Fins attached

Trisha Tyler, Fins Attached Director of Operations,

The mission of Fins Attached is to conduct research, promote conservation and provide education for the protection of marine ecosystems.  The health of any ecosystem is controlled largely by its apex predators.  So, while our work aims to impact the marine ecosystem as a whole, much of our research is focused on the apex predators of the marine environment, which are sharks. 

Our organization is comprised of scientists, companies, organizations, and people concerned with the health of the world’s oceans.  The scientists that represent Fins Attached range in backgrounds from divers to Ph.D marine biologists. 

As a result, we direct our efforts in the following categories:

Shark Research

Shark Conservation

Public awareness and education

Advocacy

Research on sharks has been slow and inconsistent. There are two main reasons; one is the dangers and difficulties of studying them in their natural habitat, and two, the lack of funding. However, we are beginning to understand sharks and their behavior, where sharks go and why they go there. For example, satellite tagging of whale sharks has demonstrated that this species can be highly migratory traveling across ocean basins. As apex predators they are at the top of the food chain. Many sharks prey upon wounded or sick animals, keeping the populations of various species healthy ad in balance, while others scavenge the ocean by feeding on dead animals or by filtering feeding.

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