Carcharhinus obscurus Dusky sharks are wide-ranging coastal and pelagic species that prefer temperate to tropical waters. They are large-bodied, typically grey with dusky margins on the fins. They are an important fisheries resource, targeted and taken as bycatch around the world. Their fins are
Because dusky sharks are very slow growing, mature late and have small litters they
Cetorhinus maximus This slow-moving migratory shark is the second largest fish, growing as long as 40 feet and weighing over 5 tons. It is often sighted swimming close to the surface, huge mouth open, filtering 2,000 tons of seawater per hour over its complicated gills to scoop up zooplankton. Ba
In addition, the decomposing remains of basking shark carcasses have been brought
Florida Museum of Natural History mammalogist David Reed has received a $900,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award to study the evolutionary biology of human lice. Reed, an associate curator of mammalogy at the Florida Museum, will use the five-year, $934,498
“Parasitic lice have evolved alongside, but much faster than their human hosts,”
K-12 Teachers and Students Through our Scientist in Every Florida School Program, we build long-term collaborative relationships between teachers and scientists, better integrate current scientific research and big data into classroom lessons that adhere to Florida Sunshine State Standards, and aim
will gain access to a network of K-12 schools, teachers, and district leaders who have
It’s in your heart and liver, in the vegetables you eat, in the rogue cells that cause cancer. Those who live in temperate regions are surrounded by more of it than people who live in the tropics, and without it, humans wouldn’t exist. It’s called polyploidy, and only within the last few years ha
Jerald Pinson • June 3, 2024 Scientists from disparate areas of expertise have
With just a few clicks of a mouse, you can purchase your very own redtail garra, a type of fish that feeds on algae. Information about the fish’s biology, however, is much less easily obtained. That’s because redtail garra, although popular in the aquarium trade since at least the early 2000s, has u
The locality is isolated and difficult to reach, so wild redtail garras have existed
Hawk moths are known for being some of the largest night fliers in the insect world. With wingspans of more than four inches, many species are big enough to comfortably fill the palm of your hand. Thanks to the work of a small team of researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History, three new s
smallest ever discovered by Brian V Smith • July 11, 2022 Researchers have
Elephant-like tusks. A toe bone of an ancient condor. Even a snapping turtle with a smaller turtle coming out of its nose. Some of the discoveries being made at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s new dig site in Williston, Florida, are odd and seemingly out of place, to say the least. Animal
For the past year, museum researchers have been digging against the clock.
What is the practice of finning? In most commercial fisheries, shark meat is considered of low value and sharks are often discarded at sea rather than landed at port. Their fins, on the other hand, are worth quite a lot in the Asian shark fin soup market. This has caused many fishermen to cut t
and dying, and feeding on larger animals such as whales, seals, and tuna, which have
Teaching in the Caribbean islands Our collecting throughout the Caribbean has taken us to many islands. Before each trip we inquire about the local schools and arrange a trip to visit one or more. These trips are used to explain to the students why we are visiting their island, and why we value the
specimens of local bats with us to allow the children to see them up close–most never have
