November 14th @ 7 PM – Beban Social Centre, Room 2:
Sharks of British Columbia
Sharks! The very word conjures up images of dangerous, large, ferocious creatures with voracious appetites. For the vast majority of sharks this image couldn’t be farther from the truth—most sharks are cautious and placid, and many live in waters that exclude them from human contact. Did you know that sharks inhabit the waters off British Columbia? You might be surprised to discover that fifteen species of sharks have been observed off British Columbia. There is so much about sharks that makes them fascinating – come learn about the biology of the sharks of BC, and about some of the research that has helped to supply our knowledge of this extraordinary group of animals.
Dr. Jackie King is a Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. She is head of the Canadian Pacific Shark Research Lab which conducts research on all chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, and ratfish) that occur in British Columbia. Her research includes age determination, population dynamics, distribution and migration and conservation. Her program also runs the BC Shark Sightings Network. She has co-authored the first ever field guide to sharks and skates of BC, which will be published this winter by the Royal Museum of BC.
Link to Canadian Pacific Shark Research Lab: www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sharks
Link to Shark Sightings Network: www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/SharkSightings