Sharks losing their smell for prey due to polluted water

A Summary of "Sharks in acidic waters avoid smell of food" by Georgia Institute of Technology.

According to the Georgia Institute of Technology, the new high levels of acid in the Atlantic Ocean is ruining sharks' sense of smell for food and prey. Recent research has proved that sharks are losing their sense of interest in prey when they are especially near to the ocean floor. This study infers that "predator-prey interactions" are affected by rising carbon dioxide in the ocean. When carbon dioxide is let into the atmosphere, it dissolves into the ocean, and lowers the pH of the water. The sharks then cannot sense the odor of their prey and are not able to eat as much. Scientists are worried about the levels of acid in the water rapidly increasing, and that sharks will soon not be able to sense their prey's odor at all, and therefore the species will decrease in population quickly (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014).

After reading this article, I have more awareness for how much pollution we put into the ocean and air, and how this affects our fellow creatures on the Earth. I feel more sympathy for the sharks and the article makes me feel like I need to do something to keep sharks from going extinct due to this issue. I want to help reduce our pollution on the Earth so that sharks and other creatures living here can survive and thrive.

Georgia Institute of Technology. (2014, September 9). Sharks in acidic waters avoid smell of food. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 9, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140909092115.htm