Site of the Week
The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation http://www.pelagic.org
The PSRF is an organisation whose aim is to further understanding of elasmobranchs (pronounced ‘elasmo-branks’), the taxonomic group which contains sharks as well as all other cartilaginous fish. This website details their research efforts and the species they study, so if you feel like your understanding could do with some furthering, then this is the place to be.
‘Pelagic’ means the main body of the sea or a lake, so most of the familiar species, like great whites and basking sharks, are referred to as pelagic sharks. You’ll find factfiles on these, as well as deep water, or benthic, and estuarine sharks, though some of the species accounts aren’t quite finished. Other sections range from shark biology, taking you briefly through their anatomy and evolution, though to information on shark conservation. If you come across any unfamiliar scientific terms, head for the glossary section, found under ‘Biology’ in the main menu.
Added to the copious amounts of reading material, the site has more than enough to look at. The gallery is crammed with great photos, and there are pictures spread liberally through the text. You’ll also find an above-average video section, with 17 aquatic film clips to download. The files, though fairly small, are available in a number of formats, so chances are you’ll be able to watch them without having to worry about new plug-ins.
The site loses points for navigation - not all of the explanatory links lead to finished explanations, and it would be useful if the glossary were available more easily, rather than being hidden away. Other than that, well worth getting your teeth into.
Richard Northover
Info-content ** Readability ** Appearance ** User friendliness *** Kids ** Plug-ins QuickTime or similar