The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, is a large, heavy-bodied shark widespread along tropical and sub-tropical coasts around the world. They feed on a wide variety of prey items including fish, elasmobranchs, mammals, and sea turtles. The bull shark will penetrate far up rivers and streams into fresh water and exist there for extended periods of time. In the western North Atlantic, the bull shark ranges from Massachusetts to the Caribbean, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River.
In cooperation with Douglas Adams, research scientist, at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission in Melbourne, FL, the age and growth of the bull shark in the western North Atlantic Ocean is being examined. Samples have been obtained primarily from research cruises, commercial fishermen and the Commercial Shark Fisheries Observer Program. A similar study on the bull shark from the Gulf of Mexico is being conducted by John Carlson, fisheries scientist at the NMFS Panama City Laboratory.
Contact Information:
Douglas Adams
Doug.Adams@fwc.state.fl.us
Lisa Natanson, Ph.D.
Lisa.Natanson@noaa.gov