Great white sharks keep entering the twilight zone and experts are mystified
Great white sharks are displaying unprecedented behaviours, and experts can’t explain why. One of the ocean’s greatest apex predators has been entering the twilight zone way beneath the surface of the ocean, and far beneath the areas they normally feed in. The twilight zone, also referred to as the mesopelagic zone, is the area 200 to 1,000 metres down below the surface which is at least partly permeated by sunlight. The midnight zone, meanwhile, is found 1,000 to 3,000 metres down and is impenetrable to sunlight. Now, a new study published in the journal PNAS offered insight into the behaviours of 344 tagged predatory fish including great white sharks. Scientists would usually expect the creatures studied to dive to the deep scattering layer (DSL), which is full of small fish and other ocean life forms and therefore attracts more predators than other levels. However, there was also evidence that suggested predators dove down far deeper than the DSL, and scientists don’t know why. According to the research, great white sharks dive down to as deep as 1,128 metres. Camrin Braun is assistant scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and study lead. Braun told Live Science: "How, when, where they access the deep ocean certainly varies, but the clear anecdotal answer is that the deep ocean seems like an important habitat regardless of the predator species. It's clear there are good reasons for these animals to dive deep, otherwise why would they all do it? "There's good evidence for some species/situations in which diving deep is clearly for foraging," Braun added. "So that supported our expectation. However, we also find several cases where we can pretty definitively say the use of the deep ocean is not for feeding – or if it is it represents a totally different kind of predator-prey interaction or mysterious prey resource." The study could suggest that the twilight zone could be far more important to great white sharks and other predatory fish than previously thought. "If it turns out that there is indeed more biomass in the twilight zone than in all current marine capture fisheries combined then it's possible to imagine a kind of mesopelagic 'gold rush' to catch and use this biomass," Braun said. "There are many 'ifs' in this chain and many issues in making mesopelagic fishing feasible but it seems that biomass may be important for predators. Therefore, we really need to better quantify those links between predators and mesopelagic biomass before we can sustainably harvest/use those resources.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings
2023-11-22 23:16
COVID-19 slowed global progress in tobacco control - report
LONDON Global progress in policies to reduce tobacco use slowed for the first time in 12 years following
2023-11-22 22:59
Man Utd & Liverpool among Premier League clubs interested in Irish wonderkid
Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing young Irish talent Sam Curtis, sources have confirmed to 90min.
2023-11-22 22:53
15 Moving Facts About ’Planes, Trains and Automobiles’
John Hughes’s own hellish trip from New York City to Chicago inspired ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles,’ the 1987 Thanksgiving classic starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
2023-11-22 22:53
UK to Make Home Conversions Easier in New Set of Housing Pledges
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced a plan to make it easier for Britons to convert houses into
2023-11-22 22:51
Private Lenders Provide Record €4.5 Billion for Adevinta LBO
Private credit funds are providing a record €4.5 billion ($4.9 billion) loan to back the buyout of Adevinta
2023-11-22 22:27
UK Inclined to Order Probe into Abu Dhabi-Backed Telegraph Deal
The UK government is leaning toward ordering a probe into RedBird IMI’s proposed Telegraph deal, after the prospect
2023-11-22 21:59
Sir Alex Ferguson breaks silence on Sir Jim Ratcliffe's proposed Man Utd investment
Sir Alex Ferguson admits he's 'optimistic' about Sir Jim Ratcliffe's imminent investment in Manchester United. The British billionaire is expected to finalise a deal with the current ownership within the next week.
2023-11-22 21:46
Trisha Paytas announces second pregnancy and already has unique name picked out
Trisha Paytas has announced they are pregnant with their second baby - and has already picked out a unique name for their unborn child. Taking to Instagram, the 35-year-old controversial YouTuber - who identifies as non-binary and uses she/they pronouns - shared the news that they and husband Moses Hacmon are going to be parents again. "🍂Thankful🍂 Baby #2 coming May 2024," Paytas wrote as the post caption, with snaps of the couple together holding sonogram photos along with their one-year-old daughter Malibu Barbie. Paytas also revealed the name of baby number two in a TikTok video that showed some behind-the-scenes clips of the photoshoot. It appears the expectant parents were inspired by the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself when choosing the name. "We did already announce the baby's name is going to be Elvis, while we don't know the gender yet - boy or girl - we're having baby Elvis and we couldn't be more excited," they said. @trishlikefish88 Paytas who gave birth to Malibu Barbie on September 14 last year and around this time a bizarre conspiracy theory circulated online that they had already given birth and that the baby was the reincarnation of Elizabeth II who passed away on September 8. On their podcast 'Just Trish,' the social media star who addressed this once more after announcing their second pregnancy - as they hope another royal death doesn't coincide with their birth once more. "Please no royalty die in May I swear to goodness if the King dies or something and they say it's my baby," they said. "I have the fear of the royal family at all times." To which Hacmon jokingly interjected: "We are giving birth to the King," referencing the fact that they're naming their baby Elvis. Of course, the announcement prompted memes online about how concerned King Charles should be about Paytas being pregnant again. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-11-22 20:52
Brazil Central Bank Can Keep Cutting Rates, Campos Neto Says
Brazil’s central bank has room to continue lowering interest rates as inflation is well-behaved even if still a
2023-11-22 20:45
Roundup: Melissa Barrera Fired From 'Scream VII'; Steelers Fire Matt Canada; Mike Shildt Named Padres Manager
Melissa Barrera fired from "Scream VII", the Steelers fired Matt Canada, Padres name Mike Shildt manager and more in the Roundup.
2023-11-22 20:24
Lucasfilm puts Ahsoka director in charge of Star Wars creative
'Ahsoka' director Dave Filoni is now overseeing the creative process all 'Star Wars' projects.
2023-11-22 20:22