Sharks are freezing to death it is so cold now

[Texasguy]

Sharks are dying of ‘cold shock,’ and other signs of just how frigid it is out there

 

[tursiops]

Again, your title is misleading. They are not "freezing to death," and nothing in the article says that.In addition, in the article it is clear that cold shock is still speculation. Not trying to harass you, just to mitigate the hyperbole..

This is from a National Marine Fisheries person:
Three Thresher Sharks Found Stranded on Cape Cod Beaches

Here is a quote from that article:
"The...sharks died from being stranded."

So, the sequence is cold water (not nearly so cold as the air!), the sharks swim south (as they usually do), they bump into Cap Cod sticking out, they strand (as they often do), and then they die from exposure, on the beach. It is the stranding that killed them. They would die anyway, on the beach. As far as I know, sharks do NOT cold-stun (sometimes called cold-shock); that is something that happens to sea turtles.

 

[Texasguy]

Title says "dying from cold shock", not from being stranded. From the same article. Did you even read the title?

 

[tursiops]

Title says "dying from cold shock", not from being stranded. From the same article. Did you even read the title?

Of course I did. Did you read my post? (1) cold-shock is not freezing to death. (2) sharks don't cold-shock. (3) they died from stranding.
I guess you don't care about facts or fact-checking.

 

[BRT]

Again, your title is misleading. They are not "freezing to death," and nothing in the article says that.In addition, in the article it is clear that cold shock is still speculation. Not trying to harass you, just to mitigate the hyperbole..

This is from a National Marine Fisheries person:
Three Thresher Sharks Found Stranded on Cape Cod Beaches

Here is a quote from that article:
"The...sharks died from being stranded."

So, the sequence is cold water (not nearly so cold as the air!), the sharks swim south (as they usually do), they bump into Cap Cod sticking out, they strand (as they often do), and then they die from exposure, on the beach. It is the stranding that killed them. They would die anyway, on the beach. As far as I know, sharks do NOT cold-stun (sometimes called cold-shock); that is something that happens to sea turtles.

Apparently the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy disagrees with you.

 

[tursiops]

Apparently the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy disagrees with you.

No, they disagree with everyone else. They are using the wrong term in an inapplicable way. Read the reports on this event from the science professionals, not the advocacy folks. And also note even the AWSC was speclating, not giving a fact. It was the reporters who moved the goalpost.

 

[Russjstewart]

An interesting read.
The heading in Texasguy's post does say "Sharks are freezing to death" and neither article that have links to them say freezing to death, so the post heading is a bit misleading and sensation seeking, IMO.

I do not know if sharks experience cold shock or not, but an article in the Journal of Fish Biology defines cold shock as " Rapid decreases in water temperature may result in a number of physiological, behavioural and fitness consequences for fishes termed ‘cold shock’. Cold-shock stress occurs when a fish has been acclimated to a specific water temperature or range of temperatures and is subsequently exposed to a rapid decrease in temperature".
How quickly had the water temperature dropped in the area, to me cold shock sounds unlikely

The AWSC appears to be primarily a fund raising and education body, and does not seem to do any research itself, but funds and works with other entities.

It really does look like a case of a media beat up trying to sensationalise and create more attention grabbing headlines. I mean if the post heading read sharks stranded, I may not have bothered reading the post






.

 

[MichaelMc]

the post heading read sharks stranded, I may not have bothered reading the post

I've read that sharks get stranded from navigation /shore issues. Yes this seemed new. Yet was misleading. So if the OP felt they were raising awareness to climate change effects on sharks and other wildlife, they backfired in adding to the concern that some (they) are sensationalizing and perhaps lying about it. NOT HELPFUL!!

If they are trying to discredit concerns about climate change by creating apparently easily falsifiable fake news about it. great job...

 

[agilis]

I've read that sharks get stranded from navigation /shore issues. Yes this seemed new. Yet was misleading. So if the OP felt they were raising awareness to climate change effects on sharks and other wildlife, they backfired in adding to the concern that some (they) are sensationalizing and perhaps lying about it. NOT HELPFUL!!

If they are trying to discredit concerns about climate change by creating apparently easily falsifiable fake news about it. great job...

Only fools and those with a financial ax to grind deny the reality of climate change. 2017 has been the hottest year on record. The water inside that little pocket of the Atlantic is always colder than surrounding temps.

 

[Texasguy]

Cold shock response is the physiological response of organisms to sudden cold, especially cold water. Cold shock occurs when an organism is suddenly exposed to extreme dips in temperature. It can cause muscle spasms or cardiac arrest. Sharks affected by cold shock may become stranded on land and quickly suffocate.

"The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy responded to a third thresher shark this afternoon in Brewster near Cape Cod Sea Camps. Also a male at around 14ft in length, this shark was too frozen to attempt a necropsy. We hauled the shark off the beach and it is currently thawing at NOAA Fisheries Service to be dissected later. A true sharkcicle!"

Link -> frozen to death, poor sharkcicle...