Recent research has shown a heavy concentration of deepwater baby sharks and eggs were found off the coast of Tel Aviv, which they say speaks majorly to the impact that climate change is having on the deep sea.
The large nursery “was happening under our noses for thousands of years…hiding in plain sight, which highlights how little we know about the deep sea – not just off the coast of Israel, but around the world. This is a global challenge,” said head researcher Dr. Yitzchak Makovsky from the University of Haifa.
While researchers can’t determine why or how the sharks landed in the Israeli hotspot, they believe it may have to do with the warming waters from Hadera and the lack of threat due to the no-fishing restrictions. With hundreds of baby sharks and thousands of eggs, they believe it could be the largest mating site in the region.
The discovery was found during a long-term research study in support of the UN’s 14th Sustainable Development Goal, Life Below Water, which aims to save the ocean and curb the harmful effects that humans are causing. The research is being done in collaboration with the University of Haifa, Ben Gurion University, and the Inter-University of Marine Research in Eilat.
As recent reports have shown, it is crucial that Israel take immediate actions to serve the threats of climate change. Foreign Minister Director-General Alon Ushpiz believes the horizon is promising, not only in Israel but for the world.
“The knowledge and experience Israel has can help other countries around the world in the area of water technology and seawater purification, sustainable agriculture that can withstand drought and climate change, sustainable energy and energy preservation, development of animal protein substitutes, reforestation, and another area that will help us all face the challenges in front of us.”
