Education and Research

• The following organizations are focused on educating the public - adults and kids - about sharks and their conservation.
  

• Shark Safe Network Educational Coordinator, Cheryl Black
  Cheryl Black grew up in upstate New York, never missed watching SEA HUNT on tv, and got her first mask and fins when she was seven. Along with her innate love of the ocean came a keen, lifelong interest in sharks and six years ago she started looking for opportunities to interact with these amazing fish. She dove with Caribbean reef sharks at Stuart Cove’s, spent two weeks alongside Chris and Monique Fallows working with white sharks in South Africa, took a “hands-on” shark biology course from “Doc” Sam Gruber at Bimini Biological Field Station, and interacted with lemon sharks at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. She has presented dozens of educational programs to schools, dive clubs, and environmental and civic groups, sharing her incredible experiences and teaching her audiences about the fragility of the ocean and the vital role that sharks play. Since moving to Florida in 2005 to take a position as a biology professor at Edison State College, she has become an avid underwater photographer and logged over 150 dives, and the most memorable ones always involve a shark sighting or two.
  

  
  

• RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program
  The mission of the R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation Program is to advance ocean conservation and scientific literacy by combining cutting edge research and outreach activities.
  
  Shark Projects include:
  * Satellite tracking of bull and great hammerhead sharks
  * Mercury in sharks
  * Human neurotoxins in sharks
  * Ecosystem effects of sharks
  
  The identification and study of habitats significant to the life-history and ecology of sharks has been identified as one of the highest priorities for their conservation. The management of shark fisheries is complicated by the lack of basic data regarding their biology, population dynamics, and essential habitats for migration, foraging, and reproduction. In light of these issues, research is needed that evaluates the role of sharks in coastal ecosystems. Moreover, studies examining shark biology, population dynamics, and habitat utilization are needed to ensure their conservation and improve their management.
  See:  http://www.rjd.miami.edu/
  

  
  

• IEMANYA Oceanica
  IEMANYA's goal is to create educational programs that raise national and international public awareness of sharks and encourage public and government participation in conservation efforts. Following are links to IEMANYA's educational programs, which include:
  
  Adoptashark.com -- Scientific research on shark's migrations to help determine how to best protect them
  Pescador / Tiburon -- Educating fishing communities to move them towards sustainable shark fisheries
  Shark Smart -- Assistance for teachers in creating dynamic lectures on sharks and other marine topics
  Laptops 4 Students -- Donating laptops to Mexican students studying sharks
  Manta Mexico -- Study of Giant Manta in the Sea of Cortez
  Shark Embassador -- Encouraging young students to introduce shark conservation to their classmates
  Kid's Area -- Shark Educational Materials and Activities for kids
  See:  http://www.iemanya.org/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=32
  

  
  

• Shark Savers
  This section of the Shark Savers website tells the story about sharks. It contains a wealth of material that has been prepared with the help of marine biologists throughout the world to share with you why sharks are interesting and worth saving. The Shark Savers' Sharks for Kids website is also coming soon.
  
  To share the message about sharks with the public, Shark Savers organizes educational shark events, such as Shark Savers Day at the Miami Science Museum and Fan Appreciation Night with the Riversharks. Shark Savers volunteers are also available to give presentations and organize events.
  
  Another exciting initiative in progress is the Shark Savers China website and promotional campaign. Shark Savers and WildAid have been working together on this massive project aimed at educating Asian populations throughout the world about the urgent need to conserve sharks and the oceans before it's too late.
  See:  http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education.html
  

  
  

• Shark Foundation
  The Shark Foundation supports or manages a number of scientific research and educational projects, which serve to protect sharks.
  
  Research projects include:
  
  Shark Tissue Identification - Supporting the work of Dr. Mahmood Shivji's DNA analysis work to identify shark species caught. This data will provide data to help protect shark species that are in decline and to assist with enforcement of fishing regulations.
  Migrations of basking shark around England and Scotland - Studying the affects of fishing nets, ships and other human disturbances on these endangered sharks. Aim is to provide recommendations for basking shark protections.
  Behavior of lemon sharks off the coast of Jupiter, Florida - led by Dr, Samuel Gruber, gaining a better understanding of the significance of these aggregations to sustaining the broader geographic population of lemon sharks will provide data to gain needed protections for lemon sharks from increasing commercial fishing pressure.
  Whale shark reserve in Mozambique - At the request of the Mozambican government to provide the scientific basis for a marine protected area.
  Bull shark tagging in Fiji - To determine a better definition of the ecological niche of the bull shark
  Shark nurseries in Rookery Bay, Florida - Studying impacts of ecosystem changes on shark nurseries
  Angel sharks in the Canary Islands - finding ways to protect these endangered sharks
  
  Shark Foundation also supports important shark protection initiatives including:
  
  Shark Reef Marine Reserve in Fiji, which is a model for shark eco-tourism as an alternative to shark fishing.
  Shark Information Projekt Hong Kong - educational campaign to inform the Chinese public - in the international shark fin trade hub of the world - of the massive negative impact of this trade and of shark fin consumption on shark populations and ecosystems.
  See:  http://www.shark.ch/Projects/index.html
  

  
  
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