An epaulette shark on a beach in Port Tribulation. Credit: Wikipedia.
New research suggests warmer oceans would cause baby sharks to be born smaller and undernourished on the Great Barrier Reef.
The study – conducted by James Cook University PhD candidate Carolyn Wheeler – found epaulette sharks hatch prematurely in too-warm waters, impacting the species growth, development and physiological performance.
Ms Wheeler and her research team recently studied the species as embryos and hatchlings at JCU's ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.
Ms Wheeler said her findings on the egg-laying species, found only on the Great Barrier Reef, flags rising ocean temperatures as a major concern for the future of all sharks.