SCIENTISTS have found the world’s first hybrid sharks in Australian waters.   57 hybrids found in waters along east coast They are cross between two distinct species A sign sharks are adapting to climate change Leading researchers in marine biology discovered 57 animals along a 2000 km stretch from Queensland to NSW. The predators are a cross between the common blacktip shark and Australian blacktip shark, two related but genetically distinct species. The scientists say interbreeding between the two shark species is a sign the animals are adapting to climate change. They also warn that hybridisation could make the sharks stronger. Dr Jennifer Ovenden, of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, said: “Hybridization could enable the sharks to adapt to environmental change as the smaller Australian black tip currently favours tropical waters in the north while the … Read entire article »

A daredevil photographer went to extraordinary lengths to photograph these rarely seen sharks, which look like they have been etched from stone. These incredible Greenland sharks can survive for more than 200 years at depths of up to 600 metres under Arctic ice. Bigger than the notorious great white, they grow to 23-feet long and are so fearsome they have even been known to eat polar bears. They live further north than any other shark species and can swim in waters where temperatures plummet to just one degree celsius. Doug Perrine had a close encounter with the elusive creatures when they ventured into the warmer waters of the St Lawrence River in North America, hunting for food. The sharks usually eat large seals but have even been known to polish off polar bears and reindeer. But … Read entire article »

  Laws Need Teeth   Despite being top predators in marine ecosystems, sharks are more victims than anything else. Industrial fishing is killing millions of them each year, and some species have declined in numbers by more than 90% according to researchers (for example, hammerheads have declined by more than 99% in the Mediterranean). In some places, especially China, soup made with shark fins is considered a delicacy, so to feed that billion dollar industry, sharks are caught, their fins are cut off, and their bodies are thrown back into the water to die slowly. Is anyone doing anything about this before shark populations collapse and their extinction brings marine ecosystems more out of whack than they already are?   The government of Taiwan is trying to do something, but let’s hope if won’t be … Read entire article »