More Signs of Trouble
Gajić also saw that many sharks had eaten plastic. He found pieces inside them. This may also cause problems and disease.
Were these one-off cases? We don’t know. But we do know: Each of these problems can be traced to pollution.
Gajić studies sharks in captivity, too.
Next Steps
Gajić has more work ahead in shark studies and in conservation. He wants people to become more aware of how their actions affect marine life.
Gajić says there are many things that kids can do to help. Do some citizen science. Is there a beach near you? Take a walk. You may find the egg cases of some shark or skate species. Take a photo. Upload it to iNaturalist. Help scientists learn where shark nursery grounds are. Even small actions like this can help!
Learn as much as you can about sharks. The more we know, the easier it will be to build a planet in balance.
Gajić encounters a huge jellyfish in Neum Bay.
skate egg case found on a beach in Malta
iNaturalist is a citizen science project and online network of naturalists and citizen scientists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. To learn how to use this free program, go to: www.inaturalist.org