Sharks in Mexico: Research and Conservation

Dr. Shawn Larson received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Science. Shawn is the Senior Conservation Research Manager at the Seattle Aquarium. She has been working with sea otters for 28 years focusing on sea otter reproduction, population genetics, diet characteristics, nearshore ecology, and most recently the sea otter’s role in mitigating climate change. Dr. Larson has organized and run the Sea Otter Conservation Workshop in Seattle since 1999, serves as the Sea Otter Species Coordinator for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission’s Otter Specialist Group and co-edited Volume 1 of Sea Otter Conservation. Dr. Dayv Lowry received his Ph.D. from the University of South Florida Department of Integrative Biology, leads the Puget Sound Marine Fish Science Unit at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and has been studying shark ecomorphology and conservation for 17 years. Dr. Lowry has published numerous peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and government reports on the biology and ecology of marine fishes. Dr. Lowry has organized and run international marine fish research symposia, developed and implemented fishery policies that promote sustainable conservation, and is currently a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Northeast Pacific Shark Specialist Group tasked with defining the conservation status of all shark species in the northeastern Pacific. He also serves as the WDFW representative on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee.

• 1. Introduction: The sharks of Pacific Mexico and their conservation - why should we care? 2. Biodiversity and Conservation of sharks in Pacific Mexico 3. Shark ecology, the role of the apex predator and current conservation status4. Review of current genetic analyses for sharks of Pacific Mexico and conservation implications5. Conclusion