Local Shark Biologist's Work Showcased on Discovery Channel's Shark Week

Paul Clerkin has become a bit of a celebrity, three years into Discovery Channel's Shark Week. Clerkin recently embarked on another expedition in search of "alien" sharks—unusual sharks that are rarely seen on film.

Clerkin, a Monterey Bay local, is a graduate researcher working under David Ebert at the Pacific Shark Research Center, part of Moss Landing Marine Labs.

"Since I was young I have always loved animals and the ocean, so I consider myself very fortunate to get to work so closely with sharks," Clerkin says. "One of my favorite things about sharks is how diverse they are. There are over 500 different species of sharks, from 8-inch pygmy sharks to 40-foot whale sharks, living in all the world’s oceans."

This year's "alien sharks" installment highlights the megamouth shark. Satellite tags are used to acquire information on the shark's movement and behavior. The footage was filmed earlier this year in Taiwan, where there has been an unusual spike in megamouth activity. 

Only 60 megamouths have been caught or sighted off the California coast in the last 40 years. In 1990, a 15-foot male was caught near the surface off Dana Point, California.

Megamouths appear to be a widespread species, but are also rare and elusive. We know very little of their life history, but it is likely that they undergo large-scale migrations. The information gained through satellite tagging will provide details on the migration patterns of these alien sharks.

"Alien Sharks: Close Encounters" airs on The Discovery Channel at 10pm tonight, July 6th. It shows again at 12:30am on July 7th and 4pm on July 9th.