Great White Sharks Making Comeback Off Atlantic Coast 107
An anonymous reader writes "A report that scientists are calling one of the most comprehensive studies of great white sharks finds their numbers are surging in the ocean off the Eastern U.S. and Canada after decades of decline — bad news if you're a seal, but something experts say shouldn't instill fear. The scientists behind the study attribute the resurgence to conservation efforts, such as a federal 1997 act that prevented hunting of great whites, and greater availability of prey. The species is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature."
Excellent news! (Score:5, Informative)
As has been shown time after time, the loss of apex predators is disastrous for all levels of an ecosystem.
(If you want examples, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H... [wikipedia.org] - loss of wolves lead to over-grazing by elk; reintroducing them not only sorted the elk problem but boosted the numbers of beaver colonies, resulting in less erosion; pushed the cougars back to their traditional grounds; reduced the numbers of coyotes, which increased the number of foxes and thereby decreased the numbers of rodents, which altered the survival rates of various seeds and fungi... a whole cascade of improvements triggered by the return of a single predator.)
Re:Danger??? (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, Great Whites don't even hunt us out of necessity: We are literally useless to them as food. All they ever do to us is take a bite, realize their mistake, and carry on looking for a worthwhile meal.
The trouble is, given their method of taking a bite involves slamming into their target at high speed and sinking hundreds of teeth in, you may well have been torn in half by the time they go "oops" and spit you back out...
Re:Excellent news! (Score:2, Informative)
There's a great video [youtube.com] detailing some of these things you mentioned about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone.
Check the news (Score:4, Informative)