Scientists excited as elusive Greenland shark washes up in Ireland | CBC

Emma Murphy was stunned when she heard that a dead Greenland shark had washed up on the coast of northwest Ireland.

Giant, ancient marine creatures are not only notoriously elusive, but also typically live in the remote, deep waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Murphy, curator of zoology at the National Museum of Ireland. as it happened Hosted by Nil Kusar. “We were so excited.”

The museum said the species was “extremely rare” in Irish waters. This is the first recorded stranding on an Irish coast.

But as Irish researchers analyzed the remains of the ill-fated shark, one scientist said the species was likely more widespread than many thought.

the world’s longest-living vertebrate

On April 11th, a bystander spotted the shark just outside the town of Sligo. called the Irish Whale and Dolphin Groupa conservation charity with a tip line for reporting stranded whales, dolphins and porpoises.

The discoverers assumed it was the carcass of a basking shark, a species commonly found off the coast of Ireland.

When the charity’s scientists identified the species from photographs, they alerted colleagues at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.

“Honestly, we’re dying to go there,” Murphy said.

Greenland shark is One of the world’s largest carnivorous sharksAccording to the St. Lawrence Shark Observatory. It is second in size to the great white shark, averaging 3 to 5 meters in length, but can grow up to 7 meters.

It is also the longest-living vertebrate on Earth, with a lifespan of over 270 years. oldest on record It was estimated at 400.

The range is wider than expected

The shark’s main habitat is the cold waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic, including Quebec and Atlantic Canada, but shark scientist Dean Grubbs said Ireland is not outside the species’ known range.

“As they are large migratory animals, as long as temperatures are low, generally below 6 degrees Celsius, there is little to prevent them from migrating,” Grubbs, associate director of research at Florida State University’s Coastal and Marine Research Institute, told CBC in an email.

And when you spend most of your time about 2,000 meters below sea level, many places get cold. Grubbs said researchers have also found Greenland sharks in Belize and the Gulf of Mexico.

“They may be much more widespread than we know,” he said. “No one samples the depths and looks at them often.”

“It’s incredibly beautiful.”

Greenland sharks live in deep waters inaccessible to scuba divers, so they are rarely spotted by humans.

The first underwater photo of a live Greenland shark was taken in the Arctic in 1995, and the first video was taken in 2003 in the St. Lawrence Estuary.

So when Murphy and her colleagues had a chance to see it up close, they were beside themselves.

“We had to climb quite a lot of rocks, like a surf break, to get to the beach where the shark was,” she said. “We were so excited. When we got close enough, we almost started running.”

It did not disappoint, she said.

“It’s a solemn moment to see such a magnificent and rare creature washed ashore,” Murphy said. “It’s incredibly beautiful.”

Fortunately for the scientists, the rot had not yet begun. With the help of several local volunteers and a crane, they were able to retrieve the carcass and transport it to a nearby Department of Agriculture facility for autopsy.

They are still waiting for specific test results, but so far they know the shark is a 3-meter-long male and appears to be sexually mature. If their estimates are correct, this shark would be about 150 years old.

“It’s older than the museum,” Murphy said. “Before Ireland became independent, he was swimming around in the sea.”

Researchers still don’t know what killed him. He showed no signs of trauma, was underweight and didn’t have many parasites, Murphy said.

“I think he looked pretty healthy,” she said.

Scientists may not know where this shark came from, but they do know that Ireland will be his final resting place.

“We were able to preserve his skin and his entire skull. We will now find a suitable shark taxidermist and prepare it for public display,” she said.

“As such, he will be cataloged in the museum’s collection and will remain there for generations to enjoy and see up close.”