Five “Jaws”-dropping projects for Shark Week
As a prelude to the Discovery Channel’s 30th year of Shark Week, SciStarter’s editors picked these five projects you can do related to sharks and their conservation. Whether it’s collecting and reporting shark egg cases or documenting sightings to track species, there are many ways to unlock your inner elasmobranchologist before July 22, the start of Shark Week!
Cheers! The SciStarter Team
Have you ever found a “Mermaid’s Purse” on the beach? It’s the leathery egg case of sharks, skates and rays. Hunt for these empty egg cases to help scientists learn more about the egg laying and distribution of sharks and skates.
Location: Global
Are you a SCUBA diver (or know someone who is?) — take online surveys about sharks to help researchers learn how shark and ray populations have changed over time.
Location: Global
If you’re in New England, report your sightings of basking sharks and ocean sunfish! Your data will be used to monitor local populations and better understand their migration patterns.
Location: New England, USA
SharkBase is building a global network of shark observers collecting vital information about the abundance and distribution of sharks and rays worldwide. Sightings can be reported from in-person or even sharks seen on television!
Location: Global
Did you know that the unique spot patterns on the skin of the whale shark can be used to track individual sharks? Submit whale shark photos from tourism or research to track global whale shark migrations.
Location: Global
Discover more citizen science on the SciStarter calendar. Did you know your SciStarter dashboard helps you track your contributions to projects? Complete your profile to access free tools. Want even more citizen science? Check out SciStarter’s Project Finder! With 1100+ citizen science projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!
