WebProNews

Tag: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  • Goblin Shark Netted Off Florida Keys

    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service, a commercial shrimping trawler netted an extremely rare goblin shark off of the Florida Keys on Wednesday, the second specimen ever to be recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. The fish was roughly 18 feet long, and leisurely swam away after being released. The first goblin shark sighting in the region occurred nearly 15 years ago when commercial fisherman captured one in 2000.

    The pink-skinned, prehistoric-looking goblin shark is a deep-water, poorly understood species, and is the only living representative of the family Mitsukurinidae, an ancient lineage some 125 million years old.

    The goblin shark possesses a distinctive, flattened snout, and highly protrusible jaws which feature nail-like teeth. The sharks inhabit upper continental slopes, submarine canyons and seamounts worldwide, at depths greater than 300 feet, with adults swimming deeper than juveniles.

    Below is a clip of a goblin shark attack:

    The goblin shark has been recorded in all three major oceans, and has many names, for such a rare fish – it is referred to as an elfin shark (English ), hiisihai (Finnish), Japanese neushaai (Dutch), Japanischer nasenhai (German), kabouterhaai (Dutch and Afrikaans), karsahai (Finnish), Koboldhaai ( Dutch), koboldhai (German), lensuháfur (Icelandic), mitsukurizame ( Japanese), naesehaj (Danish), Nasenhai (German), näshaj (Swedish), nesehai (Norwegian), neushaai (Dutch), requin lutin (French), schoffelneushaai (Dutch), squalo folletto (Dutch), squalo goblin ( Italian), teguzame (Japanese), teppichhai (German), tiburón duende (Spanish), trollhaj (Swedish), tubarão-demónio (Portuguese), tubarão-gnomo (Portuguese), zoozame (Japanese) and žralok škriatok (Czech).

    Though observations of goblin sharks existing in the wild are limited, it is suggested that the animal leads a sluggish lifestyle, mostly feeding on rattail fish and dragonfishes. It also consumes cephalopods and crustaceans, including decapods and isopods. Garbage has been found in the stomachs of some specimens.

    The NOAA points out that biologists encourage anyone who comes across a goblin shark to report these rare sightings and catches, as the information that can be collected is integral to forming a better knowledge of the species.

    Image via YouTube

  • 1888 Shipwreck Found in San Francisco Bay

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released images Wednesday of the wreckage of a ship that sank in San Francisco Bay in 1888, which killed 16 people. The iron and wood steamship called City of Chester went down on August 22, after being hit by a larger ship named the Oceanic, in conditions of dense fog and low visibility.

    City of Chester was carrying 106 travelers en route to Eureka, California and Portland, Oregon. Thirteen passengers and three crewmen perished when the ship sank.

    The NOAA inadvertently discovered the wreckage while mapping shipping lanes in the bay, and City of Chester was located 217 feet down, just inside the Golden Gate Bridge. The NOAA team utilized a multi-beam sonic imaging system to capture three-dimensional images of the wreckage.

    James Delgado, an NOAA shipwreck researcher, archaeologist and Titanic expert, combed through San Francisco newspapers from the era when City of Chester went down, which leaned toward putting the blame on the relatively unscathed Oceanic, which was an immigrant vessel. “The papers initially reacted, talking about the tragedy and accusations that the Chinese crew stood by and let people drown,” Delgado said. “But what happens is you start to see things also come out countering that. Some leapt in water to save a drowning child.” The initial investigation faulted the skipper of the City of Chester.

    Robert Schwemmer, NOAA’s West Coast regional maritime heritage coordinator added, “The Oceanic crew was up on the bow reaching down to survivors on the Chester, lifting them on the deck. After the collision, in five or six minutes, the Oceanic crew went on to save a lot of people.”

    In 1888, San Francisco Bay was one of the world’s busiest and most crucial shipping ports. The City of Chester sinking was the second worst maritime disaster regarding casualties San Francisco Bay had ever seen. The most catastrophic occurred when a steamer called the SS City of Rio de Janeiro hit a reef in 1901, killing over 120.

    Image via NOAA