Every day I get the wonderful opportunity to talk to leading ocean and animal science experts doing amazing research. Here are some links to cool scientists and fun science articles I think you’ll like:

Fun article: Did you hear about the ninja shark…you’ll love this (it’s for real!) Meet the Ninja Shark, Hakai Magazine.

Scientists you should meet:

• Dr. David Ebert, from the Pacific Shark Research Center, is an extraordinary shark researcher with some wonderful books of his own. Dave’s books are perfect for the shark lover who can’t read enough about them. There are 520 species of sharks, and many of them have been identified by Dr. Ebert. His current research focuses on “Looking for Lost Sharks.” He travels worldwide to learn more about little known species and discover new species. Find out more about his research at:
  https://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/current-research/Lost-Sharks/
• Rachel Graham: This Friday is an important holiday: Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks, Skates and Rays a Voice. Someone giving sharks a voice is Dr. Rachel Graham with MarAlliance. She is one of the amazing scientists I was lucky enough to include in MISSION: SHARK RESCUE. To learn more about Rachel, her research and efforts to save sharks  or find out how to support her research visit  MarAlliance (www.maralliance.org) .
• Dean Grubbs: Dr. Dean Grubbs, Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, studies deep-sea sharks including bluntnose sixgill sharks (Hexanchus griseus), bigeye sixgill sharks (H. nakamurai), deepwater stingrays (Plesiobatis daviesi), and short-spined spurdogs (Squalus mitsukurii). He also studies sawfish  and other animals. Discover how Dean Grubbs tags sawfish on this YouTube video. You can learn more about his important research and help support his research at: www.marinelab.fsu.edu/aboutus/supportfsucml
• Check out Dr. Johann Mourier’s new website at the Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution of Fishes Laboratory. You may have read about him in the MISSION: SHARK book and his cool use of a drone to count sharks, his discovery that blacktip reef sharks have friends or other important research that helps us understand and protect sharks. Dr. Mourier is now in Australia studying the social life of Port-Jackson sharks as well as their movements. We can’t wait to hear what he discovers.  You can help support the research, even adopt a shark. Find out more Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution of Fishes Laboratory
• As we prepare to celebrate Fintastic Friday, I asked the folks working to save sharks how and where kids and adults could support sharks and shark research. The amazing Dr. Michelle Huepel said, “I would recommend that people donate to Shark Advocates International (http://www.sharkadvocates.org)
  Dr. Sonja Fordham runs this excellent organization. Dr. Fordham uses shark research from me and other scientists around the world to find real world solutions to improve the status of sharks and rays. SAI can accept donations via the Ocean Foundation (http://oceanfdn.org/…/host-pr…/shark-advocates-international)

You don’t have to have a PhD in science to save sharks. There are many citizen scientists stepping up to the plate trying to make a difference.

• When Jackie and Graham Hall discovered that no one was studying — or protecting the basking sharks they saw off the coast of the Isle of Man, they stepped up to the plate in a big way. They created Manx Basking Shark Watch and started with a citizens science then added tagging, DNA studies, photo ID and more.  Find out more at: www.manxbaskingsharkwatch.org/
• Avid diver Jason Holmberg wanted to help researchers identify and track whale sharks. He teamed up with shark experts and other scientists to create software that could identify whale sharks by their spot patterns.  Together they launched whaleshark.org. Whaleshark.org encourages divers from around the world to submit their whale shark photos. With the help of these citizen scientists, whaleshark.org has collected more than 53,000 photos. Find out how to support whale shark research or submit your own whale shark photo: www.whaleshark.org