Rare shark nursery found off Ireland's west coast

The Blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus).YouTube / marineinstituteIRL

Scientists have discovered a rare shark nursery about 200 nautical miles off the west coast of Ireland.

The announcement was made at the INFOMAR Seabed Mapping Seminar in Kinsale on Thursday, BreakingNews.ie reports.

The discovery was made in July during the recent "SeaRover" survey by the Marine Institute's remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) Holland 1, deployed onboard the ILV Granuaile.

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Large numbers of egg cases, called mermaids purses, were filmed on the seafloor at depths reaching 750 meters.

A large school of Blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus) was present at the site, and it is believed to be the eggs of this species. Sailfin roughshark (Oxynotus paradoxus), which has been observed in the past, is one of the most common species in the world.

Both species are on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) "red" list of threatened species. Ireland is obliged to monitor deepwater sharks under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, The Irish Times reports.

The shark nursery was observed in one of Ireland's six offshore Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) designated under the EU Habitats Directive for Annex 1 reefs.

Scientists said that such a large concentration of egg cases are "rarely recorded and indicated in the seafloor to lay eggs."

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David O'Sullivan, of INFOMAR and chief scientist on the SeaRover survey (ROV Exploration of Reef habitat), said the nursery was "not previously documented in Irish waters."

"This discovery shows the significance of documenting sensitive marine habitats, and will provide a better understanding of the biology of these beautiful animals and their ecosystem function in Ireland's Biologically Sensitive Area," he said.

The Blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus).YouTube / marineinstituteIRL