Did you know a whale shark can give birth to 300 shark pups in one litter? Although this may sound impressive, it isn’t enough to make up for the 20 million sharks and rays that are killed in the Gulf of California each year - and recent studies suggest that our friends from the deep may need some help if their species is to survive.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute senior research scientist, Brent Stewart, has joined an exclusive group that includes astrophysicist Carl Sagan, explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and astronaut Wally Schirra as a recipient of the 2011 Lowell Thomas Award.