Science Projects on Sharks

Sharks have been around for millions of years, with the most notorious being the Carcharodon megalodon, which is considered to be the great-grand-daddy of the modern-day Great White shark. There are sharks in all the oceans of the world, some even being found lurking in freshwater rivers such as the Amazon in Brazil, the mighty Mississippi in the United States and the Zambezi in Africa. To date, there are well over 400 documented species and more will likely be found as we continue to probe and explore the depths of the oceans. Below is an introduction to some of the most commonly known sharks

  1. Great White

    • The great white, Carcharodon carcharias, is considered to be the most fearsome of all sharks, due in large part to Peter Benchley's book "Jaws" (and the film of the same name) about a man-eating shark that sets its site on a small island village. Great whites are solitary animals, seeking out others only for mating. Child-rearing is non-existent and once a pup is born it is on its own. Great whites are warm blooded, which allows them to live in cool to temperate waters, and still be able to catch their fast-swimming prey: seals, sea lions and tuna to name a few. They are most commonly found off the coasts of California, South Africa and Australia. Their teeth are triangular in shape, with serrations on both sides. Great whites can reach lengths of over 6.1 meters, although, now it is becoming more difficult to find the larger specimens due to so many being killed for sport and sheer ignorance. Great whites have attacked people, but these attacks can usually be chalked up to mistaken identity.

    Tiger Shark

    • The tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, is fondly referred to as the "swimming trashcan" mainly, because, well, it will eat anything. Contents of the tiger shark's stomach have yielded such finds as license plates, suits of armor, tires, shoes and many other non-edible items. The diet of a tiger shark for feeding purposes, however, is usually filled by sea turtles, birds and fish. It can reach lengths of 4 meters. They are easily distinguished by their broad snout and the dark stripes the run vertically along the length of its body. This shark prefers the warm, temperate waters of tropical oceans, such as those around Hawaii. The teeth of a tiger shark are scythe-like curves with sharp serrations. The tiger shark has been known to attack people as well, and this can be largely in part due to the fact that they are willing to try anything.

    Bull Shark

    • The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, is further broken down into separate sympatric species that define the area in which they are found. The bull shark is unique in that it can thrive in both salt water and freshwater-- meaning it can go from one to the other without any trouble. This shark can attain lengths up up to 3.5 meters, and some have been known to live for a quarter of a century. Their teeth are triangular and serrated, which they use for catching fish, smaller sharks and rays. They produce litters ranging from 1 to 13 pups. Because bull sharks can live in both salt and fresh water, it is possibly the most deadly shark because it has double the chance of "bumping into" someone out enjoying the water.

    Whale Shark

    • The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is easily distinguished by its polka-dot, checkerboard markings. It is the largest of all sharks, reaching lengths of 20 meters, and has a wide, broad mouth at the very front of its head. Based on the sheer size of this shark, one would think that it could easily swallow anything that crossed its path; however, that couldn't be further from the truth. The whale shark is very docile and has even given "rides" to divers that swim up to it--just watch out for the tail. The whale shark also eats plankton, some of the smallest creatures found floating in the ocean. As the shark swims lazily through warm, temperate waters, it gulps ocean water and sifts out plankton with its gill rakers. Two other large, plankton-eating sharks include the basking shark and the megamouth shark.