Sunday, April 28, 2024

envirobites

environmental science research for everyone

Sharks

Animal behavior Ecosystems Remote Environments 

Bubble, Bubble, Toil, and Trouble: Deep-sea ghost shark evolved a sixth sense

Brandi Pessman 0 Comments , , ,

Rising from the depths of the sea, bubbles signal trouble: a confrontation between a predator and its prey. A relatively unexplored and mysterious place, the deep-sea hosts creatures that have adapted to the darkness and silence of the ocean’s floor for hundreds of millions of years. Spending so much time in these harsh conditions has forced the ghost shark to develop a sixth sense – the ability to detect changes in the electromagnetic field. Scientists are starting to uncover this ghostly tale, but much of this story remains a mystery.

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Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health 

Metal Accumulation in Sharks of the Caribbean

Elisabeth Lang 0 Comments ,

Pollution threatens marine life worldwide. Some of this pollution includes metals that build up in the tissues of marine life, including sharks. People around the world consume shark meat as a part of their diets. Caribbean reef sharks are commonly consumed by people throughout the Caribbean and South America, but a study on metal levels in their tissues had never been done. A team of researchers undertook this study to assess the danger to people and to better identify sources of pollution so that marine pollution can be better managed.

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Ecosystems Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health 

Sharks on Camera: Can Drones Be Used to Prevent Shark Attacks?

Elisabeth Lang 0 Comments ,

Sharks are an important part of marine ecosystems, but they often have a bad reputation because of an increasing frequency of shark attacks. Traditional methods of deterring sharks are harmful to sharks and other marine animals, so environmental managers are starting to use methods of shark detection to keep beachgoers safe. A team of researchers studied the effectiveness of using drones to detect sharks in an effort to decrease shark attacks.

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Animal behavior Case Studies 

Learning through Observing: Social learning occurs across vertebrate species

Elisabeth Lang 0 Comments ,

Social learning is widely thought to be something done only by species with social lives. However, recent research is showing that even more solitary species participate in social learning. A team of researchers from Australia tested the ability of a solitary shark species to learn through observing and mimicking members of their own species. They found that these particular sharks are capable of learning in this way, which contributes to our understanding of these animals’ lives and what we can do to conserve them.

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Ecosystems Environmental Science 

Mislabeling Mayhem: Traces of Endangered Shark Species Found in Pet Food and Make-up

Anita Masse 0 Comments , , , , ,

There’s power behind every purchase we make. Companies make and sell products based on consumer demand, and we as consumers have a right to know what we are putting our dollars behind. Recently, a study has identified trace levels of threatened shark species in various pet food and cosmetic brands. While this alone is troubling, what’s more concerning is that these products have failed to include shark products on the ingredient label.

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