58 episodes

Welcome to World of Sharks, a podcast all about sharks, rays and their underwater habitat brought to you by the Save our Seas Foundation. Forget Jaws – there is SO much more to sharks than their fearsome reputation. Join scientist and shark nerd Dr Isla Hodgson as she chats with leading experts in shark science, conservation and storytelling to take a deep dive into the fascinating world of one of the most diverse, well-adapted, enigmatic, misunderstood and threatened groups of animals on the planet.

World of Sharks Save Our Seas Foundation

    • Science
    • 5.0 • 3 Ratings

Welcome to World of Sharks, a podcast all about sharks, rays and their underwater habitat brought to you by the Save our Seas Foundation. Forget Jaws – there is SO much more to sharks than their fearsome reputation. Join scientist and shark nerd Dr Isla Hodgson as she chats with leading experts in shark science, conservation and storytelling to take a deep dive into the fascinating world of one of the most diverse, well-adapted, enigmatic, misunderstood and threatened groups of animals on the planet.

    The mystery of Charlotte, the pregnant stingray with Dr David Shiffman

    The mystery of Charlotte, the pregnant stingray with Dr David Shiffman

    In February 2024, a round stingray from a small, rural aquarium in the middle of a shopping mall unexpectedly took the world by storm. She was pregnant, but how this had happened was a complete mystery - there were no male stingrays in the tank, nor had there ever been...
    In this episode we are joined by scientist and science communicator Dr David Shiffman (@whysharksmatter) to examine Charlotte's case. We go deep into the various theories that could explain Charlotte's pregnancy to get to the bottom of what really happened. No, a shark did not get a ray pregnant, but what did happen is even more fascinating. It's a good excuse to take a deep dive into the more unusual methods of shark and ray reproduction, including the super cool zoological phenomenon that is parthenogenesis! 
    You can find out more about David here https://davidshiffmancv.com/, find his book here https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12267/why-sharks-matter and read his article on Charlotte for Southern Fried Science: https://www.southernfriedscience.com/no-a-shark-did-not-get-a-stingray-pregnant-but-what-really-happened-is-pretty-cool/
    Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast
     

    • 41 min
    Tackling the fin trade with CITES with Luke Warwick

    Tackling the fin trade with CITES with Luke Warwick

    The international shark fin trade is a billion-dollar industry. It is also driving declines in shark populations around the world. In this episode, we are joined by Luke Warwick, expert in global shark policy, to learn how CITES - an international agreement between governments to regulate trade in endangered species - could help protect sharks and rays from overexploitation. In particular, we discuss a landmark vote that occurred in 2022, which saw 90% of the fin trade come under regulation almost overnight. Luke walks us through what has happened in the year since, from getting the vote passed to implementing the new regulations at local level. And, we discuss some of the trials and tribulations of trying to get 100+ countries to agree on something, especially when most of them have a vested interest...
    You can learn more about Luke and his work with the Wildlife Conservation Society on twitter (@WCSsharks) and here https://www.wcs.org/our-work/wildlife/sharks-skates-rays. You can also check out the shownotes for this episode here www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast
    For more sharky content, find us on social media! We are @saveourseasfoundation on instagram, and @SaveOurSeas on twitter. 
     

    • 55 min
    The acoustic world of sharks: how do they hear? With Dr Lucille Chapuis

    The acoustic world of sharks: how do they hear? With Dr Lucille Chapuis

    Do sharks have ears? Are they good listeners? What are they listening for? Do great white sharks get freaked out by orca sounds? And what kind of music do sharks like?! We cover all this and so much more with bio-acoustician and shark hearing expert, Dr Lucille Chapuis. Join us for a fact-filled episode that includes disco sharks, curious humpbacks, putting sharks in 'sleepy-time baths' and R2D2 with a throat problem. 
    You can follow Lucille on twitter (@sharkslikejazz), instagram (@lucillechapuis) and via her website, www.sharkslikejazz.com. 
    If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a rating and a review. You can get in touch with the podcast by emailing isla@saveourseas.com, or via social media (@saveourseasfoundation on instagram, @SaveOurSeas on twitter). 

    • 57 min
    Going back in time with shark skin! With Dr Erin Dillon

    Going back in time with shark skin! With Dr Erin Dillon

    Time travel. Ancient coral reefs. Shark sleuthing. The AMAZING properties of shark skin...this episode has it all! We're chatting with Dr Erin Dillon, conservation paleobiologist and researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Erin's work uses fossilised shark skin (fancy term: dermal denticles) as a window into the past, to understand what kinds of sharks were around on coral reefs thousands of years ago and how that has changed over time. It's a fascinating deep dive into shark life before humans made their mark, and an insight into what healthy reefs could look like with a little bit of help. 
    You can follow Erin's work by heading to her website, http://erinmdillon.wordpress.com, or by following Erin on social media (@erinmdillon). 
    You can find the shownotes for this episode here www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast and find us on social media, we are @saveourseasfoundation on instagram and @SaveOurSeas on twitter. 

    • 1 hr
    Why have sharks been so successful? With Dr James Lea

    Why have sharks been so successful? With Dr James Lea

    It's our 50th episode!! To celebrate, host Isla is joined by shark scientist and CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation Dr James Lea to talk about the amazing evolutionary success of sharks and their relatives. We talk about just how much sharks have had thrown at them over the 440 million years they've existed on this planet (super volcanoes, ice ages, the terror of plants and a mass extinction event called the 'Great Dying'!) and discuss their super-powered adaptations and efficient body plans. Plus, we answer a listener question: how can I get my friends into shark conservation? 
    Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast 
    You can find us on instagram (@saveourseasfoundation) and twitter (@SaveOurSeas).

    • 58 min
    How do I build a career in shark science? Featuring the guests of season 4!

    How do I build a career in shark science? Featuring the guests of season 4!

    Starting out on your own career journey can be a little daunting, which is why we’ve put together this special episode of World of Sharks, filled with advice, experiences and anecdotes from the guests of season 4. We talk about how to make your dreams of working in shark science and conservation a reality – from how to approach professors, to finding your niche, to overcoming setbacks and staying true to yourself.
    You can find additional resources in the shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast
    You can keep track of when our grants and funding opportunities are announced by following us on social media, we are @saveourseasfoundation on instagram and @SaveOurSeas on twitter!

    • 53 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
3 Ratings

3 Ratings

spacehog🚀 ,

A show for shark nerds

An awesome show for any ocean lover. Great production and guests! 🦈

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