University’s aerial survey finds sharks in Cornwall's waters

‘It is wonderful to witness the return of these spectacular animals around our coastline,’ said Peter Richardson, MCS Species Policy Officer and University of Exeter post-graduate student. ‘During the aerial survey we also saw common dolphins, which, along with the basking sharks have been mistaken for Great White Sharks during the recent media feeding frenzy. We didn’t expect to see Great White Sharks and needless to say we didn’t spot any!’

The University of Exeter and MCS aerial surveys are funded by the European Social Fund, with additional support from MCS and PADI Project AWARE. Friday’s aerial survey also detected sunfish, and previous surveys have recorded bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises and grey seals. Through the aerial surveys, the team hopes to understand the distribution and seasonality of the different species of wildlife using Cornwall’s waters, and also inform the local marine wildlife watching industry that is fast becoming a local tourism attraction.

‘These basking shark sightings indicate that Cornish waters are an important summer hotspot for this protected species. Basking sharks have become a significant tourist attraction for Cornwall, but anyone wishing to see these amazing animals should go with a WiSe-accredited wildlife watching trip in order to avoid unnecessary and illegal disturbance to them,’ said Dr Ruth Leeney, researcher at the University of Exeter’s Cornwall Campus.

The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is the second largest fish in the sea, much larger than a great white, growing in excess of 11m and weighing up to 7 tonnes. They are regular visitors to British coasts, where each summer they return to feed harmlessly on inshore plankton blooms. Since 1987, MCS has run a separate project Basking Shark Watch, which encourages public reporting of basking sharks. In the last 20 years MCS has accumulated over 10,500 public sightings of basking sharks in UK waters, but no confirmed reports of great white sharks. Last week, MCS Basking Shark Watch received several basking shark reports from Cornish waters, with one sailor reporting large groups of sharks between Land’s End and the Scilly Isles on Thursday. On Friday observers at the National Coastwatch Institution at Bass Point, Lizard saw 19 sharks, while over the weekend Seawatch SW recorded 14 shark sightings at Gwennap Head near Land’s End.

Basking sharks are protected under national law and while MCS encourages the public to report their sightings, they also warn people not to get too close to the gentle giants.

Source: University of Exeter

Giant ocean sunfish seen off Cornish coast
An aerial survey has reportedly detected a sudden influx of the world's largest bony fish -- the giant ocean sunfish -- into Cornwall's coastal waters.
Scientists: Virginia shark's pup a 'virgin birth'
(AP) -- Scientists have confirmed the second case of a "virgin birth" in a shark. In a study reported Friday in the Journal of Fish Biology, scientists said DNA testing proved that a pup carried by a female Atlantic blacktip shark in the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center contained no genetic material from a male.
New underwater robot can hover in place
(PhysOrg.com) -- MIT researchers have designed a new robotic underwater vehicle that can hover in place like a helicopter -- an invaluable tool for deepwater oil explorers, marine archaeologists, oceanographers and others.
Primordial fish had rudimentary fingers
Tetrapods, the first four-legged land animals, are regarded as the first organisms that had fingers and toes. Now researchers at Uppsala University can show that this is wrong. Using medical x-rays, they found rudiments of fingers in the fins in fossil Panderichthys, the “transitional animal,” which indicates that rudimentary fingers developed considerably earlier than was previously thought.
Over 100 new sharks and rays classified
(PhysOrg.com) -- Australian scientists have completed an ambitious 18-month project to name and describe more than 100 new species of sharks and rays.
Professor-turned-producer learns the movie biz
It's not every day that a research scientist and university professor gets to see his work on the silver screen. But in just a few months, Richard W. Siegel will get to watch his name scroll down the giant screen of a darkened IMAX theater with a new title that seems light years away from laboratory benches and lecture halls: Executive Producer.
Taking the bite out of shark DNA
(PhysOrg.com) -- Extracting shark DNA has been somewhat of a challenge in the past, with scientists having to overcome the obvious hurdles associated with carrying out biopsies on live and rather uncooperative specimens.
Oceans on the precipice: scientist warns of mass extinctions and 'rise of slime'
Human activities are cumulatively driving the health of the world's oceans down a rapid spiral, and only prompt and wholesale changes will slow or perhaps ultimately reverse the catastrophic problems they are facing.

University’s aerial survey finds sharks in Cornwall's waters

Related stories:

News discussion: