Marine scientists discovered a very rare shark nursery about 200 miles west of Ireland and shared a mesmerizing video of the find.
Back in July, the government-supported Marine Institute’s SeaRover survey found a large school of blackmouth catsharks and what appears to be thousands of their egg cases, also known a “mermaids purses,” at depths up to 750 meters (2,500 feet).
“It was incredible, real David Attenborough stuff. This is a major biological find and a story of this magnitude would have been on Blue Planet if they’d known about it,” David O’Sullivan, the chief scientist on the SeaRover survey, told the Guardian. “Very, very little is known on a global scale about deep-sea shark nurseries.”
“We are delighted to report the discovery of a rare shark nursery on a scale not previously documented in Irish waters,” O’Sullivan said in a press release. “This discovery shows the significance of documenting sensitive marine habitats, and will give us a better understanding of the biology of these beautiful animals and their ecosystem function in Ireland’s Biologically Sensitive Area.
“The scientists observed a healthy coral reef in the vicinity, which may act as a refuge for the juvenile shark pups once they hatch, O’Sullivan added.
Ocean's Meadow 