Cameras attached to sharks: – Scientists have made incredible discoveries

The researchers installed cameras on tiger sharks, and they had one goal in mind:

Mapping the prevalence of sea-floor seaweeds in the Bahamas.

They swam to work.

in study Publishing in Nature Communications last Tuesday, the researchers wrote that the sharks, which are equipped with cameras and tracking devices, gave them several hours of footage.

They came to the conclusion that they have now found the largest seagrass ecosystem in the world, stretching over an area of ​​at least 92,000 square kilometres, at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea.

to me Watchman This increases the amount known to date of seaweed by more than 40 percent.

This shows how far we are from mapping the oceans, not only in the depths, but also in shallow areas, says Professor Carlos Duarte of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia – one of the co-authors behind the research. study.

Seagrass beds have long been investigated, but this has proven to be a challenge, as it is often located in deep water and thus can be difficult for aircraft and satellites to take pictures of.

Ants in the legs

Meadows can also be small and mixed with other plant species in the sea, and are difficult to identify.

Before, divers had to be sent to confirm the discovery, but this is expensive, difficult and time-consuming.

The researchers thought why not just send out the sharks.