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Scientists Look For Patterns In North Carolina Shark Attacks
HughPickens.com writes: The Washington Post reports that there have been seven recent shark attacks in North Carolina. Scientists are looking for what might be luring the usually shy sharks so close to shore and among the swimmers they usually avoid. It's an unusual number of attacks for a state that recorded 25 attacks between 2005 and 2014. Even with the recent incidents, researchers emphasize that sharks are a very low-level threat to humans, compared with other forms of wildlife. Bees, for example, are much more dangerous. And swimming itself is hazardous even without sharks around.
George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida's Florida Museum of Natural History, speculates that several environmental factors could be pushing sharks to congregate in the Outer Banks. It is a warm year, and the water has a higher level of salinity because of a low-level drought in the area. Also, a common species of forage fish — menhaden — has been abundant this year and might have attracted more sharks to the area. Burgess also says some fishermen put bait in the water near piers, which could lure the predators closer to shore; two of the encounters took place within 100 yards of a pier. "That's a formula for shark attacks," Burgess says of these conditions, taken together. "Now, does that explain seven attacks in three weeks? No, it doesn't."
George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida's Florida Museum of Natural History, speculates that several environmental factors could be pushing sharks to congregate in the Outer Banks. It is a warm year, and the water has a higher level of salinity because of a low-level drought in the area. Also, a common species of forage fish — menhaden — has been abundant this year and might have attracted more sharks to the area. Burgess also says some fishermen put bait in the water near piers, which could lure the predators closer to shore; two of the encounters took place within 100 yards of a pier. "That's a formula for shark attacks," Burgess says of these conditions, taken together. "Now, does that explain seven attacks in three weeks? No, it doesn't."
Swim with sharks get eaten, simple.
Like... You know... People in the water?
Sharks live in the water. When people swim in the water, there is a small chance they may be bitten by sharks.
A shark bite will prompt media morons and politicians suffering from brainpower deficit disorder to go into hysteria overdrive. This means that a dozen shark attacks will get more attention than 10,000 people dying from inadequate healthcare services per day in North Carolina or hundreds of thousands of people dying in other countries due to natural disasters and wars.
All that toilet flushed cannabis has to end up somewhere.
Radiate to these sharks the unconditional love that they are so desperately craving. Only then will they stop these attacks, and we can live in perfect harmony with them.
it's your go-to for funds.
Now I'm worried about sharks AND bees.
Damn you. Damn you to hell.
A lot of times a shark will bite something just because it's curious, like how a dog will sniff something and then pick it up in its mouth.
A shark attack needs a shark and a person. Researching what the sharks are doing differently is fine but it will never be the full picture unless you look at what humans are doing differently too.
It's a hot year as stated; Are more humans swimming than previous years there? Are they swimming at earlier times or later times than usual? I'd bet that even if sharks have abnormal behavior this year that humans do as well.
Its shark week
It's often reported that sharks bite and then let go because we don't taste the same as their usual prey. Is it possible they're learning that we're not so bad after all and are passing the information around? I didn't use to like cheese....
I find it odd that we have had this many attacks and no one really has taken any action but reaction to a attack. You don't see beeches closing or restrictions on
how far out to swim or anything. Just business as usual which the key word is "business". This is a direct correlation from Jaws in which attacks happen but the generally argument is how to stop it with out losing the cash cow of tourism. It goes without saying that the generally response from authorities is deal with the attacks but don't scare away the tourists. I think its clear that having just a helicopter flying in areas where beech goers and sharks may interact and issuing warnings would be very helpful. Except it seems most would rather trade a few limbs off people then loose big money in tourism.
All the attacks took place in the water.
Overfishing. Combined with the fact that sharks have to eat something.
If Pandora's box is destined to be opened, *I* want to be the one to open it.
It is simple. The friggin sharks were pining for the friggin lasers pointed at aeroplanes and came ashore to collect them.
you missed the ultimate mix : ISIS warriors riding sharks. Toyota are passé.
Sharks usually kill a dozen or so people every year. Meanwhile Humans kill around 100 million sharks per year . Shark scientists are researching the question, "WTF, humans?" Some sharks speculate that it's because humans are assholes.
Thanks Obummer.
"Also, the number of floating chewy fatbags is greater than ever thanks to the 2 for $5 sales at McDonald's this year."
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I'm surprised no one looked into Shark fishing from piers and shores as a possible cause of the Shark attacks.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/shark...
There are many other articles. It makes sense to me. If you lure sharks closer to the shore by throwing dead meat in the ocean then yeah they are probably going to attack swimmers. This is why some districts ban this. It clearly locates their feeding area (or their perception of it) closer to where legs are dangling in the ocean.
Why do people make things complicated?
"As a commercial fisherman of 38 years, a shark fisherman virtually from it's inception in the mid eighties, and HMS a.p. member and a IAC technical advisor on sharks, if you actually want the scoop on the health of the shark populations in this country please don't expect to hear it from the apologist such as George Burgesses (shark attack file), Bob Hueter's (Mote Marine lab) or even the NMFS since the truth is in short supply. If you believe their line it is because of more people are in the water, or more bait fish, or hotter water, or even more turtles in the water (a favorite food of sharks) yet fishermen are being shut down because others say there are less. The inconvenient truth to the increased shark interactions is that it is simply all about the increase in sharks... Don't believe me? Check out the agencies Coastal Shark Survey: http://na.nefsc.noaa.gov/shark....
If you are not interested in googling it i will quote a few paragraphs . "
"The first systematic survey of Atlantic sharks , conducted by the Apex Predator Program in the summer of 1986 (or about the time the shark fishery got it's start). "We caught and tagged more sharks in the 2012 survey than at any previous survey said Natanson, who has been on all but one of the surveys. The previous high was in 2009 when we caught 1676 sharks and tagged 1352. In addition to the numerous sandbar sharks, (the main focus of the former shark fishery), we caught more Dusky (the main reason the shark fishery has essentially been eliminated) tiger and black tip than in any prior survey.
As a followup to the two most recent surveys, i happened to be offshore fishing recently when Scotty on the Eagle Eye 2 was on his way by conducting the 2015 survey. Unfortunately even thought the numbers are not yet posted, in acquainting myself with the captain over the radio and making him aware of my interest in the numbers he was seeing, he confided that this survey was going to blow the numbers of the previous two away......in other words simply.....more than EVER.
Finally If you decide that after watching "shark week" they are as lovable as Bambi or Flipper, and believe that you are more likely to be struck by lightening this week then dive in. As not only a fisherman that is no longer allowed to target sharks and hasn't been since 2002, as a surfer that is nervous any time the swell comes up and also a oceanfront motel owner that is concerned as a businessman......you simply be the judge...."
Meanwhile the factory ship goes on destroying more in its by-catch leaving a corridor of nothing behind. Of course the solution will be to kill the remaining sharks and let the fucktory ships go about their business.
We are clearly a race navel gazing it's way to extinction.
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
Wow. Someone's off his conservative meds again. Guy, take the green pill and chill out. You're ruining a perfectly good shark wall.
If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
You go in the water. Shark's in the water. Our shark.
Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.
Left MS Windows for Linux Mint and never looked back!
Vote for Bernie in 2016!
Most articles I've read about this point out that the risk to any given swimmer is still extremely low. We all know that humans are bad at weighting risks from very low-probability but high-horror events.
By the same token, though, the risk to any given golfer out on a course during a thunderstorm is pretty low -- but nearly everybody agrees that going out on a large, open expanse and holding a metal stick over your head during a thunderstorm is kind of stupid.
I can't say that I blame people for deciding to stay out of the water.
"And swimming itself is hazardous even without sharks around."
what an awful lof of bs ona sunday afternoon.
You are all cows. Cows say moo. MOOOOOOOOOOO! MOOOOOOOOO! Mooooo cows MOOOOOOO! Moooo say the cows. YOU COWS!!
Might have something to do with the shark app that lets swimmers know where the sharks are. "Hey, there was a shark sighting! Let's go swimming!"
....of Jaws! Playing in theaters near you! Seriously. I just went to see it myself.
The movie takes place in the Northeastern U.S. but nobody heeded the warnings.
Find the jackass playing the cello on the beach and arrest him.
Sharks eat mammals with lots of blubber and North Carolinians are as tasty as a big seal.
Dear Coward
Isn't being a victim of a shark attack a matter of choice? Even so, the odds of getting bit by a shark are probably higher than the odds of you entering a gay marriage. (If you are a normal person). I don't mean to offend anyone by saying that they might be abnormal, but lets face it. Getting bit by a shark is pretty high up there on the freak accident scale, so you gotta believe that taking it up the ass, even by accident, is pretty rare. Now, all this says nothing of Justin Beiber, but I suppose it's just as well. No sense inciting people on subjects nobody really cares about.
Is that an effort at stupid humour - or are you just being effortlessly stupid? It reads like clumsy satire but something tells me it's not - it's just the way you "think".
"I just reply to you when I see you spamming Slashdot with your nonsense"- by dave420 (699308) on Friday June 19, 2015 @10:31AM (#49945047)
Why'd you agree w/ my points on hosts then? Quoting you:
"I'm not denying all those things" - by dave420 (699308) on Wednesday September 17, 2014 @11:39AM (#47927435) FROM -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen...
Of course not: It's impossible to dispute HOSTS FILES superiority to other methods!
Since my points in favor of hosts SINGLE FILE native kernelmode faster part show hosts doing more w/ less vs. so-called 'competitors' many part messagepassing + cpu/ram use overheads laden slower usermode FAR MORE COMPLEX 'solutions' doing less than hosts do for more security, speed, reliability, + anonymity!
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* QUESTION:
DO YOU WORK FOR AN ADVERTISING FIRM, or ARE YOU A WEBMASTER/WEBCODER http://slashdot.org/comments.p... , or a MALWARE MAKER, or ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH 1 OF MY COMPETITORS?
Answer it!
As per your usual you'll avoid every question, or lie & You've been EXPOSED in your "motives" in the last link just above, lol!
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"I'm simply pointing out that it takes an AdBlocker to block your spamming"- by dave420 (699308) on Friday June 19, 2015 @10:31AM (#49945047)
I bother you? Then WHY DON'T YOU DO IT & use 'em? Answer that!
(You stalk/harass me instead!)
OBVIOUSLY you don't & you're a "ne'er-do-well" troll & you have "other motivations" (the QUESTION above you'll AVOID TO NO END, "Gosh, I wonder WHY?" (not!)):
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I make creating a superior more efficient solution EASIER (That's more than a mere trolling stalking harassing "ne'er-do-well" like yourself could *EVER* manage).
APK
P.S.=> See Dave420 the "pot puffing clown" SQUIRM - evasions galore will ensue (as well as effete downmods via sockpuppets to *try* vainly "hide it" -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... )... apk
The word bees isn't even in the article linked.
Shawn Moore http://www.teuse.net
The research cited a particularly low incidence of attacks in 2009. 2009 was unusual in that it was the peak of a solar minimum that was longer and deeper than normal.
The higher rate of attacks recently correlates with the generally more active space weather of solar maximum, not just flares but filament eruptions and high-speed streams (associated with coronal holes). Although the sunspot counts of the latest maximum have generally been below average, there has been no decrease in CME or high-speed wind stream activity. Most researchers of various Earth-system events on don't think to consider a possible influence from space weather altered conditions.
Manufacturers of electro-fishing equipment know that swimming towards the positive electrode occurs. Other Earth currents are possible beyond those associated with geomagnetic storms. Solar wind, essentially Van Allen Belt plasma, can contribute to atmospheric electricity associated with sprites, thunderstorms, and other unstable enhanced weather. Even without lightning, there can be significant total discharge current to the ground in atmospheric leakage currents (affecting vertical wind shear) and from the sum of charges carried on many raindrops. The region of Florida has had frequent thunderstorm type conditions for some time now. The eastern side of the U.S. seems to be more greatly affected by space weather due to the combination of the proximity to the magnetic north pole and the effects of the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly. (The later affects charge distribution in the lower Van Allen Belt)
While there has been plenty of data that easily a space weather connection with things like fish kill events (space-weather energized electrolysis driven changes causing things such as swim-bladder gassing, oxygen depletion through changes in NOx states, shifts in trace minerals/gases affecting algae growth etc), I have not seen enough shark sighting/attack data to positively correlate it with space weather. But everything about the events fits, so a detailed analysis using a credible large data set would certainly be worthwhile. I have associated space weather with stranding events. Those are very similar to shark events since they involve an increased presence of other large sea creatures in places where they usually wouldn't be seen.
Those in areas with frequent fish kill events are encouraged to not only monitor space weather, geomagnetic and atmospheric data, but do things like local measurements of ground currents.
Something as simple as a hall effect sensor next to the safety-earth ground line for a cable tv/internet feed might show local disturbances. Most science done at the sites of fish-kill events is after the fact, so only things like algae or signs of oxygen depletion remain. It's not uncommon to have sites that experienced a fish kill after rainfall. Pollution in runoff or drops in salinity of salt water are common suspects in that case, but bear in mind that thunderstorm-associated rain is itself is very likely a sign of solar wind particle/charge effects.
Beyond the normal thermal effects driving some water currents, electrical currents in water have associated magnetic fields which may drive some water motion when interacting with Earth's static magnetic field. The possibility that space weather effects might be causing some upwelling or overturn in waters should also be considered. A great many types of research, even NOx releases from soils, need the scope widened to account for the influence of space weather.
I encourage both historical research with an eye to including additional data, and enhanced local monitoring to show what's associated with various new events as they unfold. Also, various lab experiments can be conducted to study the effects of currents under controlled conditions.
Electrolysis in fresh water can release hydrogen and oxygen. I'm curious what happens to the chlorine when salt is present. Perhaps some of the reef damage and NOx related gas releases are more transient i
North Carolina is consistently in the bottom of the national public school test scores.
Believe me, there is a reason for this and the reason is that North Carolina contains a lot
of stupid people and those people don't tend to have smart children.
If you ask me, the sharks are cleaning the gene pool, and if I could I'd buy those sharks a round of drinks.