Researchers in Australia have discovered a secret weakness of one of the ocean's most impressive predators.
The scientists, who examined the retinas of 17 different species of shark, discovered that the creatures had only one type of colour-sensitive cell, known as a cone cell, in their eyes.
A study by Simon Oliver at the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University describes the first observations of thresher sharks venturing into shallow coastal waters to interact with cleaner wrasse, a type of small fish that groom other fish species.
Thresher sharks live in the open oceans and much of the knowledge of them to date is based on fisheries bycatch. This study just published in published in PLoS ONE, (14 March 2011) examined the behaviour of these elusive sharks as they invite cleaners to remove parasites and dead tissue.
House Bill (HB) 2838 was introduced to the Oregon State Legislature on 11 January 2011 by Representative Brad Witt (D-Clatskanie) to prohibit the possession, sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins in Oregon. Western ports such as those in Oregon and California are major entry points for shark fin distribution in the United States.
A recent meeting of minds in Denmark saw scientists and politicians alike acknowledge that global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are rising so fast that we are losing the fight to save the coral reef and most reefs will not survive even if tough greenhouse gas regulations are implemented.
Preserving samples of coral species in liquid nitrogen would enable scientists to reintroduce them to the seas in the future – if global temperatures can be stabilised by then.
