Four days at the International White Shark Symposium
Written by: Hannah Medd
February 16, 2010
The great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, is a formidable study subject. This is not only because of the inherent dangers of dealing with an animal that can reach a length of 19.5 feet with several sets of large triangular serrated teeth, but also because of its rare occurrence in an unforgiving environment.
Some people question the sanity of those who eagerly face rough seas to observe, photograph, handle, track, and monitor an animal that has the potential to kill a human but there is a hardy stock of marine researchers that believe there is more to these animals than the archaic image from the movie Jaws and have dedicated much of their lives to elucidate the mysteries of this elusive shark to better understand its role in the ocean ecosystems.
These characters of somewhat dubious career choice descended upon the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, gathering at the New Otani Hotel on Waikiki Beach for four days of networking and presentations from February 7-10, 2010. It has been several years since a dedicated white shark symposium has been held and it seemed about time to revamp the old reference volume with the technological advances and renewed interest in this species of shark.
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