• Health
  • Science
  • U.S.
  • Technology
  • Business
  • World
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports

Building a Better World

News and information

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Our Team

Frightening leopard shark discovery near California stuns scientists

May 7, 2017 By Dan Taylor

Frightening leopard shark discovery near California stuns scientists

Picture of a leopard shark swimming in a kelp tank at Scripps Aquarium in La Jolla, California via photographer Matthew Field.

Something extremely alarming is happening in the San Francisco Bay, and scientists are trying to figure out what is going on. Researchers say that huge numbers of dead leopard sharksk have been found since mid March off the coast of Redwood City, Foster City, Alameda, Hayward, Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.

It’s being called the largest death event for leopard sharks in the last six years. The leopard shark is the most common species of shark in the bay, and it could involve thousands of sharks.

The last time something like this happened was in 2011, when authorities found more than 1,000 dead sharks near Marin County. What’s causing these events? Scientists think it may be toxins from stagnant water.

Here’s what the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation says about the leopard shark: “The leopard shark represents a top predator within the Elkhorn Slough and is one of the most common coastal/estuarine species of shark to be found in California and the Eastern Pacific Coast. These sharks range from Oregon to northern Mexico. Born at a length of several inches (20 centimeters), adults are reported to reach lengths of over 2 m (over 6 feet) though the average length for adults is less than 1.6 m (5 feet). After a 12 month oviviparous gestation period, 4 to over 30 pups are born during the spring in shallow coastal bays, and marine estuaries which serve as their nursery and incubation areas.”

Sharing

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Filed Under: Front Page, Science

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Facebookrss

Search:

Recent Posts

  • NASA’s InSight spacecraft makes important course correction May 26, 2018
  • Scientists outraged at latest Trump decision May 15, 2018
  • Huge uproar erupts over major incident at Utah park May 13, 2018
  • Incredible moon discovery stuns scientists May 12, 2018
  • Authorities shocked by discovery about common painkiller May 6, 2018
  • Outrageous crocodile experiment stuns scientists May 5, 2018
  • Great Barrier Reef is too quiet, scientists say May 1, 2018
  • Massive Hiroshima bomb discovery shocks scientists May 1, 2018
  • Earth will be slammed by massive asteroid April 29, 2018
  • Teens are doing something incredibly alarming in schools April 29, 2018
  • Huge discovery in Tasmania stuns scientists April 28, 2018
  • Shocking discovery in New Jersey stuns authorities April 22, 2018
  • Huge volcanic explosion could wipe out the United States April 21, 2018
  • Huge controversy erupts over world’s hottest pepper April 15, 2018
  • SpaceX is about to do something astonishing April 15, 2018

Copyright © 2021 Jones Kilmartin Group, LLC · Metro Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress