenes like this show what a coral reef can still be.
But that is only part of the story. Much of the Dampier Strait in Raja has collapsed. Some of the most spectacular dive sites in Raja, in the world, are barely recognizable compared with when they were healthy five years ago.
Raja Ampat is under pressure from rising sea temperatures, untreated sewage, over tourism, mining, illegal fishing, and more. Reefs do not collapse all at once. They decline piece by piece, often while people are still calling them paradise.
But there is still hope. Raja Ampat is not lost. We need to face what is happening, understand why, and change how we treat places like this. We may not be able to stop ocean temperatures from rising in the short term, but we can address every one of the other pressures directly, and we should. We do not have much time left.
If we want places like Raja Ampat to stay alive, we need to act like it.”
#MarineMonday #Wobbegong #RajaAmpat #SharkWeek
Remembering Ralph Collier, whose passion and research deepened the world’s understanding of sharks. He will be deeply missed by the Shark Week community.
