White Sharks Global
Port Lincoln, South Australia, Australia
Sunday 12th to Friday 17th of November 2023
Photo by Andrew Fox
White Sharks Global is an international scientific conference aiming to provide an in-person forum for the white shark community to meet, share ideas, update information and report on the progress of recent scientific studies. The last white shark-focused conference was in 2010. A wealth of new studies has been undertaken since, creating a need to share research advancements, and updates on current human impacts and conservation outcomes.
Conference Venue
The conference will be held at the Port Lincoln Hotel, 1 Lincoln Highway Port Lincoln, South Australia.
Program
Sunday to Friday will be packed with three days of workshops, two days of talks, and a free day to enjoy South Australia and go see the local white sharks. Workshops are TBA.
Sunday
Workshops
Evening icebreaker
Monday
Presentations
Evening posters
Tuesday
Presentations
Student night
Wednesday
White shark trip
Thursday
Workshops
Friday
Workshops
Conference dinner
Photo by Andrew Fox
Plenary speakers
Dr Michael Domeier will open the White Sharks Global conference by linking our current level of knowledge to the last white shark-focus conference 13 years ago. His talk will be titled “A creature of habit: unique challenges to studying and managing white shark populations”.
Australian Greens Senator for lutruwita/Tasmania will present on Sharks: Politics, Policy and Polarisation. Fear is a potent force in politics, and given the intersection between politics and policy, this presents significant challenges in balancing the ongoing conservation of great white sharks and other marine species with realistic public safety outcomes. This presentation outlines these challenges, including the role the media plays in polarising public opinion and influencing political outcomes on this significant matter of public interest.
Dr Alison Kock and Prof Mike Heithaus will give an ecology-focused plenary and discuss the trophic role of white sharks in the Anthropocene, from their standard role as top predator that white sharks are known for to their increasing role as prey and its implications for marine ecosystems. Their talk is titled “Elucidating the ecological roles and importance of white sharks: current knowledge and a pathway to advance our understanding”
Sarah Waries and Prof Christopher G. Lowe will combine their expertise from South Africa and the USA where different shark bite mitigation programs have been developed and are being implemented, and talk about their experience managing measures to reduce the risk of shark bites and related public concerns.
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Charlie Huveneers
Flinders University, Australia
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Alison Towner
Rhodes University, South Africa
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Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki
Centre for Scientific Research and Higher Education in Ensenada, Mexico
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Lauren Meyer
Flinders University, Australia
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Chris Lowe
California State University Long Beach, USA
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Greg Skomal
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, USA
Sponsors
Humpback whale
Fur Seal
Yellowfin tuna
Stingray
Squid
Prize contributors
Interested in being a conference sponsor? Your support enables students and researchers to attend the conference, supports workshops, funds prizes and travel awards, and allows us to host networking events for attendees. Contact us at info@whitesharksglobal.com for a sponsor pack detailing how your support makes White Sharks Global possible.