The mysterious smalltooth sand tiger shark must now be added to the list of sharks found in British and Irish waters , says Paul Cox
Seagrass beds mapped off Cornwall
A new shark mystery
The mysterious smalltooth sand tiger shark must now be added to the list of sharks found in British and Irish waters , says Paul Cox
Seagrass beds mapped off Cornwall
One of the largest seagrass beds in the UK has been identified off the south coast of Cornwall . An acoustic study of St Austell Bay pinpointed 359 hectares ( 887 acres ) of seagrass hugging the coastline ; divers sent in to examine the site close up recorded 56 species living in the rich habitat .
Cornwall Wildlife Trust described it as a hugely positive find but said work was needed to protect the bed and further surveys should be carried out to find out if there were other beds in nearby areas .
Abby Crosby , marine conservation officer for the trust , said : “ The discovery of extensive surviving seagrass beds in St Austell Bay is a very exciting development . Seagrass is one of the largest carbon sinks we have globally , despite covering only 0.1 % of the ocean floor .” It also serves as a shelter , feeding ground and nursery for a host of marine life , including vulnerable species such as seahorses , and the young of commercial fish and seafood stocks . Seagrass beds play an important role in helping to combat erosion of the coastline from the waves , as storms increase in their intensity due to climate change . “ Seagrass meadows , which can flower and photosynthesise in shallow seas , are important because they stabilise the sediments in which they grow and provide food and shelter for other species .”
Mindoro , revealed on 15 April that the area between Puerto Galera in the north of Mindoro island and Bulalacao had failed four consecutive water-quality tests .
The governor ’ s warning came just three days after Puerto Galera was visited by the Philippines tourism secretary , pictured left , Christina Garcia Frasco , who carried out a dive in support of the area and to supposedly confirm the water quality was acceptable .
The Princess Empress tanker sank off Naujan in the north-east of Oriental Mindoro on 28 February while carrying 800,000 litres of industrial fuel oil . The resulting spill has severely affected fishing communities and the many designated marine protected areas in the south of Mindoro .
On an otherwise unremarkable Saturday in March , news came through of an unusual shark washed up on a beach near Southampton . The shark had been spotted swimming weakly earlier in the day but sadly ended up dead on the beach . The identification machine kicked into action and , before too long it became clear that this was something quite special . Identified as a smalltooth sand tiger , this was not just unusual for the UK ( a first in our waters ) but was a rare sighting pretty much anywhere . Everything that ’ s known about the smalltooth sand tiger is taken from about 200 records . They have a patchy distribution , and they spend much of their time away from prying eyes . Prior to this UK record , they have been considered to reach only as far north as the south coast of Brittany , in the Bay of Biscay . This was a shark that had ventured hundreds of miles out of its normal range . What could have brought it here ? Where did it come from ? Why has this individual strayed so far ? Is it a sign of some sort of change ?
All good questions , and all the sort of questions that , as anyone who watches crime dramas on TV knows , can be pieced together with the help of forensic science . Modern forensics can fill in all sorts of gaps and reconstruct the past in incredible ways . Using isotope analysis on a particular structure in the eye , for example , can pinpoint with amazing accuracy when ( and where ) an animal was born . This technique sits behind the recent discovery that Greenland sharks can live for 400 years . So , what could we
learn from this traveller that landed on our doorstep ? Step forward scientists and see what you can rescue from the sad loss of this remarkable shark . But it was not to be . Because , before the body could be removed for analysis , someone went to the beach and helped themselves to the head , tail and fins . And promptly disappeared . And so it was , that the story of this shark turned into a media-led one-dimensional story about “ who has taken the head of the shark ”. And so it was that what could have been a chance to find out more about a rare gem turned into a three-day witch-hunt that burned out as soon as the news cycle moved on .
It ’ s a tragic tale . Shark science , which already has to proceed largely in the dark , had a chink of light . Only for that light to be extinguished . And the senselessness of chopping a wild animal into pieces for your own ( unclear ) gain .
Do us a favour , if you ever find a shark on a beach , don ’ t be that person . Get it to where it can help fill in the gaps in our knowledge of these beautiful animals .
Editor ’ s update . Shortly after Paul filed his column , a second smalltooth sand tiger shark was found washed up on shore , this time in Co Wexford in Ireland . Shark biologist Dr Nicholas Payne , an assistant professor in Trinity College Dublin ’ s school of natural sciences , “ could not believe it ” when he received an email from the Swiss tourist , who had discovered the shark while walking . The photograph below is of the 14-ft Wexford shark , which was recovered in its entirety . www . sharktrust . org
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