Gulf streams are constantly varying due to changes in temperature and other vital factors to wildlife migration and habitat. Blue sharks, specifically, have been an excellent help to oceanographers in examining how climate change affects the weather intensity and location of gulf streams. They are especially useful due to their large size, migration lengths, and ability to dive deep, acting as trackers for weather forecasts and climate variance.
Scientists are able to mark sharks and collect data from them by attaching a tag, which is painted with a special coloring that hinders the growth of algae and additional bacteria to develop onto their dorsal fin. These tags include sensors that “collect highly detailed depth and temperature information.” Data is transmitted to satellites once sharks surface, which is very common as this is where they feed, and is sent to labs to process the temperatures of the ocean from the surface to thousands of feet below. This also allows researchers to understand how these blue sharks are responding to shifts in the environment, and how they alter their migration patterns and chosen locations for habitat. This method has come to be preferred, because it is extremely efficient as well as cost-effective.
I find this technique to be a very unique way to track weather changes, as well as being quite accurate and completely painless for the animals. I had never thought that sharks would be the ones doing the job for us, and I think that it is a constructive way to record natural patterns effectively. The only thing that they're missing is a lab coat!
Find full article here:
Comments