International Coastal Cleanup

Hey all,

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is the International Coastal Cleanup. You can find a cleanup group in your area by visiting oceanconservancy.org. I'll be out at New Smyrna Beach tomorrow afternoon lending a hand.

Thanks! 

The Men in Grey Suits

          So far the month of September has turned out to be a pretty sharky one in New Smyrna Beach, Fl. There have been three reported shark bites, two of which occurred within one minute of each other. Notice I said shark "bites" and not shark "attacks". None of the three that encountered the animals were taken to the hospital by ambulance, they all went of their own accord. 

          Twenty-five year old Marco Edmundo Cardiel was standing in waist-deep water on September 7th, when a 3-4 foot gray shark swam up and bit him on the shin. Apparently the shark thrashed for a few seconds and then released him. A few hundred feet away, forty-three year old John Graham jumped off his surf board and right on top of a 3-4 foot long shark. It was not confirmed whether or not the shark that bit Graham was the same shark that bit Cardiel. Graham admits he may have spooked the shark resulting in a bite to his foot. "It was kind of like stepping on your dog when getting out of bed. It nips at you," Graham said. "It happened because I jumped on him." A few days later, on September 12th, a thirteen year old girl was wading in about 3 feet of water when she was bitten on the heel. She was treated at the scene and then taken to the hospital by friends. Authorities determined that the presence of bait fish is what brought the sharks to the area.

          I cannot stress this enough, if you're going to get in the water in an area notorious for sharks (or any ocean for that matter) please be aware of your surroundings. If the water is murky, if there are a large number of bait fish, or if the water is unusually cold, know that you are swimming at your own risk. These are all tell-tale signs that there could be sharks swimming nearby.If you're paying attention, you could save yourself and the sharks from having a bad day.

Fundraiser

       I'm currently working on making items to sell for a fundraiser on behalf of Shark Savers. I'll be making bags, shirts, and stickers to sell, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to sharksavers.org.  I will post pictures of the items, and if anyone would like to purchase one I will include the link to the Shark Savers webpage dedicated to my fundraiser.

Stay tuned!

-Heather

CSULB White shark study

          Researchers from Cal State University Long Beach have discovered alarmingly high levels of the chemicals DDT and polychlorinated biphenyl in juvenile white sharks off the coast of Southern California. Though the chemicals are toxic, they appear to be having little effect on the young sharks. If you have a minute, swing by and read through their study. It's extremely interesting.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0062886

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

     This is hilarious. Enjoy!

Alien Sharks

Kudos to Discovery for actually having a good documentary during this Shark Week. Alien Sharks was amazing! In honor of their achievement for having produced and shown something scientific, I've found some footage I'd like to share.

Goblin sharks are awesome!