Sharks are freezing to death it is so cold now

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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.
Do you have a source for this statement?
 
Do you have a source for this statement?
I've seen this off the coast of Florida when we've had an antartic upwelling. 80F on the surface and you run into a thermocline that drops that down to 39F. Yowsa! I caught my biggest lobster (16lb 4oz) during one of those. I caught a squirrel fish with my hand (returned) and a largish black bass (kept).
 
antartic upwelling
I don't think so. Cold water, for sure, upwelling, quite possibly, Antarctic, no.
 
I don't think so. Cold water, for sure, upwelling, quite possibly, Antarctic, no.
I didn't name it. I just call it what it was called here in Fl. There's supposedly a "river of cold" from the antartic way off shore. It warms as it progresses North, and sometimes it gets diverted. That's way above my pay grade, I just know what I saw: Lots and lots of stunned animals. Eels, fish, lobsters and more just floating about near the bottom unable to escape. I was in a 3 mil w no hood and was battling an icecream headache the whole time. It was confusing/disorienting as hell for me and definitely wasn't fun. I didn't make another dive that day, and went home with one lobster, one bass and was happy as hell.
 
I didn't name it. I just call it what it was called here in Fl. There's supposedly a "river of cold" from the antartic way off shore. It warms as it progresses North, and sometimes it gets diverted. That's way above my pay grade, I just know what I saw: Lots and lots of stunned animals. Eels, fish, lobsters and more just floating about near the bottom unable to escape. I was in a 3 mil w no hood and was battling an icecream headache the whole time. It was confusing/disorienting as hell for me and definitely wasn't fun. I didn't make another dive that day, and went home with one lobster, one bass and was happy as hell.
Cold-stunned, for sure. No sharks? Did any of them freeze to death? :wink:
 
No sharks?
It's Florida: we're shark infested with no sharks. Why would you think sharks are immune to extreme cold? There was a huge die off that year.
 
@The Chairman
Ok, I'm understanding your reference. There indeed is deep, cold water off Florida's east coast, which did originate in Antarctica years and years (7? 10? More?) ago and which has been slowly warming as it travels North. The 39F water is maybe 1500m deep, and upwelling of that to the surface is not likely. Getting 55 or 60F water to the surface is more likely, and has been measured.

Cold-stunning of vertebrate fish and of turtles happens all the time. I believe there are no verified instances of cartiligenous sharks being cold-stunned. The speculation by the conservation guys at Cape Cod is the first, and are not verified or probably verifiable. Also, there is no need to invoke cold-stunning as a reason for their stranding. They strand all the time in that area, summer and winter. They die when they strand, they freeze lying there.
 
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The 39F water is maybe 1500m deep, and upwelling of that to the surface is not likely. Getting 55 or 60F water to the surface is more likely, and has been measured.
2002 (3?) it hit the east coast of Florida during mini-season. My Cobra registered the temps, and at that time, it was fairly accurate. Beautiful blue 80F on the surface, and at about 60ft, I ran into what appeared to be motor oil that was freezing cold. I was diving the 20 mile reef off of Canaveral in 100/120 ft of water. On the bottom, there was a bit better vis, but still cold as crap. You couldn't see 10 feet. You can speculate or second guess me all you want, but I dove it. I'll never forget it and I wasn't the only one.

Cold-stunning of invertebrate fish and of turtles happens all the time.
These were indeed vertebrates that had been stunned.
 
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