Greenland shark in the Gulf?

               A group of biologists from Florida State University got quite the surprise while on expedition in the Gulf of Mexico. Dean Grubbs and his crew were studying species living in the Gulf that may have been affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, when they came across a 12-foot Greenland shark.

                For those who don’t know, Greenland sharks are a deep water species found primarily in the northern Atlantic Ocean, near the Arctic Circle. They generally range from depths of up to 1200m and prefer water temperatures from anywhere between 34 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. A few stragglers have been spotted as far south as Argentina and in Antarctic waters, but never in the Gulf of Mexico and not at 6000 ft. So, naturally, when the crew pulled their cabling up to find a massive shark on the end they were understandably shocked. According to Grubbs, it took several hours for the shark to be pulled to the surface. Once there, the shark was loaded on to the boat and the crew began taking samples. Because the basis of the study was toxicology, the team had to take lethal samplings from the animal. Grubbs was quoted by NBC saying that the animal probably would not have lived very much longer in the warmer waters.

                 This story leaves me conflicted. On the one hand, I'm interested in what the FSU team finds when their reports come back. On the other hand, I wish the shark could've been tagged and tracked. I'm not a scientist (yet), just a student, but I would think the shark would be more beneficial scientifically if it were left alive.  That being said, the research crew did find quite a few fascinating bits of information in their examination of the animal. For instance, they found a six-inch stingray barb lodged in the shark's skull, probably the result of a dinner date gone array. They also looked at the stomach contents which included several squid beaks and the egg sac of a skate. Very cool.

Photo credit NBC