DNA zip-coding: tracing scalloped hammerhead fins to region of origin

Photo by Deron Verbeck

Our principal investigator Dr. Demian Chapman led a team of DNA detectives that examined scalloped hammerhead fins from the Hong Kong shark fin trade in order to identify the region where the sharks were caught.

“The shark fin trade is a global market and international trade regulations are part of the solution to better manage threatened species like the scalloped hammerhead” Chapman said. “DNA detective work like this helps us understand which regions in the world are most heavily fishing this species and can narrow down where conservation interventions are needed most.”

Read more on Mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/2020/05/dna-detective-work-reveals-where-in-the-ocean-shark-fins-came-from/