In a unique experiment, scientists placed a Fitbit tracker (with a built-in camera) on an endangered shark as it swam off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, in an attempt to collect behavioral and physiological data on the mysterious basking shark.
Basking sharks can grow to 12 metres long and weigh up to 6 tonnes, making them the second largest fish in the ocean and the largest shark in the UK.
Just six hours later, it emerged that a boat passing through an area recently designated as the country’s first national marine park had collided with the 7-metre female shark.
When the Fitbit was disconnected after 7 hours, the shark did not resume normal activity and sank directly to the seabed far from the shore, raising concerns that the rare female shark of breeding age may have been killed.
“Unlike whales, sharks often drown when killed, so it’s very difficult to measure mortality rates, and even in this case, we’re not sure what happened to the female who was injured in the incident,” says Taylor Chapple, co-lead author of a research paper detailing the incident from Oregon State University.
The footage shows clear signs of damage to the shark’s skin, as well as paint lines and corrosion left behind by the boat.
Despite their size, these massive sharks feed solely on plankton. Basking sharks swim endlessly in search of plankton-rich waters, using their massive mouths to filter nutrients from the ocean.
However, this feeding behaviour may put them at risk of collision with passing boats.
“Basking sharks feed at the surface, like some whales, and this behaviour makes them vulnerable to strikes,” explains Dr Nick Payne, associate professor at Trinity College Dublin’s Department of Natural Sciences.
It is worth noting that these sharks are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as threatened with extinction, and were officially granted protection under the Wildlife Act (1976) in 2022.
The research paper was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
Source: Daily Mail
#Boat #collides #endangered #shark
2024-07-26 00:58:47
