GULPER SHARK (GULPER GRANULOSUS)

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Gulper shark is a species that inhabits the slopes of the continental coasts of different regions of the planet, being found from 50m to the 1440m of depth. Although it is true that it can inhabit from 50m deep sea, this shark is rarely seen at depths less than 200 m. 

Its most notable characteristics are very large and green eyes, a grey/brown coloration in the dorsal and clear part of the ventral area, and thorns in the dorsal fins. Also, your skin is covered with mucus. As for its diet, it feeds on: small bony fish, squid and crustaceans. Its type of reproduction is Ovoviviparous which means that the eggs are incubated inside the mother’s body, after that, the mother lays the eggs, and already outside the mother’s body the offspring are born. 

The Gulper shark is classified as “data deficient” by the International Union for the Preservation of nature and as for its preservation is considered a species vulnerable to the effects of the trawl fishery. 

Picture: Andy Murch

WHITE SADDLED CATSHARK (SCYLIORHINUS HESPERIUS)

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The White saddled Catshark is characterized as a small-sized shark. As for its coloration it presents a pattern of dark and clear spots along its body as well as white dots. 

This shark is considered a kind of depth and inhabits the continental shelf at depths from 274m to the 457m. The type of reproduction is unknown, but the hypothesis is that they are oviparous. Because of the difficulty in accessing this specimen, abundance is also unknown, so the International Union for the preservation of nature cannot define its state of preservation. 

Picture: Andy Murch

HAMMERHEAD SHARK (SPHYRNA LEWINI)

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In hammerhead sharks, the head has a particular “T” shape, from the resemblance to a hammer, where the origin of its name comes from. For a long time the shape of his head has been the object of intrigue and study by the scientific community who have established different theories around this unique shark. 

With an excellent vision to recognize the depth, hammerhead sharks can see with great precision what happens to their surroundings, this being one of its greatest characteristics for the search of food. Their diet is mainly constituted of small fishes, crustaceans (like shrimps, lobsters, barnacles, etc.) and rays. 

Regularly, this species lives on the coasts and in the open sea. In addition, it is currently classified as: “Endangered” by the International Union for the Preservation of nature, hence the urgency to promote its preservation. 

Photo: Simon Rogerson

TIGER SHARK (GALEOCERDO CUVIER)

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This shark has been baptized as Tiger shark because of some similarities with the terrestrial animal. This species, on the dorsal part, has a dark blue-tinted gray coloring, and multiple streaks and dark spots along its body, similar to a tiger, although these characteristics tend to fade with age. In the ventral part it has a particular coloration between white and light yellow. 

The Tiger Shark lives in shallow waters, in bays and estuaries. Its diet is varied and consists of fish, birds, marine mammals, mollusks and crustaceans. Its reproduction is Ovoviviparous, type of reproduction in which the mother feeds the embryos, found in eggs, inside her body and then at the moment of birth are released from the body of the mother. 

The International Union for the Preservation of nature has classified the tiger shark as “almost threatened” which for this species is considered a low risk, but still as a latent risk. 

Picture: Alan C. Egan

DUSKY SHARK (PLUMBEUS SHARK)

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Dusky shark is characterized by having the first dorsal fin long and high, while its pectoral fins are wide and long. Its coloring is mostly grey, although its ventral part is pale. 

This shark lives in the intertidal zone, that is to say the coastal strip where there is a mixture of strips of water and earth that are subjected to the effects of the low and high tides. It is called dusky shark by the area it inhabits, as it is commonly seen in the sandy coastal areas. 

The diet of these sharks is mainly made up of benthic bone fish and it is even known that it can feed on other sharks. 

The International Union for the Preservation of nature has classified it as “Vulnerable” mainly because of the casualties that have been observed in the population numbers. 

Picture: Alan C. Egan

SOON!

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From the 3rd to the 6th of October 2017 the first tour for the implementation of the project was carried out: “Environmental education program on the reduction of plastic, reuse and recycling for the preservation of marine ecosystems of Livingston, Guatemala”. 

This tour had its primary purpose in presenting in greater detail this project to the authorities of the chosen campuses to carry out this project; special meetings were held with Francisco Caballeros director of the INEB Augusta Blanca Rubio and with the director of the INED of Livingston Mitzi Alvarez. The last meeting to socialize the project was carried out with authorities of the Departmental Directorate of Education of Izabal, directed by Mr. Julio de León Sosa and his assistant Claudia Morales, where important contributions were obtained for the correct execution of the Project and its respective Vo. Bo. To work on the 2018. 

We very much appreciate the consent of the educational authorities of Livingston and Puerto Barrios to the projects that Blue World Foundation has prepared for the 2018 school year. 

Stay with us to know what this excellent project is, stay with us because… 

WE´LL START SOON!

The CLEAN-ATHON was a success!

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The Blue World Foundation team joined the activity organized by La Choza Chula in El Paredon, Guatemala, on July 29th. Immense amounts of garbage from Iztapa beach and places around the community of El Paredon were collected.

Large numbers of people were conglomerated to carry out the activity where environmental awareness and recycling were promoted. Countless sacks filled with plastic, glass, aluminum and other waste were extracted from the seas to be properly disposed of or recycled.

We thank the KOA Surf, La Choza Chula and Guate Passport for the invitation to such an important and interesting activity.

 

SOME NUMBERS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OCEANS AND THEIR ECOSYSTEMS FOR HUMANITY.

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  1. Oceans cover 70% of the planet’s surface. 
  1. More than 90% of the planet’s living biomass is found in the oceans. 
  1. 40% of the world’s population lives from the first 60km near the coast. 
  1. ¾ of the mega cities of the world are located near the shores of the planet. 
  1. On 2010 approximately 80% of the world’s population lives within the first 100km from the coasts of the planet. 
  1. More than 90% of goods traded between countries are transported by vessels across the world’s oceans. 
  1. There are about 4000 species of fish living in the coral reefs of the world, which makes coral reefs one of the most important ecosystems in the oceans. 
  1. More than 3.5 million people depend on the oceans as their main source of food. By year 2025 this number could be duplicated. 
  1. Mangroves provide habitats for 85% of commercial fish stocks in the tropics. The Great Barrier Reef that measures around 2000km long, is the longest living structure on earth and can be seen from the moon. 

Source: http://www.eurocbc.org: 50 Key facts about oceans.

10 REGRETTABLE BUT CERTAIN FACTS ABOUT THE OCEANS.

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  1. Plastic waste kills about one million sea birds, one hundred thousand marine mammals and countless fish each year. 
  2. Even after being the cause of the death of many marine animals, plastic remains in the ecosystems to kill more animals over and over again. 
  3. An estimated 21 million of barrels of oil reaches the oceans of the world every year by runoff, wastewater from factories and by washing tanks for transport of that fuel. 
  4. About 40% of the remaining reefs in the world are at significant risk of being lost over the next 20 years. 
  5. The average level of the seas has increased about 10cm to 25cm over the past 100 years. If all the ice in the world melts, the oceans would increase their level by about 66 meters! 
  6. Beyond 70% of the sustainable limit of the marine edible resource has already been obtained from the oceans. 
  7. Attractively commercial fish stocks such as tuna, cod, swordfish and marlin have declined by about 90% during the last century. 
  8. Destructive fishing practices are killing hundreds of thousands of marine species each year and also causing the destruction of important deep ocean habitats. 
  9. About 100 million sharks are hunted each year for their meat and fins that are used for shark fin soup. Hunters regularly catch sharks to remove their fins and while still alive they throw them back into the ocean where they unfortunately die from drowning or bleed to death. 
  10. Incidental capture mortality only of small whales, dolphins, and porpoises is estimated to be slightly larger than 300.000 annual specimens. 

Source: http://www.eurocbc.org: 50 Key facts about oceans.

BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, IMPORTANCE AND PROBLEMATIC OF SHARKS FOR GUATEMALA

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On June 28, 2017 Blue World Foundation visited the National Institute of Diversified Education of Livingston, Izabal. In this session young people were informed about the problem and importance of sharks at the regional level, and an appropriate introduction on the biology and ecology of these animals was also made.

In total, in this session, 15 students were benefited from high school students in science and letters to whom we thank for their support and enthusiasm in the learning of these subjects.