Lemon Shark - Importance To Humans

Importance To Humans

Lemon sharks are a popular choice for study by scientists, as they survive well in captivity, unlike many other species, such as the great white, which die in captivity because of food refusal. The species is the best known of all sharks in terms of behavior and ecology, mainly because of the work of Samuel Gruber at the University of Miami, who has been studying the lemon shark both in the field and in the laboratory since 1967. The population around the Bimini Islands in the western Bahamas, where Gruber's Bimini Biological Field Station is situated, is probably the best known of all shark populations. As of 2007, this population is experiencing a severe decline and may disappear altogether as a result of destruction of the mangroves for construction of a golf resort. Of the 22 known lemon shark attacks since 1580, none has resulted in death.