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

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Latest

Pratt, H. L. Jr. and J. C. Carrier. 2001 A review of elasmobranch reproductive behavior with a case study on the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum. (In press Env. Biol. Fishes)  Paper given at the Guelph meeting of AES.

Wetherbee, B. M., E. L.. Rechisky, H. L.. Pratt Jr., and C. T. McCandless. 2001. Use of telemetry in fisheries management: Juvenile sandbar sharks in Delaware Bay.  In: J. R. Silbert and J. L. Nielsen (eds.), Electronic tagging and Tracking in Marine Fisheries, 249-262 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Merson, R.R., and H. L. Pratt, Jr. 2001. Distribution, movements and growth of young sandbar sharks, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the nursery grounds of Delaware Bay.  Env. Biol. Fishes 61:13-24.

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Pratt, H. L. Jr.

1979.  Reproduction in the blue shark, Prionace glauca.  U. S. Fish. Bull. 77:445-70.

Pratt, H. L. Jr. & J. G. Casey

1983.  Age and growth of the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, using four methods.  Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 40:1944-1957.

Pratt, H. L. Jr., J. G. Casey & R. B. Conklin

1982.  Observation on large white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, off Long Island, New York.  U. S. Fish. Bull. 80:153-156.

Pratt, H. L., Jr., and J. G. Casey.

1983.  Age and growth of the shortfin mako, Isurus

oxyrinchus, using four methods.  Can. J. Fish. Aquat.

Sci. 40: 1944‑1957.

Pratt, H.L., Jr. 1988.  Elasmobranch gonad structure:  A description and

survey. Copeia 1988:719‑729.

Pratt, H. L., Jr. and J.I. Castro

1990.  Shark Reproduction: Parental Investment and limited fisheries, an overview. In Discovering sharks. (S.H. Gruber,ed) Underwater Naturalist, 19 (4) 20 (1) Am. Lit. Soc., Highlands, N.J.

Pratt, H. L., Jr., S.H. Gruber and T. Taniuchi (eds.)

1990.  Elasmobranchs as living resources: advances in the biology, ecology, systematics, and the status of the fisheries.  U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 90. 519p.

Pratt, H. L., Jr. and J. G. Casey

1990.  Shark reproductive strategies as a limiting factor in directed fisheries, with a review of Holden's method of estimating growth parameters.  In: Elasmobranchs as living resources: advances in the biology, ecology, systematics, and the status of the fisheries (H. L. Pratt, Jr., S. H. Gruber, and T. Taniuchi, eds.) p.97-109.  U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 90.

Pratt, H. L., Jr. and T. Otake

                1990.  Recommendations for work needed to increase our knowledge of reproduction relative to fishery management. In Elasmobranchs as living resources: advances in the biology, ecology, systematics, and the status of the fisheries (H. L. Pratt, Jr., S. H. Gruber, and T. Taniuchi,eds.) p.509-510.  U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 90.

Pratt, H. L., Jr.  1990.  Storage of spermatozoa by large Atlantic sharks.  Paper given at the Am. Elasmo. Soc. Annual Meeting, Charleston, S.C.  (Abstract see below).

Pratt, H. L. Jr.  1992.  Dissection of a gravid shortfin mako from the North Atlantic.  Paper presented at the American Elasmobranch Society meeting, Univ. of Illinois. (Abstract only never publish by itself see Mollet et al below).

Pratt, H. L. Jr.   1992.  Sperm storage in male elasmobranchs:  A description and survey.  Paper presented at the American Elasmobranch Society meeting, Univ. of Illinois. Abstract (see below)

Pratt, H.L., Jr. (1993)  The storage of spermatozoa in the oviducal glands of Western North Atlantic sharks.  Environ. Biol. Fish.38:139-149.

Pratt, H.L. Jr., and S. Tanaka

                1994. Sperm storage in male elasmobranchs: a description and survey. J.Morph.219(3)297-304.

(Pratt) Carrier, J. C., H. L. Pratt, Jr., and L. K. Martin.  1994. Group reproductive behaviors in free-living nurse sharks, Ginglymostoma cirratum.  Copeia ( see Carrier et al).

Pratt, H.L., Jr. 1994. Anatomical indicators of sexual maturity in sharks.  Paper for the 1994 AES meeting in Los Angeles.

Pratt, H.L., Jr., and J.C. Carrier. 1995.  Wild mating of the nurse sharks.  Nat. Geo. Mag., Vol. 187, No. 5,May 1995, pp 44-53.

Pratt, H. L., Jr. 1996.  Reproduction in the male white shark, Carcharodon carcharias.  in: Great White Sharks, The biology of Carcharodon carcharias. Klimley, A. P. and D. G. Ainley, eds. Academic Press, 1996  517 pages.  proceedings of the Symposium on the Biology of the White Shark, Bodega Marine Lab., Bodega, CA, 4 March 1993.

Pratt, H. L., Jr. and R. R. Merson. 1996.  Delaware Bay sandbar shark nursery. Pilot study

                report submitted to USDOC/NOAA/NMFS Highly Migratory Species Management Division, January 24, 1996

Pratt, H. L. Jr.  and R. R. Merson. 1996.  Delaware Bay sandbar shark nursery.  Pilot study report submitted to USDOC/NOAA/NMFS Highly Migratory Species Management Division, January 1996.

Pratt, H. L. Jr.  and R. R. Merson. 1996.  Sandbar shark nursery project. Report of the 1996 apex predators investigation. In progress.  NOAA/NMFS/NEFSC/API Narragansett, RI.

Pratt, H. L., Jr. and J. C. Carrier 1996.  Tagging techniques for the underwater identification of sharks. American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists and American Elasmobranch Society annual meeting, June 13-19, 1996 New Orleans, LA. USA. (abstract).

Pratt, H. L., Jr. and R. R. Merson. 1996. “Report of the 1996 Apex Predator’s Investigation sandbar shark nursery grounds project” Report to NOAA’s Highly Migratory Species         Management Office, 32 pages.

Pratt, H. L., Jr. and C. McCandless 1998.  COASTSPAN, Report of the 1998 Apex Predators Program Cooperative Shark Pupping and Nursery Grounds Project.  Report to NOAA's Highly Migratory Species Management Office, 29 pp.

Benz, G. W. , H. L. Pratt, Jr. and M. L. Adamson. 1987. Larval philometrid nematodes (Philometridae) from the uterus of a sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827). Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 54(1) 154-155.

Carey, F. G., J. G. Casey, H. L. Pratt, Jr.  D. Urquhart, and J. E. McCosker

1985.  Temperature, heat production and heat exchange in the lamnid sharks.  Memoirs Southern California Academy of Sciences 9: 92-108.

Carey, F. G., J. W. Kanwisher, O. Brazier, G. Gabrielson, J. G. Casey, and H. L. Pratt, Jr.  1982.  Temperature and activities of a white shark, Carcharodon carcharias.  Copeia 2:254-260.

Carey, F. G., Middleton, L., Stillwell, C. E., Pratt, H. L. Jr., Kohler, N., and Cavin, C.  (1978).  Mako shark experiment on Wieczno, March 1978.  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Center, Woods Hole Laboratory Reference Number 80-7, pp. 1-12. (availability?)

Carrier, J. C., H. L. Pratt, Jr.  And L. K. Martin. 1994. Group reproductive behavior in free-living nurse sharks Ginglymostoma cirratum. Copeia 1994(3): 646-656.

Carrier, J. C. and H. L. Pratt Jr.  1998. Habitat Management and Closure of a Nurse

Shark Breeding and Nursery Grounds. Fisheries Research 39(2): 209-213.

Carrier, J. C., Murru, F. L., Davis, R. L., Walsh, M. T., Dover, S., and H. L. Pratt, Jr. 1997. Studies of nurse shark reproduction: Uses of endoscopy, ultrasound, and serial blood chemistry in the evaluation and monitoring of presumed pregnancy in captive nurse sharks.  American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists and American Elasmobranch Society annual meeting, June 26, to July 2, 1997 Seattle, WA. USA. (abstract).

Carrier, J. C., Murru, F. L., Davis, R. L., and H. L. Pratt, Jr. 1997.  Studies of nurse shark reproduction: Bridging the gap between field investigations and captive research.  American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists and American Elasmobranch Society annual meeting, June 26, to July 2, 1997 Seattle, WA. USA. (abstract).

Carrier, J. C., H. L. Pratt, Jr. and J. P. Beck, 1997.  Mating behaviors of male nurse sharks: use of ultrasonic telemetry for tracking animals between mating events.  American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists and American Elasmobranch Society annual meeting, June 26, to July 2, 1997 Seattle, WA. USA. (abstract).

Carrier, J. C., F. L Murru, R. L., Davis, M. T. Walsh, S. Dover, and H. L. Pratt, Jr. 1998. Mating, gestation, and birth in nurse sharks Ginglymostoma cirratum: The complete story.  American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists and American Elasmobranch Society annual meeting, July , 1998 Guelph, Ontario, Canada. (abstract).

CASEY, J. G., H. L. PRATT, JR., and C. E. STILLWELL. l985.  Age and growth of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, from the Western North Atlantic.  Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42:963‑975.

CASEY, J.G., and H.L. PRATT, JR. 1985.  Distribution of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Western North Atlantic. In Biology of the white shark. (G. Sibley ed.) p.2-14 Mem. of the So. Calif. Acad. Sci. vol. 9 .

Casey, J. G., H. L. Pratt Jr., & C. E. Stillwell

1985.  Age and growth of the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) from the Western North Atlantic.  Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42:963-75.

FOGARTY, M.J., J.G. CASEY, N.E. KOHLER, J.S. IDOINE and H. L. PRATT Jr.

1989 ? Reproductive dynamics of elasmobranch populations in response to harvesting. ICES Mini Symposium,                       Reproductive Variability Paper J.du Conseil ?]

Merson, R. R. and H. L. Pratt, Jr. 1996.  Pupping and nursery grounds of the sandbar shark,  Carcharhinus plumbeus, in Delaware Bay. .  American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists and American Elasmobranch Society annual meeting, June 13-19, 1996 New Orleans, LA. USA. (abstract).

Merson, R. R. and H. L. Pratt, Jr. 1997.  Northern extent of the pupping grounds of the sandbar shark,  Carcharhinus plumbeus, on the U.S. east coast. .  American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists and American Elasmobranch Society annual meeting, June 26, to July 2, 1997 Seattle, WA. USA. (abstract).

Merson, R.R., and H .L. Pratt, Jr. 2001. Distribution, movements and growth of young sandbar sharks, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the nursery grounds of Delaware Bay.  Env. Biol. Fishes 61:13-24.

Mollet, H. F., G. Cliff, H. L. Pratt, Jr. and J. D. Stevens, 1997.  Reproductive parameters of the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus.  American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists and American Elasmobranch Society annual meeting, June 26, to July 2, 1997 Seattle, WA. USA. (abstract).