Title
USING CITIZEN SCIENCE TO DETECT RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES: NEW RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS OFF THE LIBYAN COAST
Author
Alessandro DE MADDALENA
Shark Museum, Cape Town
... show all
Abstract
The presence of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Mediterranean Sea is well documented, but encounters with this species are rare and all assumptions about its spatial and temporal distribution are heavily relying on anecdotal observations. To date, only one record off the Libyan coast has been reported, raising the question if this species is underreported in these waters or simply represents a rare occasional transient. We utilised citizen science-sourced data to document the presence of the great white shark off the Libyan coast, and found six additional records for this species from the period between 2017 and 2020. Our study points out the need for scientific monitoring of this species along the Libyan coast to facilitate the establishment of effective conservation plans to protect this critically endangered species.
Keywords
Elasmobranchiicartilaginous fishconservation biologyfisheriessocial mediathreatened species
Object type
Language
English [eng]
Persistent identifier
https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:1611093
Appeared in
Title
Annales : Anali za istrske in mediteranske študije = Annali di Studi istriani e mediterranei = Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean studies. Series historia naturalis
Volume
31
Issue
1
ISSN
1408-533X
Issued
2021
From page
51
Publisher
Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko – Koper
Date issued
2021
Access rights
University of Vienna | Universitätsring 1 | 1010 Vienna | T +43-1-4277-0