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, located in the outer islands of the Seychelles – is the perfect example of how science can be...

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 and SOSF project leader Dr Luz Erandi Saldaña Ruiz. In this episode we learn all about Luz's work,...

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 these differences have evolved over time. She looks at variations in brain size between species,...

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 'pristine wilderness', with thriving coral reefs, sandy beaches, lush seagrass beds, dense mangrove...

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 poops. And we break down some famous myths about sharks…like do they really go into a feeding...

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 exactly how they did it. He also walks us through some other fascinating aspects of their biology and...

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, shark “rabies”, the U.S. Navy, film soundtracks designed to make your heart race, and an...

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 white sharks, and what DNA can tell us about the conservation status of some of the world's most...

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 lightsabers on its back, a seriously laid-back species with a highly unusual shape, a fearsome pink...

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, especially to sharks and rays, cold water immersion and Craig's deep connection with the ocean....

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 still allowing them to be kids? We're talking about all this and more with Dr Clova Mabin, director...

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 Octopus Teacher, Older Than Trees) is passionate about telling stories of human-nature connection....

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 studied this species in Irish waters for her PhD and tried to understand why they came to the...

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 caught as by-catch. We learn all about shark DNA, life at sea, and what it was like to work at the...

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 dream project funded, from three people who definitely know their stuff when it comes to grant...

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 Ciaran Hyde to talk about Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs). Lead by a growing international...

We are kicking off season 4 of the World of Sharks podcast (formerly the Whole Tooth podcast) with a bang! This episode, we are talking to legendary conservation photographer, National Geographic explorer and our very own Director of Storytelling, Thomas Peschak. Thomas has photographed marine life all over the world, including a huge diversity of sharks and rays, and has dedicated his life to creating images that have real world impact for conservation. We asked Thomas about going on...

Shark nerds unite! WE'RE BACK! The World of Sharks podcast (formerly The Whole Tooth) will be back on Thursday 23rd March with a brand new season. As always, we will be breaking down topics in shark science and conservation with some very special guests. A friendly reminder to look out for our shiny new logo - we think you'll like it! See you there!

As season 3 and 2022 draws to a close, host Isla sits down with Dr James Lea, CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF), and Jade Schultz, content manager for SOSF, to look back on the year and all the important events that have happened for sharks and shark conservation. Plus, they have a very exciting announcement about this very podcast! You can follow our work on social media (@SaveOurSeas on twitter, @saveourseasfoundation on instagram) and by heading to www.saveourseas.com.  You can...

We know that overfishing is the primary cause of global shark and ray declines. But, shark fisheries provide income and subsistence for many coastal communities. Inevitably, any regulation or conservation measure involving these fisheries must be culturally, socially and politically appropriate in order to be accepted, and to achieve this we need to work with and understand the people they will affect. Equally, there are many gaps in our knowledge relating to sharks and rays, including in...

Frozen Planet II and Blue Planet II are landmark natural history series and masterclasses in climate change storytelling. Via captivating sequences, charming characters and compelling stories, the viewer is deliberately drawn into a world that they can’t help but care about, before being told about the very serious threats facing it. Such powerful storytelling can have a big impact; Blue Planet II, for example, persuaded people across the world to give up single-use plastics. But how are...

Recent studies have shown that over a third of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction. But which species are the most at risk? What are some of the rarest, but least well known, sharks in the world? And, when a species has seemingly fallen off the face of the earth, how on earth do you find it again? This week, we’re joined on the pod by rare shark expert Dr Dave Ebert (@lostsharkguy)! Dave has travelled all over the world in search of sharks who are thought to have gone...

What's it like to be booped by a leopard seal? Or dive with over 300 fin whales in Antarctica? And how do you keep your cool when filming underwater in one of the most challenging and remote places on earth, while tiger sharks patrol the shallows above you? At Wildscreen film festival, host Isla sat down with award winning film-maker and wildlife cameraman Bertie Gregory to chat about his new series, Epic Adventures, and go behind the scenes of episode 3, 'Shark Island', where Bertie searches...

What did the oceans look like 450 million years ago? Who were the weird and whacky ancestors of the sharks we know today? And could megalodon still exist? This week we're going back in time to answer all these questions and more at the Natural History Museum in London, with curator of fossil fish Emma Bernard!  Find out more about Emma and the Natural History Museum here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/departments-and-staff/staff-directory/emma-bernard.html. Read her fintastic article...

What happens when two top ocean predators collide? This was a question that PhD candidate and white shark expert Alison Towner was faced with six years ago, when the subjects of her thesis started to wash up on shore with unusual, but fatal, injuries. Fast forward to 2022 and Alison has just led her second publication on the predation of white sharks by orca in South Africa, a behaviour that has never been documented until now. In this episode we chat to Alison about her findings, why we...