Sharks are probably the species that made you feel scared while watching the masterpiece movie Jaws. The shark is the species that fascinates but at the same time frightens us. With its formidable jaw, he is a strong predator. Still, the one who has the reputation of a man-eater is yet today threatened by excessive fishing and plastic pollution.
Scientific evidence
A study revealed that 67% of 46 sharks analyzed contained microplastics and other man-made fiber in their digestive system. Scientists studied four species of demersal sharks that live near the seabed off the UK coast. A total of 379 particles were found and, though the impact on the sharks’ health is unknown, the researchers said it highlights the “pervasive nature of plastic pollution.”
An “unknown” danger
Microplastics represent a danger that is not studied enough. Indeed, this study allowed them to examine the stomach and digestive tracts of sharks. But, the researchers highlight that there’s a possibility that those particles could be present in other parts such as the liver. However, they would have to do more research to better understand the impact of microplastic pollution.
At the moment, the understanding of how microplastic ingestion impacts a shark’s health is quite limited. Still, what they know for sure is that it has a negative influence on its behavior.
Can we save them?
As says Galloway, a marine biologist and professor of ecotoxicology at the University of Exeter, “we were not expecting to find microfibers from textiles in so many of our native shark species.” He added: “Our study highlights how important it is to think before we throw things away.” This is precisely what we must do to prevent microplastics from hurting these sharks. We need to make sure that we dispose of our waste properly. Moreover, we need to pay attention to clothing pollution and fibers that are released while washing (or throwing) them.
Among all the marine creatures, sharks are probably the ones that scare us the most but it’s because they’re fascinating. So, let’s do our best to make sure that this species will live for another 400 million years at least!
