The
International Shark Attack File
' is a global database of

shark attack A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide. Despite their rarity, many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1 ...

s. It began as an attempt to catalogue shark attacks on servicemen during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. The

Office of Naval Research The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to pl ...

funded it from 1958 until 1968. During that time, a panel of shark experts developed a standard system for collecting accounts of shark attacks from around the world. The file was temporarily housed at the Mote Marine Laboratory in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The c ...

, until a permanent home was found at the

Florida Museum of Natural History The Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) is Florida's official state-sponsored and chartered natural-history museum. Its main facilities are located at 3215 Hull Road on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville. The main pub ...

at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

under the direction of George H. Burgess. It is currently under the direction of Dr. Gavin Naylor and members of the

American Elasmobranch Society The American Elasmobranch Society (AES) is a professional society devoted to the study of chondrichthyans (sharks, skate (fish), skates, Batoidea, rays and chimaeras). External links American Elasmobranch Society
{{Chondrichthyes-stub Shark ...

. The file contains information on over 6,600 shark attacks, and includes detailed, often privileged, information including

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any d ...

reports and photos. The file is accessible only to scientists whose access is permitted by a review board. A similar project called Global Shark Attack File is accessible to everybody as an XLS file that can be sorted by date and location of the shark attack. However, information from this site does not go through the rigorous investigatory process as the original file, and data should be treated cautiously.

References

External links

International Shark Attack File
Online databases Databases in the United States Sharks Shark attacks {{Shark-stub