Meet some of the Canadian researchers getting to know the hundred-year-old sharks in our oceans

This story is part of Coastlines, an original series with the CBC Creator Network exploring Canada's oceans. You can watch every episode of the series here.

What's the scariest thing in the ocean? 

Many would say it's sharks. But the people who research these animals say their fearsome reputation is a misunderstanding.

"The ocean as we know it today, has been formed with these animals as part of the ecosystem," said Kirsti Burnett, a marine biologist and researcher from Halifax, N.S., now based in Germany.

Burnett is one of many passionate shark scientists trying to better understand and change the narrative around the animals, which have been part of the marine ecosystem for thousands of years.

The oceans surrounding Canada are home to many shark species, including the spiny dogfish that measures around 100 to 125 centimetres, and the giant basking shark, almost as big as a school bus. 

WATCH | Sharks may be the most misrepresented species in the ocean 

One of the most common large sharks in Canada is the blue shark, which can be found in southeastern Newfoundland and the Bay of Fundy — between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick — all the way south to Argentina. They are also the most heavily fished shark in the world. 

Part of Burnett's research involves tracking blue sharks to better understand them and the threats they face.

"Our [shark] populations here in Atlantic Canada travel all over the Atlantic, and therefore it's really important for us to understand their movements, their habitat use, and see if it overlaps with any regional threats," Burnett said.

Another researcher looking to better understand sharks is Eric Ste Marie, a PhD student at the University of Windsor, who studies Greenland sharks in the Arctic.

"I'm super lucky because I get to work with one of the coolest species on the planet. They live in the Arctic, they're the oldest living vertebrate on the planet, the largest fish in the Arctic as well," Ste Marie said.

"Greenland sharks are a consumer of things like fish and whales for example — a lot of that is probably scavenged, although we don't know really the extent to which they might be also hunting live animals."

The sharks can live up to 250 years, although Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) notes there currently isn't reliable research on their lifespan. Little is also known about their role in the ecosystem.

Ste Marie is trying to change that by studying the shark's metabolic rate.

"The metabolic rate is the speed at which our bodies process energy," he said, adding that it gives scientists an idea of what Greenland sharks need to eat in order to survive.

This information is crucial to understanding how they fit in the Arctic food web and how they can be conserved, he says.

Ste Marie says researchers like himself and Burnett have only just started to scratch the surface of the mysterious species.

"There is still so much we do not understand," he said.

About this series

Coastlines is an original series with the CBC Creator Network that dives into the future of Canadian coastlines and marine life, and the young researchers who are trying to protect them.

Co-hosted by wildlife conservationist and educator Connel Bradwell of Vancouver Island, and commercial fisher and science technician Erica Porter of Nova Scotia, every episode of Coastlines features researchers from the West, North and East coasts.

You can watch every episode of Coastlines on cbc.ca. 

About the Creator Network

The Creator Network amplifies the voices of the next generation of Canadian storytellers and connects them with CBC platforms, where they tell compelling stories and share unique perspectives that reflect the country in all its diversity. Learn more.