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.