S.O.S. Digital Collectibles for Real Life Conservation

200 Philippine Sharks as NFTs

Most Filipinos are not aware that we have 200 unique species of sharks in the Philippines. Each day, many are killed due to overfishing. illegal product trade and habitat destruction. Our country currently lacks the research and laws to reverse their rapid decline.


How can we make Filipinos care and help save these natural treasures, when the sea is such a vast and unreachable concept, to most?

From the vastness of the sea, we took the cause to OpenSea, the world’s largest marketplace of digital collectibles in the metaverse. There, we released 200 one-of-a-kind digital art pieces to represent each species of Philippine shark.

Pelagic Thresher

Pelagic Thresher Shark

Threat Value: vulnerable

OCEANIC WHITE TIP SHARK

Oceanic white tip shark

Threat Value: vulnerable

BLACKTIP REEF SHARK

Blacktip reef shark

Threat Value: near threatened

Shortfin mako shark

shortfin mako shark

Threat Value: near threatened

Great hammerhead shark

great hammerhead shark

Threat Value: endangered

Coral Catshark

coral catshark

Threat Value: near threatened

SILVERTIP shark

silvertip shark

Threat Value: near threatened

Japanese Angel Shark

japanese angelshark

Threat Value: Vulnerable

HILIPPINE RIBBONTAIL CATSHARK

philippine ribbontail catshark

Threat Value: unknown

Whitespotted bambooshark THREAT LEVEL:NEAR THREATENED

whitespotted bambooshark

Threat Value: near threatened

Winghead Shark

winghead shark

Threat Value: near threatened

common thresher shark

common thresher shark

Threat Value: Vulnerable

To save the sharks, we asked people to save them on their mobile phones and gadgets. Using cryptocurrency, every sale translates to real money to help fund Marine Wildlife Watch of The Philippines’s research and efforts to, in turn, save the sharks in the real open sea.

S.O.S. Virtual Philippine Shark Gallery

Visitors may view all the digital artworks in our virtual gallery. Best experienced with a VR headset.

Results

1.5M worth of digital collectibles created, with more funds earned as the sharks are traded in the secondary NFT market.

 

3,056,301 media impressions earned to raise shark awareness.


This year, 20 Philippine species were awarded increased protections by the 19th Conference of the Parties (CoP19) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

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@ 2022  SOS: Save Our Sharks. All Rights Reserved.

Pelagic Thresher

Pelagic Thresher Shark

Alopias pelagicus Nakamura, 1935

Size: To at least 390 cm, commonly at 276 cm; males and females mature at 245– 270 and 265–290 cm, respectively; born at 130–160 cm.

Distinguishing features: A small thresher, the smallest of the three species, with a dark blue back and sides, white underside, no white patch over pectoral fin bases; a straight, broad-tipped pectoral fins, very narrow caudal tip, upper caudal fin lobe very long and strap-like, almost equal to length of rest of shark, lower caudal fin lobe short but strong, and terminal lobe very small; fusiform body, narrow head, broadly convex forehead, moderately large eyes, esp. in juveniles. Often confused with the common thresher, but can be distinguished by the dark color over the bases of its pectoral fins.

Conservation Status: Endangered

common thresher shark

Common Thresher Shark

Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Size: To at least 760cm, commonly at 430-490cm; males and females mature at 184cm-226cm, respectively;

Apparently larger than Alopias pelagicus and A. superciliosus.

Distinguishing features: A large thresher with a dark blue-grey back and underside of snout, lighter sides, white patch extends from the abdomen over the pectoral-fin bases, white dots and patches sometimes present on pectoral-, pelvic-, and caudal- fin tips, blackish pectoral, pelvic, and dorsal fins; narrow-tipped pectoral fins, 2nd dorsal origin well behind rear tip of pelvic fin, narrow-tipped caudal fin, caudal fin lobe very long and strap-like, about as long as or longer than length of rest of shark; lower caudal fin lobe short but well developed; fusiform body, Ventral view of head. (Last & Stevens 1994). relatively small eyes.

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

OCEANIC WHITE TIP SHARK

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey, 1861)

Size: To at least 350 cm, commonly to 270 cm or less; born at 60–65 cm.

Distinguishing features: A large stout requiem shark with a dark gray back with bronze tinge, sometimes brown or bluish, and a white undersides with yellowish tinge; 1st dorsal fin large and pectoral fins very long, each broadly rounded; 1st dorsal fin, pectoral fins and lower lobe of caudal fin often white or with white spots (sometimes absent); ventral surface of pelvic fins, apices of anal and 2nd dorsal fins, and ventral lobe of caudal fin often with black spots; interdorsal ridge present; snout short and bluntly rounded (viewed ventrally).

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

BLACKTIP REEF SHARK

Blacktip Reef Shark

Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)

Size: To at least 200 cm, commonly to 160 m; both sexes mature at 95–110 cm; born at 33–50 cm

Distinguishing features: A small-medium sized requiem shark relatively slender with greyish to grey-brown back and white undersides; distinct pale stripes along each flank; 1st dorsal fin with a thick black tip (its inner edge sharply defined and often bordered by white area); interdorsal ridge absent; caudal fin lobe with thick black tip (other fins often with smaller black tips); snout very short, broadly rounded (viewed ventrally), preoral length subequal to internarial space.

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Shortfin mako shark

Shortfin Mako

Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810

Size: To at least 400 cm, commonly to 270 cm; males and females mature at about 195 and 280 cm, respectively; born at 70 cm.

Distinguishing features: A large shark with a long slender, fusiform body; dark blue back, lighter blue on sides and white belly; 1st dorsal-fin larger than 2nd, origin posterior to pectoralfin inner margins, anal fin origin below to middle of 2nd dorsal fin base; caudal peduncle depressed, expanded laterally with a prominent keel extending to caudal fin; caudal fin crescentic with lower lobe strongly developed; large black eyes; acutely pointed snout; large, narrow, smooth-edged teeth.

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Great hammerhead shark

Great Hammerhead Shark

Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788) Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837)

Size: To at least 350–500 cm, commonly between 275–335 cm; males and females mature at about 250 and 265 cm, respectively; born at 50–60 cm.

Distinguishing features: Bronzy to grayish brown back, paler undersides; fins dusky tipped in young; head width is 23–27% of total length; front margin of head nearly straight (except in some juveniles), with midline indentation; without small bumps along front edges of nostrils; prenarial grooves hardly developed; 1st dorsal fin very tall, strongly falcate, with a short inner margins; 2nd dorsal fin about ⅓ as high as 1st; upper precaudal pit forming a crescentic groove.

Conservation Status: Endangered

Coral Catshark

Coral Catshark

Atelomycterus marmoratus (Bennett, 1830)

Size: To at least 760 cm, commonly at 430–490 cm; males and females mature at 184– 226 cm, respectively;

Distinguishing features: A small shark covered with numerous light grey and white spots; born with light and dark saddle bars which disappear with age; prominent white strip on side of head through gill slits; snout short and slightly flattened, with a blunt tip (viewed ventrally); labial furrow very long; anterior nasal flaps greatly enlarged. dorsal fins relatively large, subequal in size, angled rearwards, with obvious white tips.

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

SILVERTIP shark

Silvertip Shark

Carcharhinus albimarginatus (Rüppell, 1837)

Size: To at least 760 cm, commonly at 430–490 cm; males and females mature at 184– 226 cm, respectively;

Distinguishing features: A medium-size requiem shark with a dark-grey or grey-brown back, with a pale stripe along the flanks, and white undersides; all fins have prominent white tips (= silvertips) and posterior margins; 1st dorsal fin moderately high, apex pointed or narrowly rounded, its origin above pectoral fin rear tips; 2nd dorsal fin moderately high, its origin about opposite that of anal fin, less than ¼ height of 1st dorsal fin; interdorsal ridge present; snout rather long and parabolic (when viewed ventrally); labial furrows very short; anterior nasal flaps very low

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Japanese Angelshark

Japanese Angelshark

Squatina japonica Bleeker, 1858

Size: To at least 760 cm, commonly at 430–490 cm; males and females mature at 184– 226 cm, respectively;

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

HILIPPINE RIBBONTAIL CATSHARK

Philippine Ribbontail Catshark

Eridacnis sp. 1
Whitespotted bambooshark THREAT LEVEL:NEAR THREATENED

Whitespotted Bambooshark

Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Size: To about 95 cm; males mature at 50–63 cm; hatch at 10–13 cm.

Distinguishing features: A small slender bambooshark with transverse pale and dark bands and numerous white or bluish spots; body with lateral dermal ridges; dorsal fins about equal in size to pelvic fins and without projecting free rear tips; base of anal-fin much shorter than base of lower caudal-fin lobe; anal-fin origin well behind free rear tip of 2nd dorsal fin.

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Winghead Shark

Winghead Shark

Eusphyra blochii (Cuvier, 1816)

Size: To at least 186 cm; males and females mature at about 108 and 120 cm, respectively; born at 32–47 cm.

Distinguishing features: Gray or grayish brown back, paler undersides; no dark fin markings; a narrow and wing-shaped head, width across head 40–50% of total length; midline of head with a shallow indentation; nostrils enormously expanded, each nearly two times the mouth width; with a series of small bumps along front edges of nostrils; 1st dorsal fin very tall and falcate, origin above or over pectoral-fin insertion; upper precaudal pit forming a narrow longitudinal groove (not crescentic).

Conservation Status: Endangered