Our Crowdfunding Groups
Great white sharks are one of the most widespread, well-known, and charismatic predators in the ocean. Due to their size, speed, and impressive array of teeth, they seem absolutely invincible.
However, coastal, recreational, and industrial fishing have impacted many white shark populations around the world. In the Mediterranean Sea, they are now considered critically endangered, the highest level of concern according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
A team of researchers, led by Virginia Tech’s Francesco Ferretti, is launching an unprecedented expedition this month to help save the Mediterranean white shark.
The White Shark Chase will take place June 8-24. If successful, the researchers will film and — for the first time ever —tag Mediterranean white sharks while collecting critical biological and ecological data from live individuals. Gaining knowledge about the status of the population and the life history of the individuals tagged will be the first steps in developing conservation and recovery plans.
You can have a direct impact on the success of the White Shark Chase by funding the cost of renting time on the boat that will take the researchers to the sharks.
Ferretti, assistant professor of wildlife conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment (bottom right in the photo below), will be joined by an international team of researchers, including two Virginia Tech graduate students. They will use cutting-edge marine technology, statistical modeling, and crowdsourced information from local communities to survey, track, and tag what may be the last sharks in the Mediterranean.
Thank you for choosing to help make our project possible!
Thank you! You have helped launch the White Shark Chase and get the team on the water!
Thanks to you, the White Shark Chase researchers are off!
Thank you! Your gift has made it possible for researchers to spend a morning tracking a white shark.
Thank you! You have provided the researchers with valuable time on the water to track and tag a white shark in the Mediterranean!
With your help, the researchers have spent a week working to save the critically endangered Mediterranean white shark!