{"id":41336,"date":"2024-09-02T12:08:26","date_gmt":"2024-09-02T10:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/98b3e061-015b-4505-aed1-25cb9d68539d"},"modified":"2024-09-02T12:27:33","modified_gmt":"2024-09-02T10:27:33","slug":"underwater-robot-stumbles-across-thousands-of-sharks-asleep-on-the-seabed-experts-are-trying-to-figure-whats-happening","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/underwater-robot-stumbles-across-thousands-of-sharks-asleep-on-the-seabed-experts-are-trying-to-figure-whats-happening\/","title":{"rendered":"Underwater robot stumbles across thousands of sharks asleep on the seabed. Experts are trying to figure what\u2019s happening"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scientists have been left scratching their heads, wondering why so many female sharks are gathered on the seafloor in southern Australia. <\/p>

By Melissa Hobson\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 02 September 2024 at 10:08 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Researchers on an expedition to Beagle Marine Park, Australia,\u00a0stumbled across a blanket of thousands of sleepy Port Jackson sharks snoozing on the seabed.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

The Port Jackson shark is a nocturnal bullhead shark found in the coastal waters of southern Australia. Credit: NESP-IMAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Scientists from the University of Tasmania\u00a0Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies<\/a>\u00a0(IMAS) captured stunning footage of the dozing sharks from an underwater robot that had been deployed from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) research vessel MRV\u00a0Ngerin.<\/em><\/p>

\u201cThere were thousands of sharks tightly packed like a carpet spread across the seafloor,\u201d says voyage leader, Dr Jacquomo Monk of IMAS. Surprisingly, the sharks were all females.\u00a0<\/p>

Watch: thousands of Port Jackson sharks asleep on the seabed. Credit: NESP-IMAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>