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Life Sciences Commons

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Journal

The University of Southern Mississippi

2007

Whale shark

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Observations Of A Feeding Aggregation Of Whale Sharks, Rhincodon Typus, In The North Central Gulf Of Mexico, Eric R. Hoffmayer, James S. Franks, William B. Driggers Iii, Kenneth J. Oswald, Joseph M. Quattro Jan 2007

Observations Of A Feeding Aggregation Of Whale Sharks, Rhincodon Typus, In The North Central Gulf Of Mexico, Eric R. Hoffmayer, James S. Franks, William B. Driggers Iii, Kenneth J. Oswald, Joseph M. Quattro

Gulf and Caribbean Research

On 26 June 2006 an aggregation of 16 whale sharks was observed for a period of 4 hr in the north central Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The sharks remained within an area about 1.0 km2 in size and continuously ram filter fed at the surface. Visual analysis of a plankton sample collected from the study site revealed the presence of copious amounts of fish eggs in mid-embryonic development and a minor amount of other zooplankton. A second plankton sample (control) collected about 3.5 km from the study site in an area where no whale sharks were present contained few …


Whale Sharks Of The Western Caribbean: An Overview Of Current Research And Conservation Efforts And Future Needs For Effective Management Of The Species, Rachel T. Graham Jan 2007

Whale Sharks Of The Western Caribbean: An Overview Of Current Research And Conservation Efforts And Future Needs For Effective Management Of The Species, Rachel T. Graham

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are seasonal visitors to four sites in the Western Caribbean, 3 of which are encompassed by the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Predictable encounters with the world's largest fish have raised this species' profile globally and led to several research and conservation efforts that aim to elucidate the need for information for the species management and balance the growing demand for highly lucrative encounter tourism. Tagging studies have demonstrated that the whale shark population is relatively small and likely forms a single population. Individuals move throughout the region between 3 of 4 known feeding sites and …