The International Shark Attack File contains more than 6,800 individual investigations of shark attacks world-wide. In addition to obvious time and cost constraints, duplication of the File’s contents is forbidden since it contains such confidential items as physician reports, autopsies, victim’s interviews and photographs that might be characterized as “sensational” if they fell into the wrong hands.

Access is limited to cooperating scientists after a review of a researcher’s credentials and goals. As one can imagine, performing such investigations is a time consuming and never-ending process and we have dedicated a full-time person to the task for the past 25-30 years. Therefore scientific analyses of ISAF data generally are performed by ISAF and cooperating regional scientists and physicians who have contributed to generation of data. However, we welcome collaboration with fellow scientists worldwide. The ISAF staff is working toward a revision of David Baldridge’s classic 1974 seminal analysis of the shark attack phenomenon, Shark Attack: A Program of Data Reduction and Analysis. Coinciding with the publication of the updated scientific analysis will be a companion volume intended for the lay audience. In the interim we have scientifically published on a number of shark attack-related topics.

Photograph Use: Use of ISAF shark attack images is limited to scientific publications and only where viewing of the injury is integral to biological or medical discussion. Victim confidentiality always is maintained and indeed most visual documentation is provided to the ISAF with the clear understanding that it will be confined to such scientific use. Thus the ISAF does not provide photos to the press or lay public.

Who to Contact:

Gavin Naylor
Program Director, International Shark Attack File
Florida Museum of Natural History
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611 U.S.A

TEL: (352)-273-1954

EMAIL: gnaylor@flmnh.ufl.edu