ACS Monterey Bay Program for April 2006

Life Styles of White, Salmon, Mako and Blue Sharks in the North Pacific

Shortfin Mako Shark photo by Peggy Stap, taken on a Monterey Bay Whale Watch trip. See related story.

Thursday, April 27, 2006 7 p.m. Refreshments, 7:30 p.m. Program Lecture Hall, Monterey Boatworks, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove (Across from American Tin Cannery Outlet Stores) Speaker: Kevin Weng, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University

Have you ever wondered where sharks live? Do they dwell in one location their entire lives or do they like to roam the ocean? How does their behavior compare between different species? Learn how researcher Kevin Weng from Hopkins Marine Station and colleagues track the movements of white, salmon, shortfin mako and blue sharks in the North Pacific Ocean.

Using cutting edge satellite tracking technology, they were able to follow the movements of these sharks and show that related species have very different kinds of migratory behaviors. Adult white sharks moved from California into the open Pacific as far as Hawaii, while juveniles used the continental shelf of southern California and Baja. Shortfin makos and blue sharks used the California Current system but also made large offshore movements to the south and west. Salmon sharks were more likely to be in the productive waters of Alaska and the Bering Sea but also made rapid long distance migrations south into subtropical waters.

Come and learn about the biology of these fascinating creatures, their unique behaviors, and hypotheses about the factors that drive them to undertake such long journeys during their lifetimes.

Related web pages:

• Hopkins Marine Station
• Mako shark sighted in Monterey Bay

• Back to list of previous meetings.