A hammerhead shark was lately noticed far off the Cape Cod coast throughout a New England Aquarium aerial survey of a marine protected space.
The hammerhead was considered one of greater than 700 ocean animals that researchers noticed within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, the one marine nationwide monument within the U.S. Atlantic Ocean.
The New England Aquarium scientists flew above the biodiversity hotspot 150 miles off the coast of Cape Cod final week, capturing photographs of fin whales and pilot whales together with bottlenose, striped, and Risso’s dolphins.
The researchers additionally noticed Chilean satan rays, manta rays, widespread dolphins, sunfish, and the hammerhead shark.
“The Aquarium has been documenting the marine mammal biodiversity in the Monument for seven years, and every aerial survey flight is breathtaking,” mentioned Orla O’Brien, an affiliate scientist within the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.
“Our photos only scratch the surface of the ocean life that calls this area home,” O’Brien added.
Many different animals dwell beneath the floor, the place dozens of coral species create deep-sea ecosystems.
Last summer season, hammerhead sharks have been generally seen off of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. As the waters heat, the Northeast can count on to see extra species like this, based on shark researchers.
Meanwhile on Thursday, an awesome white shark was seen near shore in Orleans, a typical shark sighting as of late.
“!! SHARK ALERT !! White shark spotted 30 yards off Nauset South ORV Beach,” tweeted MA Sharks at 11:17 a.m. on Thursday.
Also, a 14-foot white shark was seen a couple of half-mile off of Chatham’s Monomoy Island, a shark hotspot this time of 12 months because the apex predators hunt for seals.
The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument options three underwater canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and 4 seamounts, or extinct volcanoes, that rise greater than any mountain east of the Rockies.
In 2016, then-President Barack Obama designated the 5,000-square-mile space the primary marine nationwide monument within the U.S. Atlantic Ocean.
The New England Aquarium and Mystic Aquarium performed a key position within the designation of the Monument, offering the scientific proof of the significance of this numerous habitat, which presents meals and shelter to many endangered and threatened marine species.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”