US EditionThe Ocean Is Getting More Acidic, and It Could Affect Sharks’ Teeth
German researchers found that shark teeth exposed to projected 2300 ocean acidity levels showed significant damage and weakening, threatening sharks' ability to hunt effectively.
- Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf incubated discarded blacktip reef shark teeth in seawater tanks set to different pH levels for eight weeks, finding ocean acidification weakens teeth, the study published in Frontiers in Marine Science shows.
- As seas absorb human-generated carbon dioxide , the world's oceans' current average pH of 8.1 is projected to drop to 7.3 by 2300, making them nearly 10 times more acidic.
- After eight weeks in acidified tanks, researchers observed cracks, holes and root corrosion on 16 teeth from more than 600 naturally shed teeth, Fraune said.
- For living sharks, researchers warn microscopic tooth damage poses serious problems and replacing teeth likely raises energy costs in acidified waters, while many species face decline per IUCN Red List.
- The study raises questions about future shark resilience and calls for future studies on living animals to understand dynamics, noting these effects remind us that climate change impacts cascade through food webs and ecosystems.
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Conservation news
ecotopical.comSharks risk losing their bite as oceans turn acidic: Study
Sharks continually shed and regrow teeth throughout their lives, replacing worn or lost teeth with new ones. That makes them particularly good at catching prey. However, these top marine predators could lose their literal edge as ocean acidification damages their teeth and makes it harder to keep and replace them, a new study says. “Shark […]
A German study published this Wednesday, August 27 has looked at the fangs of these superpredators, essential to their survival, and shows that the more acid the sea will be due to CO2 emissions, the more fragile their teeth will be.
Shark teeth are one of the most developed weapons of nature. 400 million years ago evolution has been perfecting with biological precision one of the most fearsome dentures in the animal world. However, there is a future scenario in which things could change. A new study, published this Wednesday in Frontiers in Marine Science, proposes that ocean acidification — a direct consequence of human carbon dioxide emissions — alters the structure of th…
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