On Sunday morning Michael Boswell, a local resident of the Brunswick County stumbled upon a dozen dead sharks on the shores of Oak Island. The sizes of the sharks ranged from one foot to five feet. The exact cause of the death of the sharks is unknown and is presently under investigation by the NC Division of Marine Fisheries. Although, officials have speculated that by-catch might be a possible cause. By-catch is the catching of an unwanted marine organism while fishing for another organism, such as catching tuna with a net but accidentally catching a dolphin. Additionally, the dumping of dead fish on beach property is illegal and fishing is only allowed for consumption or recreational catch and release. The Oak Island mayor, Betty Wallace has gotten involved as well and is helping by directing the town staff and making sure it does not become a public health issue.
The sudden death of over 50 sharks is a great cause of concern for marine life and their ecosystem. This alerting news reminded me of the mass bird deaths that occurred only a few years ago and now during present day. The reason for these articles is to bring awareness of a probable human-induced environmental mistake that caused the death of a multitude of sharks. I feel that a probable cause might be a change in the composition of the water because of a chemical spill. The authors of the articles I summarized are Ben Powell and Helen Holt. Ben Powell's article contained concrete information and was direct in its approach to news telling, while Holt's was a little more emotional and brought awareness to the shrinking biodiversity of the sea.
1. http://www.wect.com/story/26647986/dozens-of-dead-sharks-found-washed-ashore-on-oak-island?hpt=us_bn8
2. http://www.wwaytv3.com/2014/09/29/dozens-of-dead-sharks-wash-ashore-oak-island
This is really tragic and is reminiscent of oil spills that have occurred in the past where we greatly damaged ecosystems. We need to learn to protect our world as we live in it too.
ReplyDeleteIt's essential that we learn how to coexist with other species on this small planet. If we continue treating the environment so badly, we'll eventually face the consequences which can't be great.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the issue of environmental protection has been pushed to the backburner by matters deemed more pressing, though stories like this illustrate why it is still important and must be dealt with, so that our planet and its creatures are not harmed by humankind.
ReplyDeleteIts really sad how the enviroment around us is falling apart because of over population.
ReplyDeleteWater contamination like this happens in lakes and rivers around Dallas as well. The ocean is a much larger body of water however, and there is no telling how far this pollution has spread.
ReplyDeleteThis is so tragic. I hope we can find ways to resolve this.- Jessica Sheinfeld
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