Researchers have captured what they believe is the first ever video of a shark - or any large marine animal - being struck by a boat.
The incident occurred hours after an endangered basking shark was tagged off the coast of Ireland in April.
The data, collected by an activity measurement device similar to a FitBit and a connected camera, provided scientists a unique opportunity to learn more about the impact of vessel strikes on large marine animals.
These incidences are a rising concern around the globe, said Taylor Chapple, a shark researcher at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center and lead author of the study.
“This is the first ever direct observation of a ship strike on any marine megafauna that we’re aware of,” Chapple said. “The shark was struck while feeding on the surface of the water and it immediately swam to the seafloor into deeper, offshore waters, a stark contrast to its behaviour prior to the strike.”
“Our findings demonstrate the risk and impact of vessel strikes and the need for measures to reduce this risk.”
Researchers do not know whether the shark, a female about seven metres long, eventually recovered from the strike.
The tag was designed to release itself from the animal at a pre-determined time. About seven hours after the strike, the tag was released and later retrieved by researchers. The data showed the shark never resumed feeding or other normal behaviour while it was being monitored, Chapple said.
The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
Basking sharks are the second largest known fish, frequently reaching more than 8 metres in length. They are listed as globally endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and Ireland is one of the only known locations worldwide where basking sharks continue to aggregate in large numbers.
They filter feed at the water’s surface, similar to some whales, which makes them more susceptible to boat strikes. But unlike the whales, basking sharks often sink when killed, making it hard to gauge mortality rates, said Chapple, assistant professor in the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Basking sharks in Ireland were protected under the country’s Wildlife Act in 2022. Earlier this year, the Irish government announced the establishment of the nation’s first National Marine Park, protecting 70,000 acres of land and sea on the coast of County Kerry where basking sharks frequent seasonally for feeding and potentially mating.
Shortly after the park’s establishment, the researchers were conducting a previously planned study in the park boundaries to learn more about basking shark foraging behaviour and how such behaviour corresponds to environmental factors. As part of their research, they tagged the basking shark with a camera and activity monitor system while it was feeding.
The incident occurred hours after an endangered basking shark was tagged off the coast of Ireland in April.
The data, collected by an activity measurement device similar to a FitBit and a connected camera, provided scientists a unique opportunity to learn more about the impact of vessel strikes on large marine animals.
These incidences are a rising concern around the globe, said Taylor Chapple, a shark researcher at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center and lead author of the study.
“This is the first ever direct observation of a ship strike on any marine megafauna that we’re aware of,” Chapple said. “The shark was struck while feeding on the surface of the water and it immediately swam to the seafloor into deeper, offshore waters, a stark contrast to its behaviour prior to the strike.”
“Our findings demonstrate the risk and impact of vessel strikes and the need for measures to reduce this risk.”
Researchers do not know whether the shark, a female about seven metres long, eventually recovered from the strike.
The tag was designed to release itself from the animal at a pre-determined time. About seven hours after the strike, the tag was released and later retrieved by researchers. The data showed the shark never resumed feeding or other normal behaviour while it was being monitored, Chapple said.
The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
Basking sharks are the second largest known fish, frequently reaching more than 8 metres in length. They are listed as globally endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and Ireland is one of the only known locations worldwide where basking sharks continue to aggregate in large numbers.
They filter feed at the water’s surface, similar to some whales, which makes them more susceptible to boat strikes. But unlike the whales, basking sharks often sink when killed, making it hard to gauge mortality rates, said Chapple, assistant professor in the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Basking sharks in Ireland were protected under the country’s Wildlife Act in 2022. Earlier this year, the Irish government announced the establishment of the nation’s first National Marine Park, protecting 70,000 acres of land and sea on the coast of County Kerry where basking sharks frequent seasonally for feeding and potentially mating.
Shortly after the park’s establishment, the researchers were conducting a previously planned study in the park boundaries to learn more about basking shark foraging behaviour and how such behaviour corresponds to environmental factors. As part of their research, they tagged the basking shark with a camera and activity monitor system while it was feeding.
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