Friday, January 13, 2012

Climate Change: Hybrid Sharks Mark Survival Strategy

Researchers have discovered the world’s first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, indicating that animals are adapting to climate change for survival. Leading researchers in marine biology have come across 57 animals along a 2,000 km stretch from Queensland to New South Wales which they believe are the result of cross-breeding between the common black-tip shark and Australian black-tip shark, two related but genetically distinct species.


The inter-breeding between the two species shows that the animals are adapting to climate change and the hybridization can make the fishes stronger, the scientists said. They also said that hybridization can enable sharks to adapt to ecological change as the smaller Australian black-tip currently favors tropical waters in the north, while the larger common black-tip is more abundant in sub-tropical and temperate waters along the south-eastern Australian coastline.


This all is very alarming as the ecology is getting destroyed by man at a fast pace. So much so, that the majestic sharks have to adapt to new ways in order to survive. As if killing of creatures in water was not enough, man has almost destroyed the sea waters. Even the river waters have not been spared and the fish are being killed continuously. It’s a wonder why we humans don’t understand that if the ecology is destroyed, we all will be destroyed and there will be nothing left on this once beautiful earth to see, eat, and drink, forget hunting of innocent and helpless animals.





Courtesy:TOI