White sharks, once abundant in the Mediterranean, have significantly declined

White sharks, once abundant in the Mediterranean, have significantly declined due to centuries of fishing and are now listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Despite their ecological importance, there is limited knowledge about their current population and ecology, hindering effective conservation. From 2021 – 2023, Yachts for Science supported this research by connecting private funding and private vessels in three pilot field operations in the Sicilian Channel collected eDNA samples and conducted over 500 hours of baited video surveys. While no white sharks were observed directly, eDNA confirmed their presence at four sites, highlighting one of the last strongholds of this population. Yachts for Science is proud to be supporting this project in 2025 – any yachts looking to get involved in May – June in Scilly please get in touch with rosie@yachtsforscience.com