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Definitive Whale Shark Book Published

Wetpixel member and megafauna scientist, Simon Pierce, has let us known that a new book Whale Sharks: Biology, Ecology, and Conservation will shortly be available. It represents an amazing compendium of almost all the current scientific information about whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Required reading for those visiting Isla Mujeres!

It will be available from 26 August as a hard or soft cover, eBook or Kindle book via Amazon.

From Routledge Publishers

Book Description

Whale sharks are the largest of all fishes, fascinating for comparative studies of all manner of biological fields, including functional anatomy, growth, metabolism, movement ecology, behavior and physiology. These gentle ocean giants have captured the interest of scientists and the imagination of the public, yet their future is uncertain. The conservation status of whale sharks was upgraded to Endangered on the IUCN Red List and the species faces a range of intense threats from human activities. Can these iconic living animals, who have survived for millions of years, survive us?

Written by the world’s leading experts in whale shark biology, ecology, and conservation, Whale Sharks: Biology, Ecology and Conservation is the first definitive volume about the world’s biggest fish. Chapters include discussions of satellite-linked tags, used to track whale shark movements; genetic sequencing, to examine evolutionary adaptations; even the use of underwater ultrasound units to investigate the species’ reproduction. The editors hope that by collating what is known, they can make it easier for future researchers, conservationists, and resource managers to fill some of the remaining knowledge gaps, and provide the information they need to join the team.

As you work your way through this book, we hope that you will develop a sense of awe and marvel at all of our good fortune to share the ocean, and the planet, with this utterly extraordinary species.

Introduction
Alistair D.M. Dove and Simon J. Pierce
Chapter 1. How and why is the whale shark the world’s largest fish?
Alistair D.M. Dove, Mark G. Meekan, and Craig McClain
Chapter 2. Whale shark reproduction, growth, and demography
Simon J. Pierce, Sebastián A. Pardo, Chris A. Rohner, Rui Matsumoto, Kiyomi Murakumo, Ryo Nozu, Alistair D.M. Dove, Cameron Perry, and Mark G. Meekan
Chapter 3. Whale shark sensory biology and neuroanatomy
Kara E. Yopak and Emily E. Peele
Chapter 4. Parasites and other associates of whale sharks
Alistair D.M. Dove and David P. Robinson
Chapter 5. Population genetic structure of whale sharks
Jennifer V. Schmidt
Chapter 6. Whale shark movements and migrations
Alex R. Hearn, Jonathan R. Green, Cesar R. Peñaherrera, Samantha Reynolds, Christoph A. Rohner, Marlon Roman, and Ana M.M. Sequeira
Chapter 7. Population ecology of whale sharks
Christoph A. Rohner, Bradley M. Norman, Samantha Reynolds, Gonzalo Araujo, Jason Holmberg, and Simon J. Pierce
Chapter 8. Whale shark foraging, feeding, and diet
Christoph A. Rohner and Clare E. Prebble
Chapter 9. Lessons from care of whale sharks in public aquariums
Alistair D.M. Dove, Rui Matsumoto, Christian Schreiber, Christopher Coco, Makio Yanagisawa, Tonya Clauss, Lisa Hoopes, and Keiichi Sato
Chapter 10. Whale shark tourism as an incentive-based conservation approach
Jackie Zeigler and Philip Dearden
Chapter 11. Global threats to whale sharks
David Rowat, Freya Womersley, Bradley M. Norman, and Simon J. Pierce
Chapter 12. Conservation of whale sharks
Simon J. Pierce, Molly K. Grace, and Gonzalo Araujo
Chapter 13. Outstanding questions in whale shark research and conservation
David Rowat, David P. Robinson, Alistair D. M. Dove, Gonzalo Araujo, Tonya Clauss, Christopher Coco, Philip Dearden, Molly K. Grace, Jonathan R. Green, Alex R. Hearn, Jason
Holmberg, Lisa Hoopes, Rui Matsumoto, Craig McClain, Mark G. Meekan, Kiyomi Murakumo, Bradley M. Norman, Ryo Nozu, Sebástian A. Pardo, Emily E. Peele, César R. Peñaherrera
Palma, Cameron Perry, Clare E. Prebble, Samantha Reynolds, Marlon Román, Christoph A. Rohner, Keiichi Sato, Jennifer V. Schmidt, Christian Schreiber, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Freya
Womersley, Makio Yanagisawa, Kara E. Yopak, Jackie Ziegler, and Simon J. Pierce.