A team of researchers is working to protect one of the last remaining white shark populations in the Sicilian Channel, a strait that divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea.
Dubbed the 'White Shark Chase', the initiative – led by Francesco Ferretti, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech – aims to tag and study these secretive sharks to better understand their movements and numbers.
Unlike their counterparts in places like California, where white sharks gather near seal colonies, the Mediterranean's sharks have no known aggregation spots. They are extremely rare, and this makes them very hard to find, say the researchers.
Taylor Chapple, an assistant professor at Oregon State University and white shark expert, explains how the diet of these animals – which probably comprises tuna and small fish – is also very different from that of other white sharks around the world. "It almost flips our understanding of white sharks on its head. It allows these animals that are a couple of tons – bigger than any land predators – to exist on a resource that is very surprising. Seals are very fatty, and these sharks are feeding on tuna and still getting this large."
This research, published in Frontiers of Marine Science, is a crucial first step in establishing a long-term monitoring programme to prevent the Mediterranean white shark from becoming extinct.
White Shark Chase
Between 2021 and 2023, Ferretti's team conducted three pilot expeditions, using advanced techniques including environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling to find traces of the animals in the water.
The researchers faced significant challenges during the study, including limited access to research vessels and heavy commercial fishing traffic in the area. But despite this they detected white sharks on five occasions, confirming the southern Sicilian Channel, particularly near northern Africa, as a potential stronghold for these endangered predators.
"This area is highly impacted by fishing, and it is where we are focusing our efforts now," says Ferretti. "The pilot expeditions allowed us to recalibrate for a larger program and provided valuable insight into where to focus future efforts."
During the expeditions, the researchers journeyed from Marsala, on the north-west tip of Sicily, to various islands including Lampedusa and Pantelleria, as well as Tunisia and Malta, deploying long-line cameras and collecting eDNA samples along the way.
One notable expedition in 2023 involved an 87-foot sailing yacht and a film crew documenting the mission. Although the team didn’t encounter white sharks directly, they did make progress by tagging a mako shark, a first for the region. This experience, while not the main target of their research, marked a step forward in understanding the broader ecosystem of the Mediterranean.
What's next?
Looking ahead, the team is planning further expeditions to expand their search across the Mediterranean. Ferretti believes there may be other critical areas, including possible nursery grounds in the eastern Mediterranean.
The researchers are also collaborating with local communities and fishers to gather biological material and track shark interactions with human activities. This will help them learn more about the sharks' diet, habitat and population structure as they grow.
"We don't do research in a vacuum," says Chapple, emphasising the importance of working with local communities and stakeholders. These partnerships, spanning universities, regions and international institutions, are crucial to the team's success in protecting the Mediterranean white shark.
Without dedicated conservation efforts, Ferretti warns, this ancient predator could vanish from Mediterranean waters. "We do not want to lose it," he concludes, underscoring the urgency of their mission.
Find out more about the study On the tracks of white sharks in the Mediterranean Sea.
More wild stories from around the world
- When a rock the size of four Mt Everests hit Earth, it made oceans boil – then something even more astounding happened
- 22 notorious thieves found hiding in Pennsylvania. But it's not what you think
- Azores to create largest Marine Protected Area in North Atlantic – and a 'blueprint' for the rest of the world
- "Holy cow, that's huge!" Scientists unearth remains of prehistoric 'swamp dweller' in north-west Colorado
