Many animals migrate long distances in order to follow food, weather patterns, or to mate.
Keeping track of how far animals travel is important for scientists who need this information for tracking things like population, reproduction rates, and much more.
Silky sharks are a shark that lives throughout many parts of the ocean, most commonly seen along continental shelves. They sharks hunt tuna, squid, porcupine fish, crabs, and more.
The fact that these sharks are found in many of the world’s oceans led many scientists to assume that they did not have large migrations.
Dr. Pelayo Salinas de Leon, a lead author on a recent study, commented on this.
“I had a mixed gut feeling about the migratory nature of silkies from the Galápagos Marine Reserve. While previous studies on pelagic sharks had revealed that they can travel for thousands of kilometers, our previous research on tiger sharks in the Galápagos had shown that they like to stay close to home due to the great abundance of food within the reserve. Since we always encounter silky sharks behind the boat during field work at Darwin and Wolf islands, I thought they might also like to stay close to home … only to be proved wrong big time!”
After tagging an adult female silky shark (who they nicknamed Genie), they found that these sharks don’t just migrate within a region, they travel through huge areas.
The GPS tracking tag allowed the scientists to see Genie traveling over 27,000 kilometers (17,190 miles), which is over six times further than the previous migratory record for this species.
The trip took Genie 546 days.
Dr. Salinas de Leon commented on why this is so important:
“Understanding the migratory pathways of silky and other threatened pelagic sharks is crucial for developing effective management strategies to revert ongoing global population declines. Sharks have been roaming the world’s oceans for hundreds of millions of years and the map boundaries we humans have established on paper mean nothing to them. Their long migrations through heavily fished international waters expose them to significant risks, highlighting the need for a coordinated global response to ensure the survival of this highly threatened group of species.”
This type of information can help experts establish guidelines for how to help keep these sharks safe.
Silky sharks are currently classified as a vulnerable species, so it is important to take steps to protect them now before they become endangered.
Knowledge is power when it comes to animal conservation.
Thought that was fascinating? Here’s another story you might like: Why You’ll Never See A Great White Shark In An Aquarium