amp.news.com.au
Neal Bakernews.com.au
August 13, 2019 11:44am
Scientists from the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland filmed the rare Greenland shark recently in the Canadian Arctic. Slow swimmers and effectively blind, the Greenland shark is one of the Arctic’s top predators. Scientist Brynn Devine says: The observation and monitoring of marine species can be challenging under the best of circumstances. But sampling at extreme depths and in seasonally ice-covered waters is especially difficult. The videos were recorded during summer sessions in 2017, and the scientists published results of their study of the sharks in the journal Nature in January 2018. Credit: Brynn Devine/Marine Institute via Storyful
Scientists believe they may have discovered the world’s oldest living vertebrate.
A shark believed to be the oldest living vertebrate has been discovered — and it could be older than Shakespeare.
The massive Greenland shark was found in the North Atlantic Ocean by scientists who estimated it is up to 512 years old.
Greenland sharks, which only grow 1cm a year, have been known to live for hundreds of years.
The scientists used the shark’s size to suggest its year of birth as early as 1505.
This was the year the future British King Henry VIII ended his engagement to Catherine of Aragon.
Experts used the length — a staggering 5.5 metres — and radiocarbon dating to determine its age as somewhere between 272 and 512 years old, according to a study in journal Science.
It was the oldest of a group of 28 Greenland sharks analysed for the study.
The shark would have been alive during major world events like the founding of the United States, the Napoleonic Wars and the sinking of the Titanic.
Greenland sharks mostly eat fish but they have never been observed hunting. Surprisingly, they have been found to have remains of reindeer and even horses in their stomachs.
Their flesh is considered a delicacy in Iceland, but the meat is toxic if not correctly treated.
A separate study of the ancient shark’s bones and tissues by the Arctic University of Norway may also provide clues about the effects of climate change and pollution over a long time span.
Already the researchers have mapped out all the shark’s mitochondrial DNA — genetic material held in tiny battery-like bodies in cells that supply energy.An ‘ancient’ Greenland shark is caught by fishermen. Picture: @JUNIEL85 Source: InstagramThe 5.5 metre Greenland shark was estimated to be up to 512 years old. Picture: @JUNIEL85 Source: Instagram
Now they are working on DNA from the cell nucleus, which contains the bulk of the animal’s genes.
The “long life” genes could shed light on why most vertebrates have such a limited life span and what determines life expectancy in different species, including humans.
Professor Kim Praebel, who is leading the research, said the sharks were “living time capsules” that could help shed light on human impact on the oceans.
Many were so old they predated the industrial revolution and the introduction of large-scale commercial fishing.
“The longest living vertebrate species on the planet has formed several populations in the Atlantic Ocean,” said Prof Praebel, who was speaking at the University of Exeter at a symposium organised by the Fisheries Society of the British Isles.
“This is important to know, so we can develop appropriate conservation actions for this important species.”Greenland sharks are known for their longevity, living for hundreds of years. Picture: @JUNIEL85 Source: Instagram
ANCIENT BEASTS: SOME OF THE WORLD’S LONGEST-LIVING THINGS
• Aldabra giant tortoise — Species has been known to live to up to 255 years old, making it the oldest terrestrial animal in the world.
• Glass sponges — Found in the East China Sea and Southern Ocean, examples have been found that are more than 10,000 years old.
• Great Basin bristlecone pine — One tree is the oldest in North America at 5067 years old.
• Endolith — A microscopic organism that lives inside rock. In August 2013, researchers found evidence of endoliths on the ocean floor perhaps being millions of years old.
• Hydra — an ocean species that does not age, making it technically immortal.
• Creme Puff — The oldest known domestic cat, who died in Austin Texas in 2005 aged 38 years and three days.
• Jeanne Calment — French great grandmother who died at 122 years and 164 days in 1997. She outlived both her daughter and grandson by several decades.
INTERNATIONAL SHARK WEEK? IT’S SO OVER… EXCEPT HERE
There’s never a day without a ‘Day’, nor a week without a ‘Week’. Almost all creatures under the sun are celebrated in some regular calendar-based time-frame. With the exception of No-see-ums: I’ve checked – there is no national or international Ceratopogonidae Day in any online calendar.
By a mere 2 days, I have missed Shark Week, a happening tied in with the Discovery Channel, and heralded by an amusing trailer that features no actual sharks… So, belatedly, here are some cool shark photos to enjoy, in case you didn’t get enough of them last week, or (like me) had other fish to fry.
“I’m so glad we agreed to watch each other’s backs…”
Meet Nurse Betty, as she is known to divers
MANGROVES: THE SHARK NURSERY
As all children are taught and some adults know, the mangroves that grow in the…
Buying a dead animal flowing in a jar of preservatives usually does not sound like a good gift but yet sharks in jars continue to be a staple in many Florida gift shops across the state and it looks like Miami Beach Commissioners agree with us.
City commissioners last week have passed a resolution asking merchants to stop selling the grotesque souvenir immediately. It is an absolute shame that this request has to be put in to begin with put the fact that this is not against the law is the real concern.
City Commissioner Mark Samuelian said in a statement, “Miami Beach stands for a lot of things: We’re very pro-environment; we really care about wildlife and all the animals. And I don’t think having dead species like alligators and sharks — some with the label ‘Miami Beach’ on them — is consistent with that.”
The Florida Wildlife commission is the government body that regulates marine life in the state therefore, the most city commissioners could do is ask shop owners to remove them from shelfs. In the resolution, the commissioners condemned the practice by calling it a “disturbing and unsavory practice” and a “grotesque enterprise motivated by profits”.
The city commissioners also released a second resolution that calls for the state to step in and enact stricter regulations on the fishing and harvesting of shark and alligator species.
“I have seen some of these things in tourist shops,” says Vice Mayor Michael Góngora, who cosponsored both resolutions. “I’ve always thought it was gross, personally. I can’t imagine why anybody would want to buy this or have this. But I guess people do.”
The sharks are typically brought in as a product of commercial fishing bycatch but reports have also pointed towards sharks being born in man-made pools with the purpose of being killed for selling. When a pregnant shark is captured, the fisherman caught open the pregnant shark to reveal shark pups which are then sold to place in jars. The most common sharks found are dusky sharks and spiny dogfish but other species have been known to be placed in jars to sell.
by: Care2 Team
recipient: Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti
11,328 SUPPORTERS
12,000 GOAL
The whale shark — the world’s largest fish — is under threat. Its numbers are in decline and it is up to the global community to implement laws that ensure their survival.
That’s why Indonesian marine laws stipulate that divers — who come from all around the world for a chance to see them in the wild — keep a distance of at least three feet from the enormous creatures.
But those warnings weren’t heeded by a few careless scuba divers in Indonesia’s Cenderawasih Bay National Park. In a video that recently went viral, the group can be seen decked in full scuba gear and with no regard for their safety or that of the sharks. One person straddled the shark’s back while two others held down its fins and another clung on to its tail. Others then proceed to take photos.
Whale Sharks like other sharks must keep moving to breathe. Although they are huge, the fish are extremely fragile, and any type of human contact can lead to injury which could quickly lead to their death.
While the scuba divers are clearly at fault and have been arrested by authorities, there is one other person that should be equally accountable — the tour guide. Tour guides supposedly know the laws that protect Indonesia’s endangered marine species, but this one decided to ignore them and allow his clients to treat the fish like a plush toy.
Indonesian authorities should make sure to find the tour guide and make sure they also pay a price for endangering the whale sharks. Sign the petition and encourage Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti to take action against all guilty parties.
takeaction.oceanconservancy.org
Take Action for Blacktip Reef Sharks
The blacktip reef shark’s home around the coral reefs is being damaged by ocean acidification—which occurs when the ocean absorbs carbon and becomes acidified. Increasing acidification degrades the physical structure of these reefs, putting blacktip reef shark habitat and food supply at risk. This affects all the creatures living among the reef—not just blacktip reef sharks.
Federal research funding can help deepen our scientific understanding of this problem and enable us to respond in order to protect thousands of jobs. This expanded ocean acidification research will provide desperately needed resources to help us address one of the most widespread threats to coastal communities and the ocean today.
Please write to your members of Congress today—urging them to fully fund ocean acidification research projects.
Sharks are a apexs predator that are essential to the health of the oceans and indeed are also exceptionally valuable to tourism in Florida. You can learn more about the practice of shark finning and why it is so horrible with a simple google search.
This is unacceptable and must stop.
We the undersigned are divers and tourists who visit Florida to dive and experience the beautiful and exceptional outdoor and underwater experience that Florida offers.
Knowing that Florida is allowing this internationally condemned practice to be conducted legally is forcing us to reconsider visiting Florida as our playground.
We ask you to take a strong stand and pass legislation to stop the trade in shark fins in Florida
I was informed by an animal protection organization that a shark aquarium is planned in Sinsheim. Sinsheim has 35,000 inhabitants and is located in the south of Germany.
An investor wants to build the biggest shark aquarium in Europe: “Shark City”.
Dives in the basins are planned, but also a so-called touch pool for touching the animals.
My first thought was: in which century do these cave-men live? But with thoughts we can not save animals, actions maybe more helpful!
I wrote and sent this letter to the mayor.
If someone wants to protest, can also send the same letter. The more the better.
Regards
Venus
Please copy the letter (preferably the German version) and send to the Mayor as soon as possible. Please ensure you state your nationality so that he is aware of the worldwide attention on this issue.
The cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning should have been made illegal long ago. Rhode Island just passed a law to end this inhumane industry, and now the entire U.S. must act. Sign this petition to demand a nationwide ban on this irresponsible trade.
Protected grey reef sharks are being illegally killed and sold in a shark sanctuary in the central Pacific. Urge the local government to increase enforcement of shark fishing bans to end this cruel practice.
July 10th, 2016 (Kent Faulk). Alabama’s Marine Resources Division and Dauphin Island Sea Lab are investigating the deaths of dozens of sharks found Saturday morning along the shore of Mobile Bay, WKRG television news is reporting.
A group of tourists and employees allegedly dragged a shark out of the ocean and posed for pictures with the creature’s lifeless body. Demand that these cruel and inhumane individuals be punished for murdering such a precious creature.
“He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” - Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
An ‘ancient’ Greenland shark is caught by fishermen. Picture: @JUNIEL85 Source: Instagram
The 5.5 metre Greenland shark was estimated to be up to 512 years old. Picture: @JUNIEL85 Source: Instagram
Greenland sharks are known for their longevity, living for hundreds of years. Picture: @JUNIEL85 Source: Instagram
