Feed your fascination with sharks! This complete resource enlightens readers on the biology, ecology, and behavior of sharks with approachable explanations and more than 250 stunning color illustrations. Studies of shark biology have flourished over the last several decades. An explosion of new research methods is leading to a fascinating era of oceanic discovery. Shark Biology and Conservation is an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of the diversity, evolution, ecology, behavior, physiology, anatomy, and conservation of sharks. Written in a style that is detailed but not intimidating by world-renowned shark specialists Dan Abel and Dean Grubbs, it relays numerous stories and insights from their exciting experiences in the field. While explaining scientific concepts in terms that non-specialists and students can understand, Abel and Grubbs reveal secrets that will illuminate even the experts. The text provides readers with a robust and wide range of essential knowledge as it • introduces emerging as well as traditional techniques for classifying sharks, understanding their behavior, and unraveling the mysteries of their evolution; • draws on both established shark science and the latest breakthroughs in the field, from molecular approaches to tracking technologies; • highlights the often-neglected yet fascinating subject of shark physiology, including heart function, sensory biology, digestion, metabolic performance, and reproduction; • addresses big picture ecological questions like "Which habitats do sharks prefer?" and "Where do sharks migrate and for what purpose?"; • describes the astonishing diversity of sharks' adaptations to their environment; • discusses which shark conservation techniques do and don't work; and • comments on the use and misuse of science in the study of sharks. Enhanced by hundreds of original color photographs and beautifully detailed line drawings, Shark Biology and Conservation will appeal to anyone who is spellbound by this wondrous, ecologically important, and threatened group, including marine biologists, wildlife educators, students, and shark enthusiasts.

Whale sharks are the largest of all fishes, fascinating for comparative studies of all manner of biological fields, including functional anatomy, growth, metabolism, movement ecology, behavior and physiology. These gentle ocean giants have captured the interest of scientists and the imagination of the public, yet their future is uncertain. The conservation status of whale sharks was upgraded to Endangered on the IUCN Red List and the species faces a range of intense threats from human activities. Can these iconic living animals, who have survived for millions of years, survive us? Written by the world’s leading experts in whale shark biology, ecology, and conservation, Whale Sharks: Biology, Ecology and Conservation is the first definitive volume about the world's biggest fish. Chapters include discussions of satellite-linked tags, used to track whale shark movements; genetic sequencing, to examine evolutionary adaptations; even the use of underwater ultrasound units to investigate the species’ reproduction. The editors hope that by collating what is known, they can make it easier for future researchers, conservationists, and resource managers to fill some of the remaining knowledge gaps, and provide the information they need to join the team. As you work your way through this book, we hope that you will develop a sense of awe and marvel at all of our good fortune to share the ocean, and the planet, with this utterly extraordinary species.

Winner of Choice Magazines Outstanding Academic Title award, January 2005! Sharks and their relatives are the subjects of tremendous interest. The publics fascination is influenced by their roles in movies and popular literature, while the media races to cover stories of predators endangering helpless humans. The alarming threat to shark popul

Since the award-winning first volume, The Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives, published in 2004, the field has witnessed tremendous developments in research, rapid advances in technology, and the emergence of new investigators beginning to explore issues of biodiversity, distribution, physiology, and ecology in ways that eluded more traditional

Over the last decade, the study of shark biology has benefited from the development, refinement, and rapid expansion of novel techniques and advances in technology. These have given new insight into the fields of shark genetics, feeding, foraging, bioenergetics, imaging, age and growth, movement, migration, habitat preference, and habitat use. This pioneering book, written by experts in shark biology, examines technologies such as autonomous vehicle tracking, underwater video approaches, molecular genetics techniques, and accelerometry, among many others. Each detailed chapter offers new insights and promises for future studies of elasmobranch biology, provides an overview of appropriate uses of each technique, and can be readily extended to other aquatic fish and marine mammals and reptiles. Including chapter authors who were pioneers in developing some of the technologies discussed in the book, this book serves as the first single-source reference with in-depth coverage of techniques appropriate for the laboratory and field study of sharks, skates, and rays. It concludes with a unique section on Citizen Science and its application to studies of shark biology. This is a must-read for any marine biologist or scientist working in the field of shark biology, as well as marine biology students and graduates.

Northeast Pacific Shark Biology, Research and Conservation, Part A, Volume 77 highlights the biological attributes of, and the conservation efforts targeted at, populations of vulnerable sharks in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean bordering the west coast of the United States, one of the most economically and ecologically important oceanic regions in the world. Updates in this new volume include chapters on Biodiversity, Conservation and Life History of Northeastern Pacific Chondrichthyans, a Review of current genetic analyses of Northeast Pacific sharks and conservation implications, and a section on the Trophodynamics and ecological impacts of eastern North Pacific sharks. Brings together subject experts on all aspects of shark biology, ecology, fishery management and conservation Summarizes current knowledge Focuses scientific attention on key issues embedded in the concept of shark conservation, both from a species and an ecosystem perspective

Northeast Pacific Shark Biology, Research and Conservation, Part B, Volume 78, the latest release in the Advances in Marine Biology series contains updated chapters that focus on a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, an Introduction to Northeast Pacific shark biology, ecology, and conservation, Shark Interactions with Directed and Incidental Fisheries in the Northeast Pacific Ocean: historic and current encounters and challenges for shark conservation, An Introduction to modeling abundance and demographic parameters in shark populations, and Sharks in Captivity: The Role of Husbandry, Breeding, Education and Citizen Science in Shark Conservation. Specialty areas in this longstanding series include marine science, both applied and basic, a wide range of topical areas from all areas of marine ecology, oceanography, fisheries management and molecular biology, and the full range of geographic areas from polar seas, to tropical coral reefs are included making this an ideal reference and resource for postgraduates and researchers in a variety of fields. Reviews articles on the latest advances in marine biology Authored by leading figures in their respective fields of study Presents materials that are widely used by managers, students, and academic professionals in the marine sciences Provides value to anyone studying bottlenose dolphins, deep-sea macrofauna, marine invertebrates, pinna nobilis and ecology, amongst other study areas