Sharks face wave of challenges: Human-caused climate change

(WPDE) — Sharks are one of the most feared creatures of the ocean. But what do sharks have to fear from humans?

Just like every living being on Earth, sharks are dealing with the impacts of human-caused climate change.

When discussing climate change, the first area of Earth discussed is the atmosphere. Emissions that humans spew into the atmosphere alter the chemical makeup of the atmosphere and cause the planet to trap heat and, over time, cause a warmer climate.

However, the oceans are also greatly impacted by climate change.

The oceans absorb nearly 90% of the added heat in the atmosphere. This causes ocean temperatures to warm, sea levels to rise, ocean acidification and the loss of sea ice. It also impacts marine life, like sharks.

We’re seeing changes in migratory patterns, we’re seeing changes in the availability of suitable habitats, shifts in what we call population centers of abundance, so where most of the population is typically found, and then changes in the availability of prey, Harley Newton, the Chief Scientist and Veterinarian for OCEARCH, said.

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Newton added that there’s still much to learn about climate change and its impacts on sharks. She explains, “They may follow the prey to new areas that may also be part of that temperature shift. You know, they’re probably feeding on prey that share the same type of temperatures and an environment that they like, so they’re going to shift together.”

The same goes for each living thing in the ocean, as Newton explains that the vulnerabilities of each marine species will be vastly different. Even in sharks, the changes to each shark species will be different.

Newton says, “Not all sharks are the same. They live in different areas, some of them are more bottom-dwelling, some are more in the open oceans and swimming, so the impact is going to be different. Probably the biggest impacts that we’re seeing so far really is with, you know, their range and distribution and their migrations.”

John Tyminski is a Senior Data Scientist for OCEARCH who oversees OCEARCH’s global shark tracker. He discusses that while sharks will be impacted by climate change, something needs to be said for their resiliency. Sharks can thrive in a wide range of water temperatures.

Our studies show that they can be in water as cold as minus 0.9C and as warm as 30.5C So the fact that they’ve got that very wide tolerance could mean that they are a little less vulnerable to changes in water temperatures.

Tyminski highlights the migratory nature of sharks, too. He says, “The fact that a White Shark is capable of crossing oceans on that scale means that they could perhaps find habitat that’s more comfortable, suitable for them in terms of temperature, food resources that they can access.”

Sharks have been around for hundreds of millions of years, speaking to their resiliency, Newton notes.

“I think the fact that we have sharks today is just to highlight how well their evolution went, and I think that most species will probably be highly adaptable to the changes that are coming at them,” she said.

While sharks may have the natural tools to be resilient to a lot of impacts from human-caused climate change, there are other threats to shark populations. The biggest reason for the decline of shark populations is the fishing industry.

Some sharks are caught in nets by people fishing for other marine animals, and some sharks are fished for meat, fins, and other parts of the animal used in the manufacturing of products (largely for additives used in some beauty products).

What can be done?

When fishing, be able to identify what’s been caught to know whether it should be released or if local officials should be notified.

When going to the beach, leave it cleaner than it was before arriving.

Together, we can lessen our impact on the planet, even with one small action at a time.