Sharklab-Malta

22/04/2026

In celebration of Earth Day 🌍, Sharklab-Malta 🦈 is proud to launch a global art competition that promotes citizen science and creativity to raise awareness of the urgent challenges facing our marine environment.

This initiative invites participants of all ages and from around the world 🌐 to create original artwork (all media types except photography and AI-generated images) that highlights a marine environmental issue close to their heart.

Our goal is to spark meaningful conversations and empower everyone to become advocates for the oceans 🌊—because involving people directly in the change is key to making a real difference.

Competition Details:
• Open to all ages, free to enter
• Two age categories: under 15 👧🧒 and over 15 👩‍🎨👨‍🎨
• Winners selected locally (Malta 🇲🇹) and internationally 🌏
• Additional awards for overall winner and honourable mention

Prizes include a diverse range of items generously provided by Sharklab-Malta and collaborators:
• Jewellery 💍
• Clean-up bags ♻️
• Eco workshops on:
• Marine Litter and Sea Turtles 🐢
• Seagrass Ecology and Conservation 🌿
• Native Fish and Invasive Species 🐟
• Gator with elasmobranch design 🦈
• Swimwear 👙
• Fishing boat tours 🚤
• Footballs with partner’s logo ⚽
• And more exciting prizes coming soon! 🎁

Entries open April 22nd (Earth Day) through July 1st.

Join us in using art to amplify the voice of the oceans and inspire action to protect marine life.

10/02/2026

AGM ANNOUNCEMENT 5th March

It will be held at
Sharkey House,
Fairfields
9 Triq is-Sirti
San Gwann
SGN 1840

The meeting will start at 1900 CET.
THURSDAY 5th March

If you are unable to attend in person you may wish to join via Zoom.
Topic: Sharklab-Malta AGM online link
Time: March 5th, 2026, 1900hrs Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89201415174?pwd=b0LjgPI4yoMzHRk7cfCTanOy6TVcWZ.1

Meeting ID: 892 0141 5174
Passcode: 701108

Dr Nick Pace
Secretary
Sharklab-Malta

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

23/09/2025

🚨NEW PUBLICATION🚨

It is with great pleasure that we can announce Sharklab-Malta’s pioneering photo identification work in tandem with the Fly With Bull Rays project on juvenile Bull rays has just been published in Frontiers in Marine Science: Marine Megafauna!

This study spans 14 years and over 1097hrs in the water across 859 surveys around the Maltese archipelago between 2011 and 2024.

These data ultimately indicates that areas of Malta function as a nursery habitat for this critically endangered species. These same habitats are also sadly at risk from a variety of anthropogenic stressors. We hope that the publication of this study is the first step in the recognition of the importance of these areas to some of the most rare and incredible residents of Malta’s marine world.

Congratulations to the authorship team: Charlie Matthews, Christian Caruso, Charlotte Kell, Sophie Babbs, Thaís Amaral, Beth Ducker, Greg Nowell, and Silvio Solleleit Ferreira. Particularly Silvio for setting up this project all those years ago.

We’d like to thank the supporters and funders of the project over the years - National Geographic, Oceanário de Lisboa, Malta Environment Foundation for enabling the publication of this work. We’d also like to thank Malta Environment Foundation and Malta National Aquarium for supporting workshops and educational outreach associated with these efforts.

Finally, to every intern and every volunteer, who spent hours and hours in the water, in all manner of sea conditions and physical states, we are eternally grateful. This would not have been possible without you.

You can read the paper here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1653284/full

18/07/2025

Shark Week is approaching us at the end of this month! This is an annual week that began on the Discovery Channel in 1988, with programmes and documentaries dedicated to correcting misconceptions about sharks and raising awareness to improve conservation efforts.
Sharks are a keystone species pivotal to our ocean health and we want to join the efforts to help raise awareness by hosting a talk from Sophie Babbs - a representative from Malta’s very own Sharklab.

Sharklab-Malta, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to research, education and conservation of shark, rays, and skates in the Maltese islands. Sophie will cover how they conduct surveys and monitor local species, their bull ray research, rescue and release of baby sharks, and fishmarket visits. She will also talk about their public outreach program to raise more awareness about these amazing creatures!

The talk will be followed by a Pub Quiz at 7.45 pm. €2 entry per person and the winning team will win a round of cocktails!