Around the island of Cuba, the seas meet and merge. The Gulf of Mexico lies to the west, narrows into the Florida Straits and then opens out to the Atlantic Ocean to the east. To the south stretches the Caribbean Sea. In shallow coastal waters, coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds thrive before dropping into very deep water. In these fertile habitats a richly varied marine life prospers; most noticeably, sharks. “Cuba is naturally an epicenter for shark biodiversity in the world,” says Robert Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. Some 20% of the world’s 500 shark species inhabit the waters around Cuba. But in past years, overfishing for finfish and lobster by local fleets has... [Log in to read more]