Researchers find hammerhead 'nursery' off Galapagos Island

[Judi Lynn]

Gonzalo Solano, Associated Press Updated 1:30 pm CDT, Tuesday, March 12, 2019



Photo: AP
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This Feb. 25, 2019 handout photo provided by the Galapagos National Park shows a hammerhead shark nursery which was recently discovered in Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists hammerhead sharks as endangered species that have suffered sharply declining numbers in recent years around the world. (Galapagos National Park Photo via AP)

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Researchers in Ecuador say they have discovered a "nursery" of hammerhead sharks off the coast of the Galapagos Islands, a find that may help them track and protect the endangered predators.

The head of the project, Eduardo Espinosa, said the group had found 20 hammerheads in the area along Santa Cruz island, and was able to attach monitors to five of them.

"That site, where the babies spent two or three years, is important not only for the Galapagos but on a world scale because it gives hope for the protection and conservation of a species," he said.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists hammerhead sharks as endangered species that have suffered sharply declining numbers in recent years around the world. They are vulnerable partly because they breed relatively few times, their schools are sometimes caught in fishing nets and their fins are prized in Asian markets.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/science/article/Researchers-find-hammerhead-nursery-off-13682647.php

Science:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/122863015

[Judi Lynn]

1. Have never seen a photo of a hammerhead shark anywhere near a tree! Hooray. n/t