All posts tagged: Sharks

Why It Seems Like Great White Sharks Are Overrunning Maine

Why It Seems Like Great White Sharks Are Overrunning Maine

Published by skeptic

Lifeguard Greg Wilfert was swimming off the coast of Scarborough, Maine, in August when he was yanked underwater by a force tugging on his rescue buoy. Wilfert, a lifeguard of 55 years, told local news outlet WFSB that he first thought he’d gotten caught on a boat propeller, but the real culprit was a great white shark. The incident is one in a long line of great white sightings off the coast of Maine this year. It was a busy summer for shark sightings along the rest of the East Coast, but Maine, in particular, seems to have had a great white bonanza. A dozen sightings were reported in a two-day period near Pine Point Beach in southern Maine in August. Beaches were temporarily closed all over the state following multiple sightings throughout July and August. The sharks followed beachgoers through the end of summer: A great white was spotted off Wells Beach over Labor Day weekend, while a fisherman caught another on the holiday about 30 miles down the coast. The waters off the …

The Year Great-White Sharks Took Over Maine

The Year Great-White Sharks Took Over Maine

Published by Sam Flores

If you spend a lot of time in the ocean, it is hard not to think about sharks. I visit the beach near my home in southern Maine regularly with my family, and almost every night from spring to fall, I go surf fishing after dark. For a long time, I soothed my anxiety with statistics—in America, you are far more likely to be killed by a riding mower than a man-eating fish—and by reminding myself that, in all my years of beachgoing and striped-bass fishing, I’d never encountered a great white in the wild. But then, late one night a few weeks ago, I saw one. It was, as best as I could tell, a juvenile white, and the experience was wholly anticlimactic: A dark triangular fin appeared about 10 yards from where I was wading. It cruised the shallows at a 45-degree angle to the shoreline and seemed uninterested in me. I backpedaled out of the water. This would be the year that I finally spotted a shark. Maine’s great-white population has been …

First epigenetic DNA clock can reveal a zebra shark’s age from a blood sample

First epigenetic DNA clock can reveal a zebra shark’s age from a blood sample

Published by Jenni Sidey

Zebra sharks carry age-related chemical changes in their DNA that can estimate how old they are with surprising accuracy. A model using only 10 DNA markers came within about 1.6 years of the true age, while larger models reduced the typical error to about one year. The blood-based method could help conservationists measure shark population ages without killing animals, although accuracy drops in older and wild-caught sharks. A shark’s age can be surprisingly hard to pin down, even when the animal is swimming in plain sight. For zebra sharks, researchers have now found a clue in blood: chemical marks on DNA that shift as the animals grow older. A University of Georgia team built what it describes as the first epigenetic clock tested in sharks. The method estimates age by reading DNA methylation, chemical tags that change across the genome over time. Published in Molecular Ecology, the work could give conservation biologists a less harmful way to estimate shark ages. Age structure can reveal whether a population is growing, stable or declining. “Age structure is …

Scientists turn to sharks to improve hurricane predictions

Scientists turn to sharks to improve hurricane predictions

Published by Sam Flores

From the killer shark of “Jaws” to the tornado-tossed predators of the “Sharknado” movies, films have long portrayed sharks as objects of summer fear. But when a shark cuts through the waters off the US East Coast, it now may be doing more than hunting. It may also be gathering data that helps scientists understand the potential intensity of a hurricane before it makes landfall. University of Delaware researchers are testing whether sharks can serve as mobile near-real-time ocean-data observers, carrying sensors that measure ocean conditions to inform oceanographic, atmospheric and climate models. These CTD tags are small electronic devices that measure ocean electrical conductivity – a metric closely related to salinity – as well as temperature and depth, as marine creatures to which they are attached swim and dive. “Animal-borne sensors have been used successfully by oceanographers for years, particularly on elephant seals in polar regions where scientific observations are scarce,” said Aaron Carlisle, principal investigator and a professor in the university’s School of Marine Science and Policy.  Sharks offer a new opportunity in such …

Can one multi-styler really do it all? Shark’s Glossi 2-in-1 hot tool comes close | Hair care

Can one multi-styler really do it all? Shark’s Glossi 2-in-1 hot tool comes close | Hair care

Published by Sam Flores

Not just a pretty brush (although it definitely also is that), Shark’s Glossi is a well-designed styling tool that aims to streamline your routine. It combines wet-to-dry air styling for blow-drying freshly washed hair with a dry styling mode for smoothing and refreshing between wash days. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Hybrid wet-and-dry hot brushes have become increasingly popular in recent years: current competition includes Dyson’s super-premium Airwrap multi-styler, and the Glossi upgrades Shark’s own discontinued SmoothStyle brush. All these dual-mode hot brushes promise faster, simpler styling at home, but can the Glossi really replace your hairdryer and straightening brush in one neat tool? View at SharkNinja View at Amazon How I tested From wet to dry: the styling modes were tested for speed, ease of use and finished results. Photograph: Lise Smith/The Guardian The Glossi has two styling modes: one for wet hair and one for dry hair. For the former, I used the Glossi’s wet mode after washing my …

150-year-old Greenland shark washed ashore in Ireland, offering new clues to healthy aging

150-year-old Greenland shark washed ashore in Ireland, offering new clues to healthy aging

Published by Jenni Sidey

A Greenland shark stranded in Ireland was more than 150 years old but may have only just reached reproductive age. Its eyes, DNA-repair systems and scarred 34-kilogram heart offer clues to how the species remains functional for centuries. Scientists found no clear cause of death, but preserved tissues may improve ageing research and conservation of the poorly understood shark. A three-metre Greenland shark lay on tidal flats in County Sligo in April 2026, far from the deep northern waters where its species usually lives. Its arrival marked Ireland’s first recorded stranding of a Greenland shark and opened an unusual window into one of the ocean’s least understood giants. The shark weighed more than 200 kilograms and was estimated to be over 150 years old. For humans, that age seems extraordinary. For a Greenland shark, it may represent only the beginning of adulthood. “It’s such a pity. This guy – it took him 150 years to get to the point where he could have reproduced, could have contributed to get the population on track, and may …

FAU scientists discover that shark spines are not one-size-fits-all

FAU scientists discover that shark spines are not one-size-fits-all

Published by Jenni Sidey

A shark’s spine looks simple from the outside. Inside, however, it carries a carefully arranged network of mineral plates and branches. That hidden structure helps determine whether a shark races through open water, turns sharply, or swings an oversized tail at prey. The team studied great white, shortfin mako, porbeagle, common thresher, sand tiger and basking sharks. Each species uses its body differently while swimming. The analysis found no single vertebral design shared across every shark. Instead, each spine matched the forces created by its swimming style. “By examining species with varied swimming strategies, we found that the shark spine is not a one-size-fits-all design,” said Jamie Knaub. Phylogenetic tree of lamniform sharks. (CREDIT: Journal of Anatomy) “Instead, its internal architecture reflects the unique demands of each species’ movement.” Knaub is the study’s first author and a research specialist at FAU Laboratory Schools. She is also a doctoral candidate in FAU’s Department of Biology. Looking Beneath a Cartilage Skeleton Sharks have relied on cartilage-based skeletons for more than 400 million years. Their spines must withstand …

Drones spot sharks 73 times in two days off Sydney beaches

Drones spot sharks 73 times in two days off Sydney beaches

Published by Sam Flores

“FAIRWEATHER SURFERS” School groups had cancelled surf lessons after a child was killed by a shark in Sydney Harbour in January, and a woman was mauled at popular Coogee Beach last month. “It has been really hard,” he said. “We will lose a percentage of fairweather surfers because they will feel paranoia more than the enjoyment they get from the ocean.” Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins told AFP millions of visitors are attracted to Sydney’s coast each year, and the drones support safety. “Naturally, increased surveillance will mean increased sightings,” she said. A surfer was killed by a shark on a northern Sydney beach in September. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said on Sunday that swimmers and surfers “will have to get used to” leaving the water as the world’s biggest drone surveillance program ramps up. “It is almost certain that sharks have always been present,” said shark expert Daryl McPhee, an associate professor of environmental science at Bond University, who expects the high number of beach closures to continue for several weeks. White …

Shark’s New Transformer Vacuum Breaks Down Into Three Different Vacuums

Shark’s New Transformer Vacuum Breaks Down Into Three Different Vacuums

Published by skeptic

I love cordless vacuums, and I don’t just say that because I’m one of CNET’s primary testers of the category. I say it because switching from corded vacuums to cordless vacuums was a big quality-of-life upgrade, thanks to the ease of use and maneuverability around my apartment. The downside is that cordless vacuums don’t usually match the suction power and cleaning capabilities of upright or canister models.  Shark’s PowerDetect Transformer 3-in-1 is the company’s attempt to address this trade-off without forcing you to buy multiple vacuums. “The upright vacuum has looked and worked the same way for decades,” said Petra Oman, vice president of marketing at SharkNinja, in a press statement. “We saw an opportunity to rethink the category by eliminating the bulky hose and creating a system that adapts to the way people actually clean. Transformer delivers the deep-cleaning performance consumers expect from an upright, with the flexibility and reach needed to clean everything from floors and carpets to stairs, furniture, ceilings and the car.” The main upright dustbin is detachable when you want to use …

Shark’s ChillPill Handheld Fan Is My Current Favorite, Thanks to These Special Features

Shark’s ChillPill Handheld Fan Is My Current Favorite, Thanks to These Special Features

Published by skeptic

Pros Bladeless fan has 10 speeds Comes with cooling plate and water mister attachments Can be used three ways Lightweight at 0.77 pounds Comes in 8 colors Battery runs up to 11 hours Cons Pricey at full price of $150 Accessories sold separately, from $10 to $40 Loud at higher speeds, up to 74.6 dBA CNET’s key takeaways  At a full price of $150, the Shark ChillPill is pricey, but it could be worth it for those who want a device that functions as more than a portable fan. I’m especially impressed with the ChillPill’s dry-touch mister and cooling plate, which can reduce skin temperature by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit. I did occasionally experience issues pressing the display to activate the device. I also don’t love that all its accessories are sold separately, from $10 to $40. On elementary school field days, when classes would gather for outdoor events on what felt like the hottest day of the year, I used to get jealous of the kids who had those handheld fans that doubled …