Tiger sharks expanding range and could increasingly encounter humans as oceans warm due to climate crisis

Warming oceans due to the climate crisis are having a significant impact on the migratory patterns of tiger sharks, allowing the apex predator to expand its range, but also exposing them to new risks, a new study has warned. While waters off the US northeast coastline have historically been too cold for tiger sharks, temperatures have warmed significantly in recent years making them increasingly suitable for the species, the researchers said. “Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” said Neil Hammerschlag, director of the University of Miami Shark Research and Conservation Programme and lead author of the study. They also used satellite derived sea-surface temperature data to come to the conclusion the migratory expansions were driven by the climate crisis. They warned their findings could have significant implications for some ocean ecosystems and mean the sharks come into increased contact with humans.