Tiger sharks: Species help scientists discover 'world's largest' seagrass meadow
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Tiger sharks are strong, fast swimmers who spend a lot of time deep underwater
Scientists have discovered the world's largest known seagrass meadow and they've done it with assistance from some unlikely helpers..sharks!
Experts attached cameras to the fins of tiger sharks who are known to be strong, fast swimmers and spend a lot of time deep underwater.
This gave researchers access to hours of footage of the ocean floor.
The data they collected revealed a huge new seagrass ecosystem, stretching around 35,000 sq miles of Caribbean seabed in the Bahamas.
What did experts find?
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Seagrass is very important for our planet because it absorbs huge amounts of carbon dioxide - a gas which is a big contributor to climate change.
In fact, seagrass takes in carbon dioxide up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests!
However, scientists are still trying to work out the size and number of the world's sea grass meadows.
This is because it's difficult for them to map - seagrass that grows deep along the ocean floor can be hard to spot in deep or cloudy water and because the ocean is so big - it's simply not possible to study it all by diving.
So to help them learn more, experts turned to tiger sharks for support!
Seagrass grows across the seabed in underwater meadows.
The meadows also provide shelter and homes for wildlife.
Seagrass also absorbs and stores huge amounts of carbon dioxide by drawing it from the water and storing it in the plant structure and seabed - making it a key tool in fighting climate change.
Carbon dioxide is a huge contributor to global warming -it forms a layer around the world which traps heat from the Sun and warms up the Earth. This is called the greenhouse effect.
Healthy meadows could help tackle the climate and nature crisis, and are essential for providing biodiversity.
Over four years scientists attached cameras and trackers to the dorsal fins of seven sharks.
The cameras were designed to fall off the sharks after around six hours and float to the surface, allowing scientists to then collect them.
The scientists were left with hours of video footage taken as the sharks travelled for miles across the ocean floor.
Seagrass isn't just important in fighting climate change - it protects marine life too
Thanks to the sharks, scientists learned that the waters around the Bahamas are home to the largest sea grass meadow ever found.
In fact, the discovery was so big - experts have worked out that the world has around 40% more seagrass meadows than previously thought!
The researchers hope their discovery will also mean better protection for seagrass in the area, which is under threat from dredging and coastal development.
- Published7 November 2022
- Published8 March 2022
