AUTHOR=Huveneers Charlie , Apps Kirin , Becerril-García Edgar E. , Bruce Barry , Butcher Paul A. , Carlisle Aaron B. , Chapple Taylor K. , Christiansen Heather M. , Cliff Geremy , Curtis Tobey H. , Daly-Engel Toby S. , Dewar Heidi , Dicken Matt L. , Domeier Michael L. , Duffy Clinton A. J. , Ford Richard , Francis Malcolm P. , French Georgia C. A. , Galván-Magaña Felipe , García-Rodríguez Emiliano , Gennari Enrico , Graham Brittany , Hayden Barry , Hoyos-Padilla Edgar Mauricio , Hussey Nigel E. , Jewell Oliver J. D. , Jorgensen Salvador J. , Kock Alison A. , Lowe Christopher G. , Lyons Kady , Meyer Lauren , Oelofse Gregg , Oñate-González Erick C. , Oosthuizen Herman , O’Sullivan John B. , Ramm Kristopher , Skomal Gregory , Sloan Sean , Smale Malcolm J. , Sosa-Nishizaki Oscar , Sperone Emilio , Tamburin Elena , Towner Alison V. , Wcisel Michelle A. , Weng Kevin C. , Werry Jonathan M. TITLE=Future Research Directions on the “Elusive” White Shark JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science VOLUME=5 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00455 DOI=10.3389/fmars.2018.00455 ISSN=2296-7745 ABSTRACT=

White sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, are often described as elusive, with little information available due to the logistical difficulties of studying large marine predators that make long-distance migrations across ocean basins. Increased understanding of aggregation patterns, combined with recent advances in technology have, however, facilitated a new breadth of studies revealing fresh insights into the biology and ecology of white sharks. Although we may no longer be able to refer to the white shark as a little-known, elusive species, there remain numerous key questions that warrant investigation and research focus. Although white sharks have separate populations, they seemingly share similar biological and ecological traits across their global distribution. Yet, white shark’s behavior and migratory patterns can widely differ, which makes formalizing similarities across its distribution challenging. Prioritization of research questions is important to maximize limited resources because white sharks are naturally low in abundance and play important regulatory roles in the ecosystem. Here, we consulted 43 white shark experts to identify these issues. The questions listed and developed here provide a global road map for future research on white sharks to advance progress toward key goals that are informed by the needs of the research community and resource managers.