By Helen BriggsBBC News
13 March 2018
Scientists have calculated the
water temperature at which tiger sharks are most active and abundant.
They say the sharks, which are
second only to great whites in attacking people, prefer a balmy 22C.
Shark populations may shift range
as the oceans heat up, bringing them into greater conflict with humans,
according to the scientific study.
For instance, tiger sharks may
move into waters off Sydney in both winter and summer months.
Dr Nicholas Payne of Queen's
University Belfast and the University of Roehampton led the research.
"Our study suggests that 22
degrees is not too cold for the animals and it's not too hot for them," he
said. "It's about right in terms of their optimal preference for
temperature."
Cold blooded
Most sharks are cold blooded.
Their body temperatures match the temperature of the water around them.
The research, reported in the
journal Global
Change Biology, could lead to new ways to predict when and where
tiger shark attacks might happen.
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