Shark Week 2018 | OUPblog



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With their enormous pointy teeth and their threatening behavior, it is no wonder that this predator of the ocean has long scared the hearts of many people. Through films like Jaws and Sharknado sharks have a reputation for killing and eating humans, but there are fewer than 100 unprovoked shark attacks each year, and fewer killed. more likely to be killed by lightning or a bee sting than you are by a shark!

As Discovery Channel's Shark Week celebrates its 30th year, we have selected a few facts to amuse you between the shows

  • You thought you'd never go back into the water …
    Caging with sharks may seem like an enticing opportunity to get close to these fearsome creatures without the risk of being eaten, but it's a damaging experience for sharks, who have a limited amount of energy. When cage diving occurs, the activity of sharks in the area increases as sharks detect the presence of potential prey (as well as the "attractive" sharks used by tour operators). However, they receive no payment for exercising this hunting energy, thereby decreasing the physical form of the species.
  • When the hunt is launched, the heat is on
    When hunting, great white sharks must be able to propel short bursts while swimming long distances at very low temperatures. To do this, the shark must increase its internal temperature so that the muscles can operate using its thermoregulatory system.
Image credit: Great white shark near Dyer Island by Olga Ernst. CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Could tuna be the next Jaws ?
    You may not find the fish you put on your scary sandwich, but maybe tuna and sharks share the same "super predator" genes! While tuna do not have the genes that create the huge shark teeth, the two creatures share some predatory genetic traits, such as their rapid metabolism and their ability to swim fast, allowing them to catch prey in inhospitable waters
  • before the falsifiers "also applies to sharks
    Female solidarity is strong in the world of sharks Studies show that groups of closely related female sharks are more resistant to male disturbances When confronted by a male seeking a partner, the groups of ladies are less likely to badociate with the male, while solitary females circulate more frequently between male partners.
  • Reading barcodes is not reserved for grocery stores
    Demand for shark fin soup in the Asian market. Local fish, many vendors shoot with commercial sharks illegally by removing all distinguishing features, such as fins and heads. However, scanning of barcodes of DNA can be used to better monitor this, through the extraction of short strands of DNA that can be badyzed quickly. It is hoped that such progress will lead to a reduction in illegal trade.
Image Credit: The Blind Shark is a species of carpet shark that inhabits shallow waters, similar to the epaulette. Image by David Breneman. Stress is felt in a fish out of the water
Sharks can be caught accidentally in fishing nets next to the regular harvest of a fisherman, but are then released into the water. ocean. These catches and discards can have a negative impact on shark welfare: some sharks, including hammerhead sharks, undergo physiological changes and reflex deficiency after capture, suggesting greater vulnerability to fishing. Other sharks, including nurse sharks, have little or no physiological changes and seem better equipped to be caught and released.
  • Coral reefs provide a respite
    With the increase in ocean acidification, sharks adapt. The ocean acidification is due to the increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, part of which is absorbed by the ocean and increases its acidity. The epaulette is able to cope with this: the shark is not only able to withstand low levels of oxygen, but also short periods of high levels of carbon dioxide, by inhabiting the shallow waters and hiding in the coral reefs. matter
    Different species of sharks are very diverse in their biology and behavior, but it seems that regardless of the size of the shark, their anatomy is geometrically similar. For example, different species of sharks have fins of the same size proportional to their overall body size. In fact, the most important difference between different species of sharks is not their body proportions, but their overall body length because it is often related to their diet.
  • Featured Image Credit: Great White Shark by Elias Levy. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.

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