Australia’s Great White Sharks Always Go Home to Breed
by Jeanna Bryner
Two populations of great white sharks frolicking in Australian waters may look alike, but researchers have found they are distinct genetically, a finding that has conservation implications.
“The genetic makeup of white sharks west of Bass Strait was different from those on the eastern seaboard of Australia, despite the lack of any physical barrier between these regions,” said John Pandolfi, a chief investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland.
“This shows that while the sharks can roam around Australia and across ocean basins, they repeatedly return to their home region to breed,” Pandolfi added in a statement…
(read more: OurAmazingPlanet) (image: Neil Hammerschlag)
