Shark Watch California is a citizen science program giving the community an opportunity to participate in shark science, shark awareness and conservation. By contributing observations of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) in the wild, including human interactions such as encounters and recreational shark catch we can apply this data to conservation.
Our network is collecting observations of shark species and spreading education on sharks through our QR code and free downloadable fact sheets at Sharksteewards.org.
Through photo submissions eg sevengill sharks we can document their range, population and human impacts. This data is useful in looking at species interactions, estimating seasonal trends, population size and human impacts. In California we are monitoring recreational and trophy shark fishing, catch, release and kill to evaluate non -commercial impacts on local shark populations including protected white sharks.