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By: LSU Communications and University Relations
BATON ROUGE — New research from LSU and the University of Florida suggests that more shark attacks are occurring during the fullest phases of the moon. Although the exact cause remains uncertain, researchers have found that more shark attacks than average occur during periods of higher moonlight and fewer attacks than average occur during periods of higher illumination. weak. Many types of animals exhibit behaviors related to moon phases, but few studies to date have examined links between moon phases and shark attacks.
What makes this research important is the abundance of data analyzed by researchers. Their findings are based on a world record for shark attacks collected over a 55-year period from 1960 to 2015 from the International Shark Attack File. [Notes:floridamuseum.ufl.edu] preserved in the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. Being able to calculate the numbers of shark attacks across the world and over the decades has revealed a clear correlation between lunar phases and shark attacks, although the reasons remain unknown.
“It’s not about more light at night for sharks to see. Most shark attacks occur in daylight. However, the moon can exert other forces on Earth and its oceans. in a much more subtle way – for example, the gravitational pull that we see affecting the tides, “said Steve Midway, associate professor and LSU researcher on the project. His combined expertise in fisheries ecology and statistical analysis at the Department of he Oceanography and Coastal Sciences of the College of Coastal and Environment has allowed him to add a unique perspective to this research.
Scientists say it is still too early to demonstrate that moonlighting is a causal factor in shark attacks. However, their new data serves as a basis for a better understanding of shark attacks and could be useful in developing recommendations for aquatic recreational activities in the future.
“The abundance of data we have would suggest that there is something out there that is worth continuing to watch,” Midway said.
Read the full article in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. [Notes:frontiersin.org]
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