PolWatch
06-24-2015, 01:11 PM
Its sad such a rare creature died but it does give scientists a chance to study them....
http://cdn.grindtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/basking_Greg-SkomalNOAA.jpghttp://cdn.grindtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/baskingshark1.jpeg
The capture Sunday of a giant basking shark off Australia has drawn the ire of conservationists, but represents an opportunity for scientists to study this rare and mysterious species.
The 20-foot shark was hauled up by the crew of a trawler off Portland, in Victoria, and was dead by the time it reached the surface. It was a surprise catch because basking sharks typically roam waters far beyond Australia’s continental shelf.
These are plankton-eating filter feeders and the world’s second-largest fish, behind whale sharks, capable of reaching lengths of nearly 30 feet.
Little is known about the migration patterns of basking sharks, but they’re found in temperate seas around the world, and the overfished species is labeled “vulnerable” by the IUCN red list (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/4292/0).
Read more at http://www.grindtv.com/wildlife/rare-giant-basking-shark-caught-off-australia-donated-to-science/#zKG52qJ5FdPCUHuz.99
http://cdn.grindtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/basking_Greg-SkomalNOAA.jpghttp://cdn.grindtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/baskingshark1.jpeg
The capture Sunday of a giant basking shark off Australia has drawn the ire of conservationists, but represents an opportunity for scientists to study this rare and mysterious species.
The 20-foot shark was hauled up by the crew of a trawler off Portland, in Victoria, and was dead by the time it reached the surface. It was a surprise catch because basking sharks typically roam waters far beyond Australia’s continental shelf.
These are plankton-eating filter feeders and the world’s second-largest fish, behind whale sharks, capable of reaching lengths of nearly 30 feet.
Little is known about the migration patterns of basking sharks, but they’re found in temperate seas around the world, and the overfished species is labeled “vulnerable” by the IUCN red list (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/4292/0).
Read more at http://www.grindtv.com/wildlife/rare-giant-basking-shark-caught-off-australia-donated-to-science/#zKG52qJ5FdPCUHuz.99