New research will help scientists predict where and when animals will move, a task which is becoming more urgent, given the current rapid pace of global change.  

On our planet, at any one moment, billions of animals are on the move.  From migratory birds, insects, marine mammals and sharks connecting distant continents and seas, to bees and other insects pollinating our crops, to grazing animals roaming across the plain.    The study of animal movement has grown fast in recent decades.  However, much of this work still focuses on describing and understanding current patterns, rather than predicting future movements. 

The problem is that using the past and present as a guide will be of limited use given how quickly environments are changing, due to new patterns of land use, climate change, and human population shifts.

This is where the new research comes in.  It sets out a framework that can help scientists provide more robust predictions in rapidly changing environmental conditions.    It can help to conserve species, but also to protect wider ecosystems and our environment and the many services these provide to human wellbeing.

A sea turtle’s shell is a masterpiece. A new study reveals that marine turtle shells combine flexibility and strength to protect against predators like sharks and stress while optimizing movement. This adaptation highlights the complex design of their shells and provides insights into this remarkable balance of strength and flexibility, which has allowed them to survive in the ocean for millions of years – an example of evolution shaping species in an environment.

Scientists have revealed for the first time that some fish sneak up on their prey by hiding behind sharks. The previously unknown behaviour was discovered by a team of researchers, including scientists from the University of Edinburgh, studying sandbar sharks in the Mediterranean Sea.

Underwater video footage captured by divers and remotely operated vehicles shows a type of small predatory fish – called blue runners – using the sharks for cover while they hunt.

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, has uncovered evidence of far-reaching ecosystem consequences following the disappearance of Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) from False Bay, South Africa. The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, spans over two decades and documents cascading ecological disruptions, underscoring the crucial role apex predators play in maintaining ocean health.

Great hammerhead sharks are slow to grow and slow to reproduce, which makes them very vulnerable to overfishing — worldwide populations have shrunk and genetic diversity is dangerously low. To conserve these sharks, identifying the habitats they use and when they use them is critical. Scientists tagging and tracking sharks near Andros Island in the Bahamas have now discovered that although some sharks travel to the east coast of the US, others prefer to stick closer to home, living in the warm waters around Andros and returning to the same sites year after year. 

A new Flinders University-led research paper, published in Marine Environmental Research, shows that chemicals used to preserve shark jaws do not affect the isotopes, enabling preserved jaws to be used for revealing what sharks eat and where they feed.

Nearly one-third of sharks are threatened with extinction, mostly due to fishing. While mandated releases are helpful, researchers discovered that they aren't enough to stabilize shark populations.