White Shark Chase 2025

From 20 – 31 October, 2025, The International SeaKeepers Society hosted an expedition in the Sicilian Channel aboard DISCOVERY Vessel TE STREEP to support 9 researchers from Virginia Tech’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation with their white shark studies, and documentarians from Blue Marine Foundation. In the Mediterranean Sea, white shark populations are highly threatened due to overfishing and habitat degradation. However, they also remain largely understudied with little known about their aggregations. White sharks play a vital role in the marine ecosystem, maintaining ecological balance through predation of weaker individuals. Improving understanding of their presence in the region is therefore key to improving their conservation status and ensuring ocean health. Over the 18 day at-sea expedition in the Sicilian Channel, the researchers had unprecedented access to the local marine environment for both shark tagging and eDNA analysis to pursue their research goals.

Although no sharks were encountered or tagged on the expedition, the team collected 45 eDNA samples from various locations across the region which will provide insight into the movement patterns and migration routes of individuals. These samples will indicate whether white sharks were present or absent in the study area, highlighting which specific aspects of the Sicilian Channel are favoured habitats and which are less frequently utilised. Future endeavours will focus on further investigations into white shark population distributions and dynamics in the region, with the aim of collating evidence to support the implementation of targeted conservation measures through international cooperation and long-term efforts.