Background:
White sharks, once abundant in the Mediterranean, have significantly declined due to centuries of fishing and are now listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Despite their ecological importance, there is limited knowledge about their current population and ecology, hindering effective conservation. From 2021 to 2023, three pilot field operations in the Sicilian Channel collected eDNA samples and conducted over 500 hours of baited video surveys. While no white sharks were observed directly, eDNA confirmed their presence at four sites, highlighting one of the last strongholds of this population. This led to the initiation of a multi-institutional conservation program to estimate their abundance, assess extinction risk, and inform future management efforts.
Mission:
The proposed project aims to detect and study Mediterranean White Sharks through a cutting-edge, non-invasive scientific expedition in the Sicilian Channel, planned for May-June 2025. Using environmental DNA (eDNA), remote underwater cameras, and satellite telemetry, the expedition will survey nine locations to detect live sharks, film free-swimming individuals, and tag them to track their movements. The project seeks to gather groundbreaking data on shark behavior, abundance, and migration, which will be crucial for conservation efforts. If successful, it could reveal key aggregation and nursery areas, inform fisheries management, and help protect the critically endangered species from extinction by influencing conservation policies.
Research Impacts & Applications:
The findings of scientific-led expeditions to the Mediterranean in search for critically endangered white sharks will inform conservation, management, and policy decisions.
