1st Edition

Global Perspectives on the Biology and Life History of the White Shark

Edited By Michael L. Domeier Copyright 2012
    568 Pages 240 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Inspired by the International White Shark Symposium in 2010, Global Perspectives on the Biology and Life History of the White Shark incorporates the most important contemporary research findings into a single peer-reviewed book. This beautifully illustrated reference represents a historic change in the context of White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) research. Once considered one of the most poorly understood and difficult sharks to study, this timely book recognizes a new sophisticated focus on the White Shark, raising its status from obscurity to enlightenment. The Global Perspectives on the Biology and Life History of the White Shark celebrates the White Shark as the most studied shark in the sea.

    Within the chapters one can find new insights into a vast range of topics, such as behavior, physiology, migration patterns, habitat preferences, daily activity patterns, molecular genetics, reproductive biology and new research methods. The book also delves into population monitoring and policy options for managers and researchers.

    Section I: Biology, Behavior, and Physiology
    Captive Feeding and Growth of Young-of-the-Year White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
    Juan M. Ezcurra, Christopher G. Lowe, Henry F. Mollet, Lara A. Ferry, and John B. O’Sullivan
    Oxygen Consumption Rate of Young-of-the-Year White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) during Transport to the Monterey Bay Aquarium
    Juan M. Ezcurra, Christopher G. Lowe, Henry F. Mollet, Lara A. Ferry, and John B. O’Sullivan
    Size-Based Analysis of Diet and Trophic Position of the White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in South African Waters
    Nigel E. Hussey, Heather M. McCann, Geremy Cliff, Sheldon F. J. Dudley, Sabine P. Wintner, and Aaron T. Fisk
    White Sharks and Cephalopod Prey: Indicators of Habitat Use?
    Malcolm J. Smale and Geremy Cliff
    Heavy Metals, Trace Elements, and Organochlorine Contaminants in Muscle and Liver Tissue of Juvenile White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) from the Southern California Bight
    Christopher G. Mull, Mary E. Blasius, John O’Sullivan, and Christopher G. Lowe
    Boat-Strike Wound Healing in Carcharodon carcharias
    Alison Towner, Malcolm J. Smale, and Oliver Jewel
    A Summary of Observations on the Maximum Size Attained by the White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias
    Jose I. Castro
    Investigatory Behavior toward Surface Objects and Nonconsumptive Strikes on Seabirds by White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) at Seal Island, South Africa (1997–2010)
    Neil Hammerschlag, R. Aidan Martin, Chris Fallows, Ralph S. Collier, and Rob Lawrence
    Comparisons between White Shark-Pinniped Interactions at Seal Island (South Africa) with Other Sites in California
    Chris Fallows, R. Aidan Martin, and Neil Hammerschlag

    Section II: Migratory Patterns and Habitat Use
    Fine-Scale Habitat Use by White Sharks at Guadalupe Island, Mexico
    Michael L. Domeier, Nicole Nasby-Lucas, and Chi H. Lam
    Sex-Specific Migration Patterns and Sexual Segregation of Adult White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Northeastern Pacific
    Michael L. Domeier and Nicole Nasby-Lucas
    The Northeastern Pacific White Shark Shared Offshore Foraging Area (SOFA): A First Examination and Description from Ship Observations and Remote Sensing
    Michael L. Domeier, Nicole Nasby-Lucas, and Daniel M. Palacios
    Connectivity among White Shark Coastal Aggregation Areas in the Northeastern Pacific
    Salvador J. Jorgensen, Taylor K. Chapple, Scot Anderson, Mauricio Hoyos, Carol Reeb, and Barbara A. Block
    Historic Fishery Interactions with White Sharks in the Southern California Bight
    Christopher G. Lowe, Mary E. Blasius, Erica T. Jarvis, Tom J. Mason, Gwen D. Goodmanlowe, and John B. O’Sullivan
    Incidental Catch and Ecological Observations of Juvenile White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in Baja California, Mexico, and Its Conservation Implications
    Omar Santana-Morales, Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki, Miguel A. Escobedo-Olvera, Erick C. Oñate-González, John B. O’Sullivan, and Daniel Cartamil
    A New Life-History Hypothesis for White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Northeastern Pacific
    Michael L. Domeier
    Habitat Use and Spatial Dynamics of Juvenile White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in Eastern Australia
    B. D. Bruce and R. W. Bradford
    Identifying Juvenile White Shark Behavior from Electronic Tag Data
    R. W. Bradford, A. J. Hobday, and B. D. Bruce
    Beach Areas Preferred by Juvenile White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in Eastern Australia from Long-Term Catch-per-Unit-Effort and Movement Data
    Jonathan M. Werry, Barry Bruce, Wayne Sumpton, Dennis Reid, and David G. Mayer
    Seasonal Sexual and Size Segregation of White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, at the Neptune Islands, South Australia
    Rachel L. Robbins and David J. Booth
    Regional Population Connectivity, Oceanic Habitat, and Return Migration Revealed by Satellite Tagging of White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) at New Zealand Aggregation Sites
    Clinton A. J. Duffy, Malcolm P. Francis, Michael Manning, and Ramon Bonfil
    The Third Dimension: Vertical Habitat Use by White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in New Zealand and in Oceanic and Tropical Waters of the Southwest Pacific Ocean
    Malcolm P. Francis, Clinton Duffy, Ramon Bonfil, and Michael J. Manning
    New Caledonia (South Pacific) as a Potential Tropical Wintering Ground for the White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias
    Eric Clua and Bernard Séret

    Section III: Population Monitoring, Policy, and Review
    Application of Molecular Genetics for Conservation of the Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, L. 1758
    Chrysoula Gubili, Clinton Duffy, Geremy Cliff, Sabine Wintner, Mahmood Shivji, Demian Chapman, Barry Bruce, Andrew P. Martin, David W. Sims, Catherine S. Jones, and Leslie R. Noble
    Use of Photo Identification to Describe a White Shark Aggregation at Guadalupe Island, Mexico
    Nicole Nasby-Lucas and Michael L. Domeier
    Problems with Photo Identification as a Method of Estimating Abundance of White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias): An Example from Guadalupe Island, Mexico
    Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki, Enrique Morales-Bojórquez, Nicole Nasby-Lucas, Erick C. Oñate-González, and Michael L. Domeier
    Implications of Increasing Pinniped Populations on the Diet and Abundance of White Sharks off the Coast of Massachusetts
    Gregory B. Skomal, John Chisholm, and Steven J. Correia
    Back to the Wild: Release of Juvenile White Sharks from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
    Kevin C. Weng, John B. O’Sullivan, Christopher G. Lowe, Chuck E. Winkler, Mary E. Blasius, Kerri A. Loke-Smith, Timothy J. Sippel, Juan M. Ezcurra, Salvador J. Jorgensen, and Michael J. Murray
    Shark Spotters: A Pioneering Shark-Safety Program in Cape Town, South Africa
    Alison Kock, Sarah Titley, Wally Petersen, Monwabisi Sikweyiya, Sakhile Tsotsobe, Darryl Colenbrander, Howard Gold, and Gregg Oelofse
    The Use of a Nonlethal Technique to Assess the Reproductive Biology of the White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias
    James A. Sulikowski, Laura J. Williams, and Michael L. Domeier
    Responding to the Risk of White Shark Attack: Updated Statistics, Prevention, Control Methods, and Recommendations
    Tobey H. Curtis, Barry D. Bruce, Geremy Cliff, Sheldon F. J. Dudley, A. Peter Klimley, Alison A. Kock, Robert N. Lea, Christopher G. Lowe, John E. McCosker, Gregory B. Skomal, Jonathan M. Werry, and John G. West
    A Review of Research on the White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus), in Southern Africa
    Sheldon F. J. Dudley

    Biography

    Michael L. Domeier, Ph.D., is the founding President of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, a Southern California nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between research and conservation. Dr. Domeier earned his B.S. in marine biology from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1987, followed by a Ph.D. in marine biology and fisheries from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in 1992. He has made important contributions to a wide variety of specialized fields, including coral reef fish ecology, pelagic fish ecology, and the advancement of electronic tagging technology and methods. He was the Organizing Chair of the Fourth International Billfish Symposium held in 2004 and he also chaired the 2009 International White Shark Symposium. His pioneering White Shark research at Guadalupe Island, Mexico, distinguishes him among the world’s foremost White Shark experts.

    "The great white shark remains an enigma: it is simultaneously poorly understood and heavily studied. Editor Domeier (founding president, Marine Conservation Science Institute) is likely correct in his claim that, "With the publication of this book, White Sharks have earned the title of the most studied shark in the ocean." Each of the 32 chapters could easily stand alone as a scientific publication in a quality journal. The chapters are organized into three sections: "Biology, Behavior, and Physiology"; "Migratory Patterns and Habitat Use"; and "Population Monitoring, Policy, and Review." For lay readers, most of the chapters cover too much minutiae to be of general interest (e.g., oxygen consumption rates, muscle contaminants, population connectivity). However, nonexpert readers will appreciate chapters on dispelling myths about the true maximum size of this species, experiences keeping them captive in a public aquarium, and details of shark attacks. Ultimately, this is a book about one subject, Carcharodon carcharias, written by, and for, researchers of that species. It is most certainly a wonderful scholarly work, and although it is not Jaws, it does this amazing, threatened creature more justice than any prior scientific work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers/faculty, and professionals."
    P. Chakrabarty, Louisiana State University for CHOICE Magazine

    "Each chapter is written by a different group of scientists and represents original peer-reviewed research. An enormous variety of research is covered, including physiology, behavioral ecology, diet, toxicology, migratory patterns, hunting behavior, historical fisheries, and policy implications. Some of the discoveries discussed in this volume…represent a drastic change in how scientists think about great whites- for example, recent satellite tagging has shown that they are primarily an open-ocean species and engage in huge migrations. As great whites are one of the best known, best studied, and best protected species of sharks, I’m pleased to see such an excellent volume focusing exclusively on them."
    —David Shiffman – WhySharksMatter, in Southern Fried Science, July 23, 2012