… Just Kidding! (We hope!)
In honor of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week which has consumed America and 638 thousand Facebook fans, people everywhere are celebrating sharks, our universal, undeniable fear of them and also their distinct place in a healthy planet.
We’re already well aware that our over consumption, over fishing, massive use of plastics, and the rise of carbon emissions has devastated the ocean and marine ecology. Animals are responding to climate change in new and surprising ways. Back in January 2012 the first ever reported hybrid shark was found off the coast of Australia. “Scientists say interbreeding between the common black tip (Carcharhinus limbatus) and the Australian black tip (Carcharhinus tilstoni) sharks are a sign the predators are adapting to warmer waters.” (Huffington Post) Hybridtization is not only a sign that our climate is changing but that our environment is becoming more and more unpredictable. Not such a great thing for humans vs. sharks. More and more shark attacks are being reported as our climate continues to change.
Beach Cleanup volunteers made this massive sign from ocean trash.
Did you know:
- A shark could detect a single drop of blood in an Olympic-sized pool.
- While cancer is rare, a study at Johns Hopkins University found 40 cases of tumors in sharks.
- In 1978, archaeologists uncovered remnants of shark bodies under ruins of the Aztec Great Temple.
- Galeophobia is the excessive fear of sharks. It comes from the Greek word “galeos,” meaning shark.
- After some shark embryos develop teeth, they eat their unborn siblings until only one remains.
- Only 20 of the more than 350 species of shark are known to attack humans.
- Sometimes a female shark can reproduce without contact from a male, an act known as parthenogenesis.
Facts provided by Discovery Channel.
Ways you can help save the sharks? Join and ECO SWIM Beach Cleanup, learn more about climate change and reducing your carbon footprint, and use eco-friendly products.
