Climate Change Threatens Small-Spotted Catsharks, Study Shows

New research from the Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (BOREA) Lab in France suggests that climate change could pose significant risks to small-spotted catsharks (Scyliorhinus canicula). The study, published in Marine Environmental Research, reveals that under the most extreme climate scenarios projected for 2100, the survival of these sharks’ eggs could plummet.

Lead researcher Noémie Coulon and her team monitored batches of small-spotted catshark eggs under different climate conditions. They found that under the worst-case scenario, where ocean temperatures rise significantly and acidity increases due to carbon emissions, only 11% of the eggs hatched successfully. This is in stark contrast to the 81% and 83% survival rates observed under current conditions and a more moderate climate projection (SSP2) respectively.

“The small-spotted catshark is already experiencing habitat loss in coastal areas, particularly during the summer months when egg-laying is at its peak” explained Coulon. The study underscores how rising temperatures and ocean acidification could further endanger these sharks, affecting their ability to reproduce and survive.

While the researchers caution that more studies are needed to confirm these findings, they emphasize the importance of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

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