Wes Pratt is head of shark research at Mote Marine Labs Tropical Lab in Summerland Key and Science officer for RV Tiburon, Inc.. Graduating from the University of Massachusetts in 1968, he began work for what is now the Apex Predators Program in Narragansett. Wes spent 35 years as a Marine Fisheries Biologist with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, Narragansett Laboratory, NEFSC before relocating to the Keys.

The focus of his research for the past 34 years has been directed toward understanding the life history and reproduction of large Atlantic sharks.  A background of studies on the biology of blue, shortfin mako, white, nurse and sandbar shark, has lead to a current focus on understanding shark nursery grounds along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico with a special interest in the Florida Keys.  Pratt is very interested in reproductive behavior of sharks as it relates to mating success.  His cutting-edge research with Jeff Carrier of Albion College into the mating behavior of the nurse shark has revealed several unknown and unexpected facets in the complex behavior of these fascinating but poorly understood predators.

The author of numerous scientific articles on the biology of shortfin makos, great whites, blue, nurse and sandbar sharks;  his work has been featured in three National Geographic Magazines, most recently in the May, 1995 issue in an article he wrote; "Wild mating of the nurse sharks".  He is author and co-editor of recently finished production of: "Elasmobranchs as Living Resources", the proceedings of a meeting held in Hawaii with participants from seven countries addressing the biology, management and conservation of sharks, skates and rays.  He is Past-President and Board member of the American Elasmobranch Society,  an international scientific organization concerned with the investigation and understanding of sharks, and other elasmobranch fishes.    

Wes is also a diver, photographer, Coast Guard licensed Captain of the RV Tiburon and sailing vessel Eos as well as an inventor and has worked on several historical undersea research projects in a saturation diving mode.  He has over 30 years experience diving with sharks both in and out of anti-shark cages.

Publications