August 2022 — Cookiecutter sharks
For years, researchers studying marine life in the wild would occasionally come across animals — such as dolphins, swordfish, sea turtles, whales, and even humans —with oddly shaped plugs of tissue taken out of their bodies. Those fresh bites and scars were almost like someone took a cookie cutter and surgically removed a hunk of tissue.
Eventually, it was discovered that the culprit was a small shark that is distributed throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical oceanic waters named the Cookiecutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis). While these sharks are widely distributed throughout the world, and may be one of the more common sharks in the ocean, because they live in the deep sea, and are never held in captivity there is little known about them — especially when it comes to their eating habits.
A new study led by the University of Delaware’s Aaron Carlisle has uncovered the potential diet and habitat of these Cookiecutter sharks, showing that while they might chomp on everything they can get their jaws on in the upper reaches of the ocean to supplement their diets, they primarily feed on the little critters they share a habitat with such as crustaceans, squid and small fish.
Learn more about cookiecutter sharks on this month's episode of SeaTalk.
Notable Dates in August
August 5 — National Oyster Day is dedicated to celebrating these popular bivalve mollusks, of which there are over 200 species across the world. Learn more about how DESG is supporting oyster aquaculture in Delaware, and check out our Seafood Health Facts resource page.
August 11 and August 25 — The Ocean Currents Lecture Series from UD’s College of Earth, Ocean & Environment, continues in August, and is free and open to the public. To register for any of the Ocean Currents talks, visit the official registration page.
August 18 and August 19 —DESG coastal hazards specialist Danielle Swallow will be presenting a Smart911 registration pilot at the South Coastal Library. The public is invited to come to the library to learn more about Smart911 and to set up a profile for their household. Visit the South Coastal Library’s official website for more info.