Holy grail of shark science Researchers uncover highly elusive shark birthing behaviors Under a clear blue sky and rocking in rhythm with
sharks give birth can lead to more effective
ocean waves, a mother receives her first ultrasound.
conservation efforts.
Outside of a hospital setting, the procedure is far from typical. This mother is not an average patient — she is a scalloped hammerhead shark.
“Sharks are highly migratory and can travel thousands of miles a year, which makes it difficult to measure where they give birth,” said Sulikowski,
A new study published in the peer-reviewed
who is also a professor in the New College of
journal Science Advances explores the previously
Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. “Previously,
unknown timing and location of tiger and scalloped
researchers would try to capture the babies close
hammerhead shark births. “A novel intrauterine
to shore to establish where the nurseries were. That
satellite transmitter to identify parturition in large
isn’t always accurate. Baby sharks, even newborns,
sharks” was published March 1, with funding for the
can travel hundreds of miles in very little time.”
research provided by Herbert W. Hoover Foundation.
Co-author Neil Hammerschlag, who conducted this
James Sulikowski, co-author of the report and
research while a research associate professor at
Senior Global Futures Scientist with the Arizona
the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine,
State University Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures
Atmospheric, and Earth Science, said other methods
Laboratory, says understanding when and where
used to study shark reproduction are traditionally