A rare shark sighting off the coast of Rhode Island has sparked research into the possibility that juvenile sharks are migrating northward due to climate change. In September last year, a 24-inch spinner shark was caught by Captain Carl Granquist while fishing south of Charlestown. The unusual find was identified through a collaboration between the Atlantic Shark Institute and experts from Yale University and Florida Atlantic University.
The researchers used frame-by-frame analysis of the shark’s snout to distinguish it from its similar blacktip shark cousin. However, they found that the waters off Rhode Island are not currently recognized as nursery habitat for juvenile spinners. Most documented nurseries range from the Carolinas to Florida.
While a single shark sighting is not conclusive proof of a shift in nursery habitats, the discovery raises important questions about the impact of climate change on shark populations. “This discovery raises a number of really important questions and it’s the very reason we do this critical research,” said Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute.
Source: https://ecori.org/ocean-state-shark-discovery-rare-visitor-or-sign-of-change