| Green Travel News |
The Aquarium of the Bay now has a massive Sevengill Shark swimming in its midst as part of to its ongoing shark research program. The 9-1/2 ft. long, 319 lb. female notorhychus cepedianus is one of the largest sharks ever exhibited. The nonprofit marine nature center, a certified green business and founding member of the San Francisco Seafood Watch Alliance, conducts extensive research on sharks in the San Francisco Bay. Staff will eventually tag the animal and release it back to the exact point where it was collected.
While sevengill sharks are common in San Francisco Bay (though rarely seen by the public), very little is actually known about their behavior and ecology.
Working with UC-Davis’ Biotelemetry Lab, Aquarium of the Bay staff has implanted transmitters into sevengills to collect valuable information about their movements and activities. Collecting this information will provide a long-term perspective on the sharks’ life patterns, basic ecology and issues which endanger their existence.
The Aquarium is an affiliate of The Bay Institute, a nonprofit organization that has successfully developed and led research, science, education and advocacy programs to revitalize the Bay’s imperiled ecosystems for nearly 30 years.
The Aquarium’s exhibits focus on the Bay’s diverse aquatic life and distinctive ecosystems. The Aquarium hosts nearly 600 thousand visitors each year, and provides free classes and tours to more than 15 thousand Bay Area school children annually.
