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Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
Scientists drop cow carcass into ocean and are floored by creatures that appear
In an experiment conducted in the South China Sea, scientists plunged a cow carcass into the ocean to investigate what would happen and were left stunned by eight surprising visitors Scientists who dropped a cow carcass 1,600 metres into the ocean have been left stunned by a group of surprising visitors. It's estimated that only a quarter of the entire ocean seabed on Earth has been mapped. That often means there are weird and wonderful creatures lurking in the deep. And that's what a group of scientists found during an experiment in the South China Sea, which roughly spans from Singapore to the Strait of Taiwan. They plunged a cow carcass 1,629 meters into the depths near Hainan Island to investigate what would happen. To their astonishment, an elusive shark species, not previously recorded in this region, appeared on the scene. Eight Pacific sleeper sharks (otherwise known as Somniosus pacificus) were caught on camera enjoying the free meal. Another surprising aspect of the encounter was the sharks' behaviour, predation that appeared to involve a form of queuing. In the study that's been published in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, it explained that the sharks up front would give up their spots to sharks coming to the carcass from behind. Han Tian, from the Sun Yat-sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory in China, said in a statement: "This behaviour suggests that feeding priority is determined by individual competitive intensity, even in deep-water environments, reflecting a survival strategy suitable for non-solitary foraging among Pacific sleeper sharks." The sluggish Pacific sleeper shark is thought to live in the North Pacific, spanning from Japan to Mexico and dwelling at depths of up to 2,000m near continental slopes and shelves. In terms of prey, Sleeper sharks eat a range of surface and bottom animals, such as crabs, salmon, octopus, rockfish, and squid, although it's unknown if they take seals live or as carrion. According to data gleaned from tagging in the Northeast Pacific, some sleeper sharks often ascend and descend at speeds of more than 200 meters per hour. In the day, they moved below the photic zone (the upper portion of the ocean where light can penetrate) and came up to the surface at night. The scientists in the latest experiment also discovered that sharks over 8.9 feet were most aggressive in their attacks on the carcass when compared to the smaller animals, the latter of which displayed circling behaviour. Han added that this aggression could indicate that the region contains "abundant food sources", but questions remain over what they could be, describing the conundrum as "intriguing". In the study, it was noted that the sharks demonstrated eye retraction while they were feeding. It posited that this was likely a "protective adaptation", as they don't have a nictitating membrane found in other species. Also noted was that some of the animals, which are related to Greenland sharks, had parasites (akin to copepods, although they were unidentified). Speaking about the sharks' habitat, Han added: "Although Pacific sleeper sharks have also been found in the deep waters of their typical distribution range in the North Pacific, their frequent occurrence in the southwestern region of the South China Sea suggests that our understanding of this population remains significantly limited."
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Deep-sea sharks spotted for first time in South China Sea feasting on cow carcass
Unlike great white sharks off the coast of Australia or blacktip reef sharks in the Florida Keys, Pacific sleeper sharks don't fit the stereotype of one of the ocean's fiercest predators. They spend their entire lives in the depth of northern oceans, diving more than 3,000 feet below the surface where light from the sun no longer penetrates the water. The sharks are 'enigmatic,' according to a June 26 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, but a situational discovery is helping scientists learn more about the elusive species. In the South China Sea, off China's Hainan Island, researchers dropped the carcass of a cow about 5,340 feet down to the seafloor and trained cameras on the bovine bait, according to the study. To their surprise, not one or even two Pacific sleeper sharks appeared from the darkness to take a bite, but eight individual sharks, researchers said. It's the first time the sharks have ever been recorded this far southwest, and they exhibited unique and previously unknown behaviors, according to the study. 'Video footage provided new insights into the predating behavior of Pacific sleeper sharks, capturing multiple sharks launching attacks on the carcass and displaying queuing behavior during feeding,' researchers said. The larger sharks, those more than 8.8 feet long, were direct and attacked the carcass, but when it was the smaller sharks' turn, they were more reserved and cautious and deliberately circled the bait before going in for a bite, according to the study. Two of the sharks seemed to even be waiting in line for their opportunity, researchers said. 'Sharks yielded their positions to individuals approaching from behind,' researchers said. '... Was the seemingly polite queuing order observed between these 2 Pacific sleeper sharks in the deep sea coincident? We think that the queuing behavior observed in the deep sea closely resembles the hierarchical feeding patterns observed when sharks are scavenging from large floating whale carcasses at the surface.' As the sharks got closer to the camera when they fed, researchers also noticed them changing their eyes, according to the study. 'Notably, the sharks displayed distinct eye retraction movements during feeding. Eye retraction is likely a protective adaptation because members of the genus Somniosus (sleeper sharks) lack a nictitating membrane, supporting the hypothesis that eye retraction serves as a defensive mechanism during feeding,' according to the study. Nictitating membranes act as a type of third eyelid going horizontally across the eye and found in some animals like birds, reptiles and some mammals. It can add an additional layer of protection for the cornea and even provide additional tears. Sleeper sharks therefore may be more like whale sharks that can retract their eyeballs by more than 50% of the eye's total diameter, McClatchy News previously reported. A video of the Pacific sleeper sharks was shared on YouTube. 'Historically, Pacific sleeper sharks have been primarily documented in the North Pacific Ocean, ranging from Japan and the Bering Sea to the Gulf of Alaska and as far south as Baja California,' researchers said. '... This discovery marks the first recorded instance of a Pacific sleeper shark in the South China Sea, suggesting a southwestern expansion of its range.' Despite the name 'sleeper shark,' the animals aren't lazy bottom dwellers with a sluggish reputation, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Instead, the sharks move constantly through the water column to hunt, the department said. Their large mouths and bottom teeth are used to chop up food and then inhale their prey like a vacuum. Near the surface, it's a different story. 'Sleeper sharks are like big tubs of goo. It's hard to tell if they're dead or not,' said Alaska Fish and Game biologist Lee Hulbert, who was not involved in the study. The new research was published by Han Tian with the School of Marine Sciences at Sun Yat-sen University and the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory in Zhuhai, China. The South China Sea is a contested body of water in southeastern Asia that borders Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers make stunning discovery about the Arctic that could impact entire globe: 'Fixing these models is essential'
For decades, scientists have used complex computer models to predict how Earth's most vulnerable regions will respond to increasing global temperatures. But in the case of the Arctic — which is warming at least three times faster than the rest of the planet — those models have consistently fallen short. Now, researchers believe they've found one big overlooked reason: winter clouds. Scientists at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, have made a breakthrough that could reshape how we understand Arctic warming — and what it means for the rest of the planet. In a new study published in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, researchers found that many leading climate simulations have a key flaw: they misrepresent Arctic cloud composition during winter, overestimating the ice and underestimating the liquid water content. That small detail? It has major consequences. In the Arctic's long, dark winters, clouds made of liquid trap heat more effectively — almost like a thermal blanket. And when those clouds are modeled incorrectly, it skews predictions about how quickly the Arctic is warming. "We found that the more liquid water these clouds contain, the better they are at trapping heat," explained co-author Momoka Nakanishi. This finding could help explain why the Arctic has been warming three to four times faster than the global average — faster than scientists had predicted. And while this might sound like a modeling issue with future implications, the reality is more urgent. The current models may be underestimating today's warming and overestimating tomorrow's. That's a dangerous mismatch — especially when polar warming influences everything from sea level rise to extreme weather patterns across the globe. And even if global warming were limited to the international target of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, another study warns that it may still be too late to prevent irreversible melting in the polar ice sheets. That would mean multimeter sea level rise — with long-term consequences for coastal communities worldwide. As cloud study co-author Takuro Michibata said, "Fixing these models is essential not just for the Arctic, but for understanding its impact on weather and climate change across the globe." Should the government ban gas stoves? Yes Only in new buildings Only in restaurants No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Meanwhile, researchers continue to refine our understanding of polar systems, while clean energy advocates and policymakers push for major upgrades that can make our homes and communities more resilient — including solar panels and battery storage systems that can keep the lights on during extreme weather — while reducing the sort of pollution that leads to increasing global temperatures. Installing solar in conjunction with a battery system can prepare your home for outages and drive your energy bill close to $0. EnergySage makes it easy to compare vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on installation through tax incentives that may end after 2025. Even small changes matter. Reducing reliance on gas-powered appliances, supporting clean energy legislation, and staying informed are all actions that help — because understanding today's warming is key to preparing for tomorrow. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
