Sharks Use Earth's Magnetic Field to Navigate
- Alaya Laubsch
- Feb 6, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 10, 2022
Sharks have been roaming the planet's waters for over 400 million years, making them more ancient than dinosaurs and even trees. After surviving five mass extinctions, these majestic creatures have evolved into the perfect apex predators they are known as today. Indigenous civilizations all around the world have long worshipped the powerful and iconic species. Sharks are presented in various myths, some celebrating them as powerful gods while others depict them as violent man-eaters. Today, researchers are still fascinated by these mysterious apex predators. Marine biologists have long wondered how they could navigate accurately through vast distances in deep, pitch-black waters.
Why these long-distance migrations take place remains unclear. Do sharks move in search of food, to mate, due to temperature? A few researchers have suggested that sharks use their highly developed sense of smell. Sharks can detect their prey's body oils from hundreds of feet away, as well as blood at concentrations of one part in a million. While some studies noted that a shark’s refined olfactory senses can aid in navigation, it is not their primary navigational tool.
According to a study published in the journal "Current Biology" (May 2021), evidence suggests that sharks use Earth's magnetic field to help them generate a compass and mental map of their migration route. The researchers noted that wild bonnethead sharks were able to orient themselves to a man-made magnetic field that was applied in their domain, indicating that the species do indeed have a strong relationship with magnetic fields when navigating.
Trackers are used to locate sharks while they migrate, but once the fish have descended deep into the water, it becomes hard to monitor them without interrupting their activity. Scientists have a great deal of data on Great White sharks, revealing that many venture out to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean every day, cruising around and diving to depths of up to 3,000 feet (900 meters). However, scientists do not yet know what the sharks are doing in these great depths.
“The deep ocean is so vast, and we've spent so little time studying it, that it feels like every time a scientist goes out and does some fishing or trolling or even goes to a fish market in a little-known place, they find a new species of shark,” says Christopher Lowe, a professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach.
The research presented in this article only adds to the species' reputation as a source of great mystery. Sharks are far more intelligent than commonly assumed. Apart from an in-built GPS system, they have several other superpowers, such as social learning. This means that they have the ability to learn a new behavior by simply observing other members of their species perform it. Furthermore, research reveals that sharks are capable of problem solving and can retain the solutions to puzzles for up to a year after being presented with them. Sharks are intelligent keystone species that keep the ocean healthy, and their role is essential to our survival. As a result, we must do everything in our power to protect these vital species for the sake of our planet's future.
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By: Alaya Laubsch
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