MoreSignsofTrouble

Gajićalsoexaminessharks’otherorgans.Hefoundsignsoftroublethere,too.Manysharkshadeatenplastic.Hefoundfragmentsintheirstomachsandtheirintestines.Thismaycausesomeoftheproblemsanddiseasesin sharks.


Theseresultsarealarming.Weretheyisolatedcases?Hedoesn’tthinkso,butheneedsmoresamplesfrommoresharkstobesure.Onethingiscertain:Eachofthesediseasescanbetracedto pollution.

Gajićstudiessharksincaptivity, too. 

NextSteps

Gajićhasalotofworkaheadnotjustinfurthersharkstudies,butinconservation,too.Hehasalotofquestions.Canexistinglawsbestrengthenedtoprotecttheenvironment?Canawarenessberaisedsothatpeopleunderstandhowhumanactionsareaffectingmarineanimals?Whatcankidsdotohelpkeepsharks healthy?


Gajićsaystherearemanythingsthatkidscandotohelp.Somemightsurpriseyou.Forexample:Takealookatthetoothpasteyouuse.Sometoothpastescontainmicroplastics.Microplasticsaresmallplasticpieceslessthanfivemillimeters(0.2inches)insize,whichcanbeharmfultoaquaticlife.Youcanalsohelpbynotusingdisposableplasticbagsorplasticdrinkingstraws.Manyofthesethingsendupinour waterways.

Hesaysthatyoucanhelpbyparticipatingincitizenscience.Isthereabeachnearyou?Takeawalk.Lookatwhatyoufindthereyoumayfindtheeggcasesofsomesharkorskatespecies.TakeaphotoanduploadittoiNaturalist.Thismayhelpresearcherslikehimlearnpreciselywheresharknurserygrounds are.


Mostofall,learnasmuchasyoucanaboutsharksandtheirenvironment.Thensharewhatyouknowwithothers.Themoreweknowaboutourworldandhowouractionscanaffectit,theeasieritwillbecometohelpbuildaplanetin balance.

GajićencountersahugejellyfishinNeum Bay.

skateeggcasefoundonabeachin Malta

iNaturalistisacitizenscienceprojectandonlinenetworkofnaturalistsandcitizenscientistsbuiltontheconceptofmappingandsharingobservationsofbiodiversityacrosstheglobe.Tolearnhowtousethisfreeprogram,goto:www.inaturalist.org