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UT Shark Study Makes Discover's 'Top 100' List

The Discovery Channel

Assistant professor Dan Huber says the research could lead to advances in protecting people against sharks.

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By LINDSAY PETERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 30, 2008

Discover magazine has named research from a University of Tampa shark expert as one of its "Top 100 Stories of 2008."

Dan Huber, UT assistant professor, is part of a research group that has been studying the hunting prowess of great white sharks.

The team created an 8-foot great white shark in 3-D digital form that demonstrates how the animal functions, including measurements of the force of its bite.

Huber said the research could lead to advances in protective swim wear and shark-proofing equipment. It could also contribute to the understanding of the flexible cartilage that forms sharks' skeletons.

The same substance makes up human noses and ears.

Huber is working with biologists at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia. They are also studying the feeding habits of tiger and bull sharks.

Tiger, bull and white sharks are responsible for most attacks on humans.

The Top Stories of 2008 article appears in the January issue of Discover. The shark research story is No. 100 on the list.

More about Huber's research is available at his Web site.

Reporter Lindsay Peterson can be reached at (813) 259-7834.

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