Elasmobranch = a subclass of cartilaginous fishes consisting of all shark and ray species
Diver = an amphibious human
Elasmodiver = A shark and ray diver
When Elasmodiver was originally loaded onto the web in 2002 it was intended to be a simple shark and ray field guide showcasing the species of elasmobranchs that divers and snorkelers could expect to encounter. Responding to requests for more information, Elasmodiver’s mandate expanded to include more specialized shark and ray content in areas such as: biology and behavior, shark photography, shark diving, conservation of sharks and rays, shark evolution, and shark and ray taxonomy. Although some of the content has become quite technical in nature, the site remains geared to the general public. Each new section that is added generates more questions leading to further expansion. This approach is ideally suited to the organic nature of the internet.
Hopefully, in the future Elasmodiver will include a database of extinct elasmobranch species, a forum for the discussion of all things shark and ray related, and of course, many new pictures of shark species.
Elasmodiver is the brainchild of Shark Photographer Andy Murch. Frustrated with the limited information available on where to find sharks and rays around the world, Andy created Elasmodiver to share the knowledge that he has collected. He remains the creative force behind the project.
As well as an elasmobranch information portal, Elasmodiver contains a huge selection of shark and ray pictures in the Shark Pictures Database. The images in the Shark Pictures Database are available for commercial licensing and regularly appear in books and magazines, public aquarium displays, games, scientific journals, and more.
