Wonderful Whale Sharks
by Dr. Alistair Dove, Museum of Science and History
You might think that by now we would know more about the world's largest fish, but whale sharks remain an enduring mystery. Where and how do they mate? Where are they born? Where are all the babies? How do they get so big? Why aren't they even bigger? How do they sense the world around them? And what's with all the spots, anyway? A recent flurry of research on these questions, and many more, has been made possible by the discovery of some places where they gather seasonally in reliable numbers, relatively close to the coast. But these aggregations, or constellations as scientists call them, don't tell the whole story. This talk will explore the biology and conservation challenges facing one of the ocean's most enigmatic residents, highlight some of the more vexing questions that remain, and along the way give guests a whale shark's eye view of some of most exotic locations in the world.
Originally from Australia, Dr. Alistair Dove currently serves as the CEO of the Museum of Science and History in Jacksonville Florida. He is a leading authority on whale sharks and is the co-editor of "Whale Sharks: Biology, Ecology, and Conservation", but his interests in biology are much broader. His career began in the taxonomy of parasites and, since then, he and his colleagues and students have explored the biology and ecology of animals as diverse as tapeworms, lobsters, fishes, manta rays, dolphins, cockroaches, clams, and whales. He has a passion for effective science communication and enjoys engaging with the public about the wonders of the natural world, in both traditional and digital media. Aside from scienceing, he loves being a dad, SCUBA diving, travel, trying new foods, and nature photography.