«Breaking News» Huge 'shark nursery' with thousands of egg cases found 200 miles off the Irish western coast

A rare 'shark nursery' has been discovered by a team of marine scientists two hundred miles off the western coast of Ireland.

The Marine Institute's remotely operated vehicle Sea Rover was investigating Ireland's deep cold-water coral reefs at depths of around 2460.63 feet.

The scientists recorded a large school of catshark pups, usually found in the north east Atlantic, along with the more unusual solitary sailfin roughshark.

As the Sea Rover takes a closer look at the sea bed, they make the discovery of thousands of egg cases, commonly referred to as mermaid purses, strewn along the ocean floor.

The sight is seldom seen in such vast numbers and are thought to belong to the catsharks.

The high abundance of egg cases, which were deposited by the females during the summer months, may mean that they regularly come to the area to lay their eggs.

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The scientists discovered a large school of catshark pups, usually found in the north-east Atlantic. This is a rarely observed habitat within an offshore Special Area of Conservation

Coral skeletons make a complex environment for marine wildlife to lay and deposit their eggs.

Other sea creatures are seen in the footage co-existing among the sharks in the coral skeletons including sea urchins, crabs and other smaller fish. 

The rare Sailfin roughshark is seen on the periphery of the 'nursery' area and is thought to be moving through the site potentially to forage on the egg cases, although this was not observed by the science team.

The species is listed as 'Near Threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature meaning it may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future.

The species grows up to a length of 1.2 m and is usually observed moving slowly with deep water currents feeding on small benthic invertebrates. 

 The findings were announced at INFORMAR Seabed Mapping Seminar in Kinsale on Thursday, where the marine scientists played highlights taken by the underwater vehicle. 

INFORMAR is an Irish Gorvernment Initiative which monitors  deep water sharks as part of its marine conservation programme.

David O'Sullivan, of INFORMAR said:  'We are delighted to report the discovery of a rare shark nursery on a scale not previously documented in Irish waters.

'This discovery shows the significance of documenting sensitive marine habitats, and will give us a better understanding of the biology of these beautiful animals and their ecosystem function in Ireland's Biologically Sensitive Area.'

While there were no shark pups swimming around the site, the researchers that captured the footage want to keep an eye on events there and potentially watch them hatch in the future.

'No pups were obvious at the site and it is believed that the adult sharks might be utilising degraded coral reef and exposed carbonate rock on which to lay their eggs,' said David O'Sullivan, chief scientist at SeaRover.

'A healthy coral reef in the vicinity, may act as a refuge for the juvenile shark pups once they hatch.

'It is anticipated that further study of the site will answer some important scientific questions on the biology and ecology of deep water sharks in Irish waters.'    

WHAT IS A CAT SHARK?

The family Scyliorhinidae is the largest shark family, with at least 15 genera and over 100 species.

 Their common name, catsharks, likely derives from their elongated, cat-like eyes, although their scientific name is based on the Greek words, “Scylla,” meaning “a shark,” and “rhinos,” meaning “nose.” 

Some members of Scyliorhinidae are also commonly known as dogfish. Members of this family tend to be small, usually less than 1 m long, and are harmless to humans. 

Most catsharks live in seas above the upper continental slope, a location that makes it difficult to observe these sharks and collect specimens. Therefore, much information about catsharks remains to be discovered. 

 

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https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/12/huge-shark-nursery-with-thousands-of-egg-cases-found-200-miles-off-the-irish-western-coast/
Main photo article A rare ‘shark nursery’ has been discovered by a team of marine scientists two hundred miles off the western coast of Ireland.
The Marine Institute’s remotely operated vehicle Sea Rover was investigating Ireland’s deep cold-water coral reefs at depths of around 2460.63 ...

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