What Does a Shark Eat?

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Nadine Slimak at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. We're here today talking about what sharks eat. It's a really good question because sharks are found in every ocean of the world, from polar regions to the warmer seas of the Caribbean. And because of that, they have different prey items, depending on what their species is and what habitat they live in. Here, in Southwest Florida, we have large coastal sharks that inhabit our area waters. They focus mostly on eating things like bony fish -- that would be bonito, mackerel, and species that are commonly found along our shores. In other regions of the world, they may eat marine mammals, like seals, which is a known prey item for the Great White Shark. Some people are under the impression that sharks are the world's trash eaters and they'll eat anything out in the ocean up to and including license plates and, oh, maybe helicopters. But that's not true. Sharks actually serve an extremely important role in the ecosystem, moderating prey and keeping species in balance. With sharks and what they eat, I'm Nadine Slimak at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium."