How Come Sharks Are Washing Up Dead On San Francisco
Bay?
By Kalyan
Kumar
Large scale deaths of leopard sharks
in San Francisco Bay have alarmed environmentalists. This is in contrast to the
good times enjoyed by sharks in southern California in terms of good food and
enduring climate.
Large scale deaths of leopard sharks
have been reported in San Francisco Bay. The death toll running into thousands
was the highest in last six years and has rightly alarmed environmentalists.
Dead sharks have been washing up on
the shores of the San Francisco Bay for many weeks.
According to reports,
hundreds of dead sharks have been found on the beaches from
San Mateo to Bolinas. The die-off has been unprecedented as far as the striped
fish is concerned.
The dead sharks were washed up since March
second week at the shorelines of Redwood City, San Francisco, Hayward, Foster
City, Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland, according to researchers.
Sean Van Sommeran, executive
director, Foundation said the death toll will be thousands. This was the
highest mortality since 2011.
According to experts, the shark
deaths in San Francisco Bay shores were the fallout of sharks consuming
poisoned food in stagnant salt waters. The concern was fuelled by the high
numbers and death of newborns and mature adults.
Chemical
Waste From Drains Poisoned Sharks
Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
blamed the shark deaths to debris, trash, and chemical waste piled up in Bay Area
from drains and waterways whose influx exacerbated the poisoning of creatures.
The closure of tide gates inside the
bay to guard against flooding also trapped
sharks in the bay and made them victims of the toxic runoff.
"This is an issue of San
Francisco Bay sharks and associated wildlife being exposed to toxic watershed
... due to Tide Gate entrapment and subsequent discharges into the San
Francisco Bay," the center said in a Facebook post.
Closing
Of Tidal Gates Trapped Sharks
The leopard sharks picked up more
toxins in stagnant saltwater marshes near the gates of the Foster City and
Redwood City lagoons.
"My estimate is that several
hundred sharks have already died," said Mark Okihiro, the
senior fish pathologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Sommeran also noted that the problem
becomes acute as leopard sharks move into the shallow waterways to mate and
breed during the summer and spring.
When the tidal gates are closed
ahead of heavy rains to avoid extra precipitation and flood, fungal blooms
develop in the stagnant water exhausting oxygen and
further poison the fish.
Sommeran said rainy season also adds
to the damage by washing out accumulated toxins in the ground into the bay.
Shark
attack In Southern California
Meanwhile, commenting on a severe
shark attack in coastal California on Leanne Ericson of Vista, director of the
Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach Chris Lowe said the shark that attacked the
Ericson may not be a full grown adult. It must have mistaken her for food.
However, he added that there is no need for panic and the coastline is very
safe.
The young shark bit off a portion of
Ericson's leg while swimming off San Onofre State Beach. She underwent multiple
surgeries after heavy loss of blood.
"Accidents do happen and that's
what we think these are. There's no indication these sharks have any penchant
for eating people," he added.
Obviously, in California coast,
sharks are thriving with abundant
food and warming waters. White sharks arrived in Southern California after
their winter sojourn off Baja California.
Baby white sharks cannot withstand
temperatures above 80 degrees. That is why they have made Southern California
the perfect abode to live from late spring to mid-fall.
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