SHARKS SEMINAR SERIES | DEEP-SEA CHONDRICHTHYAN TAXONOMY IN THE AGE OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
A majority of extant chondrichthyans utilizes deep-sea habitats at some point in their life history. Nevertheless, deep-sea chondrichthyans are vastly understudied and especially so when compared to their coastal congeners. Consequently, little is known about their life history or population sizes. For deep-sea chondrichthyans, these unknowns are of increasing concern as fisheries and other commercial ventures explore deep-sea habitats without knowledge of anthropogenic impacts. One of the most speciose groups, the genus Etmoptertrus, are one such example of poorly studied sharks. Since current research on this genus is mostly taxonomic, science communication is being used to help spur more research and public interest.
Vicky Vásquez is searching for Lost Sharks, the lesser known and undiscovered deep water chondrichthyans of the world. Vicky is studying the spatial and temporal distribution of soupfin sharks (Galeorhinus galeus) in San Francisco Bay. She finds this work really exciting because the Golden Gate Bridge is a world-recognized icon yet we don’t have a full understanding of the life below its waters. More so, when many people think about sharks in San Francisco Bay, they often think about great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). Consequently, many of the more common elasmobranch species utilizing the bay go unnoticed. Soupfin sharks are one such example. In the early 1940s, Soupfins were heavily fished for their livers yet no one has done an assessment on the population within San Francisco bay since then. Vicky also has links to natural history museums.
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