![]() So lots more work will need to be done to work out how these new findings regarding an endangered species might change previous assumptions about their metabolism or potential distribution shifts during our climate crisis, which is something marine biologists are focusing on as our planet and its seas continue to warm. Haley Doltonadded: "Regional endotherms are thought to use more energy, and possibly respond differently to ocean warming than other fish species. ![]() But they still face many challenges in the future. That we still have lots to uncover about the second biggest fish in the world - such a huge, charismatic animal that most people would recognise it - just highlights the challenge facing researchers to gather what they can about species to aid in effective conservation strategies.īasking sharks gained legal protection in Irish waters just last year, with the species having undergone significant population declines throughout the NE Atlantic in the last century. "The basking shark is a shining example of how little we know about shark species in general. Haley Dolton, PhD Candidate in Trinity's School of Natural Sciences, was lead author of the study that has just been published in international journal, Endangered Species Research. This surprising discovery has implications for conservation, as well as raising a plethora of ecological and evolutionary questions. ![]() However, an international team of researchers led by those from Trinity College Dublin, has now shown that gentle, plankton-feeding basking sharks are also regional endotherms despite having very different lifestyles to white sharks and tunas. Scientists have long reasoned that their ability to keep warm helped with this athletic predatory lifestyle, and that evolution had shaped their physiology to match their requirements. The latter examples are so-called "regional endotherms" and are all fast swimming, apex predators at the top of the food chain. ![]()
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