Climate refugees: the East and the North sea, populated in the future from sharks
– Scale migration due to climate change
Sharks in the North sea and the Baltic sea are found only extremely rarely. In most cases, they are just under a Meter long and completely harmless to lead the people. Warm-blooded predators such as seals dominated so far, the colder seas in the North of Germany. This balance of power could shift soon, because according to a recent study from Hiking with increasing temperature, more and more warm-blooded and predatory fish such as shark.
A research team from the Freiburg biologist Dr. Kristin Kaschner, and to Dr. John Grady of the Michigan State University, recently examined changes in the diversity of species in the oceans in relation to the rising temperatures. They found that warm-blooded predators such as sea lions and seals will migrate increasingly to the cold waters of the poles and predatory fish such as shark in regions of spread, which were previously too cold for the cold-blooded fish. The study was recently published in the renowned journal “Science”.
The predatory fish that depend on warmer waters
Fish are cold-blooded animals. You do not have constant body temperature and adapt to the outside temperature. Predatory fish such as sharks in cold waters at a disadvantage compared to warm-blooded animals such as seals, since the colder the outside temperature, the body functions shut down and the slower swimming – a clear disadvantage for hunting.
The same warm predators in cold waters, less competition
Although seals need to in cold waters and more energy to maintain their body temperature, it becomes easier for them to get there to loot, because they can provide due to the constant body temperature even in cold waters the full power of the force.
