Shark Publications
Published results of shark research at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science have brought global attention to significant declines in shark populations due to overfishing, and led to the first U.S. management plan for sharks, in 1993. VIMS research results continue to increase our basic understanding of shark biology and ecology, and to inform stock assessments and fishery management plans at federal and state levels.
Top Stories
- Study finds preliminary recovery of coastal sharks in southeast U.S. (February 2017) Population gains follow enactment of fishing regulations in the early 1990s after decades of declining shark numbers.
Decoding sharks (September 2016) VIMS professor Kevin Weng and W&M undergraduates collaborate on the Eastern Shore to uncover the secrets behind shark behavior. Old and cold: extreme longevity in Greenland sharks (August 2016) Analysis of eye tissues suggests slow-growing species is Earth's oldest vertebrate, and raises concerns about potential impacts from fishing. Reusable shark tags among $90,000 of approved green-fee projects (May 2016) Development of low-power, reusable tags for gathering data on shark populations in Chesapeake Bay is one project approved for green-fee funding. Study discounts alleged link between sharks, rays, and bivalves (February 2016) Says purported link is based on spurious data and reasoning, and calls for reconsideration of related campaign to “Save the Bay, Eat a Ray.” - Summer interns complete marine research at Eastern Shore Lab (August 2014) One student's research helps determine the characteristics of an electric field that best keep sharks from removing bait from longline fishing gear.
- ASMFC honors Gartland with Annual Award of Excellence (November 2013) The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recognizes VIMS researcher Jim Gartland for his outstanding contributions to the field of fisheries science.
- Study suggests a third of shark and ray species are threatened (October 2010) VIMS emeritus professor Jack Musick oversees a global study suggesting that 33% of shark, skate, and ray species are threatened with extinction.
- VIMS shark researchers featured on CNN (October 2009) CNN reports on the VIMS Shark Survey, the longest-running study of shark populations in the world
- Musick honored for lifetime opus (February 2008) Prof. Jack Musick receives the Commonwealth's Lifetime Achievement award for his work on the ecology and conservation of marine fishes, sharks, and sea turtles.
- Shark trip brings research career full circle (July 2005) Prof. Jack Musick returns to New Jersey waters to capture a unique long-term record of changes in mid-Atlantic shark abundance.
Five Most Recent Journal Articles
- Peterson, C.D., et al., Preliminary recovery of coastal sharks in the south-east United States. Fish and Fisheries, 2017. Early Access: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/faf.12210/full
- Marcek, B.J. and J.E. Graves, An Estimate of Postrelease Mortality of School-Size Bluefin Tuna in the U.S. Recreational Troll Fishery. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 2014. 34(3): p. 602-608. http://doi.org/10.1080/02755947.2014.902411
- Kalinoski, M., et al., Spectral sensitivity, luminous sensitivity, and temporal resolution of the visual systems in three sympatric temperate coastal shark species. Journal of Comparative Physiology a-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology, 2014. 200(12): p. 997-1013. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-014-0950-y
- Dulvy, N.K., et al., Extinction risk and conservation of the world's sharks and rays. Elife, 2014. 3. ARTN e00590 http://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00590
- Cotton, C.F., et al., Assessment of radiometric dating for age validation of deep-water dogfish (Order: Squaliformes) finspines. Fisheries Research, 2014. 151: p. 107-113. http://doi.org/10.1016/J.Fishres.2013.10.014
Read a full list of VIMS-authored journal articles related to sharks.