Thread by @mcmsharksxx, Hey #SharkWeek friends! I'm watching "Great White Serial Killer Extinction" (and... I've [...]

Hey #SharkWeek friends! I& #39;m watching "Great White Serial Killer Extinction" (and... I& #39;ve not got high hopes for this episode to be honest).

I& #39;m a shark scientist who studies shark habitat use/human-wildlife conflict. I& #39;ll be sharing facts about #sharks, fact-check, etc.

Ralph Collier has studied shark/human interactions for more than 40 years! I believe he is even director of the Global Shark Attack File now? He is also Founder and President of the Shark Research Committee. More on him here: https://www.sharks.org/ralph-collier ">https://www.sharks.org/ralph-col... #SharkWeek

Ralph S. Collier — Shark Research Institute

Ralph S. Collier is one of the world’s foremost experts on shark-human interactions, and Director of the Shark Research Institute's Global Shark Attack File. Shark Research Institute conducts and...

https://www.sharks.org/ralph-collier

#SharkWeek Although southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) are not considered prey for white #sharks (Carcharodon carcharias), sharks do bite them.

#SharkWeek The proportion of #seaotters having #shark bites has apparently been increasing and supposedly white shark bites now account for over half of recovered carcasses.

#SharkWeek "As far as we can tell, a white shark has never eaten a sea otter," says Tim Tinker, a wildlife ecologist at the U.S. Geological Survey& #39;s Western Ecological Research Center, with a joint appointment at the University of California, Santa Cruz: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/06/great-white-sharks-attack-sea-otters-california/">https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016...

Mysterious Great White Shark Attacks on Sea Otters Surge

So many juvenile great white sharks are biting—but not eating—sea otters that scientists say the phenomenon could slow the marine mammals’ recovery.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/06/great-white-sharks-attack-sea-otters-california/

#SharkWeek Decades of conservation work have boosted sea otter populations in many parts of the North Pacific, but now a threat to their population are these bites from #sharks. But they aren& #39;t feeding- they are investigative, with sharks getting a mouth of fur.

Research on the relationship between #seaotters & #sharks has already been done! It found they were being bitten more frequently in the summer, around the time adult sharks come closer to shore before moving on to #seal rookeries. #SharkWeek

More here: #ixzz6Urmf8TFE">https://www.newscientist.com/article/2203631-sea-otters-are-bouncing-back-and-into-the-jaws-of-great-white-sharks/ #ixzz6Urmf8TFE">https://www.newscientist.com/article/2...

Sea otters are bouncing back - and into the jaws of great white sharks | New Scientist

Decades of conservation work have boosted sea otter populations in many parts of the North Pacific, but the animals are now being killed by great white sharks

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2203631-sea-otters-are-bouncing-back-and-into-the-jaws-of-great-white-sharks/#ixzz6Urmf8TFE

So why bite #seaotters? The researchers think the #sharks, which are low on fat reserves after their long migration, are less discriminating towards any seal-shaped animals they encounter.

#SharkWeek

But #shark teeth are hella sharp. And great white #sharks are big... way bigger than #seaotters. So, of course, even an exploratory bite from these sharks can be fatal. One bite is all a shark takes to kill a sea otter. #SharkWeek

In a recent study, Teri Nicholson, a senior research biologist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, trawled through 30+ yrs of #seaotter stranding records (725 animals) and found that the #sharks are keeping the sea otters hemmed in. #SharkWeek

#SharkWeek Apparently 63% of #seaotter strandings are due to emaciation. But at the edge of their range is another story, with #shark bites causing the largest proportion of strandings. More here with @hakaimagazine: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/sea-otters-are-walled-in-by-hungry-sharks/">https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/sea-... #sharks

Sea Otters Are Walled in by Hungry Sharks | Hakai Magazine

Outside the safety of the kelp forest, California sea otters are being picked off by sharks.

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/sea-otters-are-walled-in-by-hungry-sharks/

Fatal #shark encounters may make it harder for #seaotters to re-establish themselves in some areas. But not all hope is lost! By documenting when/where they are most at risk of bites, scientists can adjust their release practices to give the otter a fighting chance!

#SharkWeek

I really hope this #SharkWeek episode doesn& #39;t inspire people to kill great white #sharks because they sometimes bite #seaotters. Bit nervous about that because sharks already have a hard time in the media. Should... should I tell you all why sea otters are jerks?

For those #SharkWeek viewers who want to learn more about great white #sharks, I have a whole thread about them on my Twitter timeline! You can also learn more about them through @FinsUnited.

OKAY #SharkWeek, let& #39;s talk about #seaotter being JERKS.

I know, I know. They look so cute and innocent and cuddly. But did you know that males have been observed to regularly hold a females& #39; heads underwater, biting their faces, and forcing them into submission for mating?

#SharkWeek "Oh but a few sea otters getting bullied into sex isn& #39;t... bad?"

One study showed that MANY southern #seaotters die as a result of the trauma caused by this super aggressive sexual act.

Apparently male #seaotters are also known to force themselves onto pups - those baby sea otters who have not yet reached sexual maturity. #SharkWeek

"Oh boy, that& #39;s bad."

IT GETS WORSE. This aggressive sexual behavior isn& #39;t kept to just their species! There are NUMEROUS reports of male #seaotters forcing themselves violently on baby harbor seals. #SharkWeek

Not so cute now, huh?

"No..."

AND AND AND the young seals often die because these encounters with male #seaotters are so aggressive. They can even suffer from internal perforation! #SharkWeek

"Okay, that& #39;s not cool."

AND IT GETS WORSE. #seaotters practice necrophilia. If you don& #39;t know what that is... Google. Just ew. #SharkWeek

"But, Meli, many many animals exhibit pretty horrific sexual behavior." True.

However, it seems #otters also like to kill things. Exhibit A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNogZkyvH_4">https://www.youtube.com/watch...

This isn& #39;t the only report of behavior like this! #SharkWeek

If all of this hasn& #39;t made you see otters in a different light... well, can& #39;t help ya there.

This concludes Meli derailing from #sharks this #SharkWeek to ruin a cute, cuddly animal for you. (Tune in next week when I go to a bar and ruin dolphins while I drink tequila/rum)

A strand or two of kelp on an otter does not a kelp forest make. #SharkWeek

Talking shit about #seaotters is what pushed me past 19k followers.

Thanks, everyone. I like you guys.

I think that concludes my #SharkWeek tweeting for the day! Now to inundate my other social media platforms (like my Instagram - @ melissacristinamarquez) with #sharkscience!

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