Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo...
BeachGrit, as you well know, is an
anti-depressive place where lemons are magically turned into
lemonade daily. Soul quenching. Take, for example, the specter of
zero surf contests from now until next year at this time. We
already know how to craft entire narratives
around the world’s greatest surfer Kelly Slater that
need neither heats nor heat strategy.
Or the horrible nightmare of climate change displacing vast
populations, destroying sensitive environments, really being lame.
Except here, for us surfers, climate change is making our surf
bigger and better and now, as just revealed, making our number one
enemy weaker.
New researcher out of Australia examining the effects of warming
temperatures on the growth, development and physiology of the Great
Barrier Reef’s epaulette sharks found that in warmer waters, shark
embryos grew faster and used their yolk sac — their only source of
food in this developmental stage — quicker. The man-eaters hatched
earlier, were born smaller, and needed to feed straight away, but
lacked energy to bite toes, legs, etc.
Jodie Rummer, co-author and associate professor at the ARC
Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, released the following
statement regarding the study: “The epaulette shark is known for
its resilience to change, even to ocean acidification,” So, if this
species can’t cope with warming waters then how will other, less
tolerant species fare?”
“The study presents a worrying future given that sharks are
already threatened,” lead author Carolyn Wheeler said in another
statement, continuing, “Sharks are important predators that keep
ocean ecosystems healthy. Without predators, whole ecosystems can
collapse, which is why we need to keep studying and protecting
these creatures.”
Here’s to the world’s most
environmentally damaging person for not only keeping
us entertained in these difficult times, but keeping us safe.
Über anti-depressive.
