Latest news with #CarolinNieder
Observer
06-04-2025
- Science
- Observer
Scientists record first evidence of shark making noise
Researchers have recorded what they believe to be the first evidence of sharks making noise, according to newly published research. The scientists recorded New Zealand rig sharks (Musteluslenticulatus), small sharks found in coastal waters all around the country, producing clicks when handled underwater, in what they believe is the "first documented case of active sound production by a shark." Ten juvenile rig sharks - five female and five male - were used for the study over the 11-month study. The sounds were recorded in an experimental plastic tank set up to record the sounds. The researchers, led by Carolin Nieder from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the US, found that on average "the sharks produced significantly more clicks" in the first 10 seconds of handling compared to the following 10 seconds. They believe that the forceful snapping together of the rig shark's flattened teeth is the likely source of the sound. They base the hypothesis on the rig shark's plated teeth morphology as well as the type of noise produced, specifically its short duration (48 milliseconds) and high peak frequencies (2.4-18.5 kHz),but said that more research is needed to confirm this. The biologists said that the purpose of the clicking sound "remains uncertain," but it may be produced "in response to disturbance or distress." Further behavioural research will be required to investigate this. The research was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. —dpa
New York Times
27-03-2025
- Science
- New York Times
A Shark Breaks Its Silence With Some Clicking Sounds
Dolphins whistle. Whales sing. Fish croak, chirp, grunt, hum and growl. But in the chatter of the sea, one voice has been missing — until now. Sharks have long been seen as the silent killers of the water. But scientists at the University of Auckland in New Zealand recently recorded a rig shark, or Mustelus lenticulatus, making a sharp clicking sound, most likely by snapping its teeth together, according to findings published in the journal Royal Society Open Science on Wednesday. They believe it's the first time a shark has been recorded actively making noise. The lead researcher, Carolin Nieder, first heard the sound while she was researching the hearing abilities of sharks. While she was handling one shark, it made a clicking, snapping sound similar to that of an electric spark, she said. The noise came from a rig shark, a fairly small shark common in the waters around New Zealand that grows to up to five feet and mainly eats crustaceans. It is eaten by bigger shark species — and by New Zealanders, who use it to make fish and chips. Dr. Nieder was taken aback when she heard the noise. Other sea creatures have mechanisms for making sound. Fish, for example, have a swim bladder, a gas-filled sac that is used for buoyancy but can also be used as a kind of drum. Many fish have a muscle that can vibrate the swim bladder in a way similar to a human's vocal cords, generating sounds. But sharks 'were thought to be silent, unable to actively create sounds,' Dr. Nieder said. For the study, she and her co-authors observed the behavior of 10 rig sharks housed in tanks equipped with underwater microphones. They found that all 10 sharks would begin to make the clicking noise when they were being moved between tanks or gently held. On average, the sharks would click nine times in a 20-second interval, and the researchers believe they made the sound by snapping their teeth together. They did not make the noise when they were feeding or swimming, leading the scientists to believe the clicking was more likely something they did when stressed or startled, rather than as a means of communicating with one another. 'I think it's more likely that they would make those noises when they get attacked,' Dr. Nieder said, adding that many other fish snap their teeth or jaws in an attempt to deter or distract predators. It was unclear whether the sharks could hear the clicks themselves; whether they made the sound in the wild or just in captivity; and whether they made it intentionally or if it was a side effect of their response to being startled, Dr. Nieder said. Christine Erbe, the director of the Center for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University in Australia, said that the study expanded on a growing field of research into how marine animals make and hear sounds. 'Once we start looking, we find more and more species that use sound,' she said. Because of that, it was not surprising to find that sharks can make noise, she said. However, she added, 'I think it's significant in the sense that we totally underestimate the communication between animals and their environmental sensing abilities, and therefore also how we can impact them with noise.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
First sound recordings of sharks captured by researchers, new study shows
The first-ever sounds of sharks have been captured by researchers, according to a new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The study, published Wednesday, found that the rig shark -- also known as the spotted estuary smoothhound -- produces clicking sounds when handled, according to the study. "Sharks are maybe not as silent as we thought," Carolin Nieder, marine biologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and lead author of the study, told ABC News. Nieder said the sounds were "discovered by accident" as she was conducting another study analyzing the hearing capabilities of sharks during her doctorate program at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. "I had never considered that any of the sharks I was studying could make any sort of sound. I was under the assumption that sharks are silent fish, so they wouldn't make any active sounds," she said. Nieder caught seven rig sharks in the Kaipara Harbour in New Zealand, obtained three more from a local commercial fisherman and housed them in a marine laboratory in "circular flow-through holding tanks," the study said. MORE: 2 friends injured in shark attack in the Bahamas speak out After acclimating for at least a week, the sharks were transferred from their holding tank into an experimental tank, where the handling took place, the study said. During the handling, the rigs were "opportunistically observed to produce clicking sounds underwater." On average, the sharks produced "nine clicks during handling underwater" over the course of 20 seconds, with significantly more clicks during the preliminary 10 seconds, the study said. The overall click duration was only 48 milliseconds, the study said. Twenty-five percent of the clicks occurred when the sharks reacted with "vigorous bending of the head and body from side to side," about 70% occurred with "calm swaying," and 5% of clicks occurred in "the absence of any obvious body movements," the study said. The initial handling "triggers a stress to startle response, resulting in increased click activity" and as the sharks become more accustomed to the handling, "the behavioral response likely diminishes, leading to fewer clicks over time," the study said. MORE: American swimmer Ali Truwit wins silver in Paralympics 1 year after losing leg in shark attack "The rig is a smaller shark. It's vulnerable to predation," Nieder said. "Maybe if a small shark like this gets attacked, maybe these clicks can disorient the predator for just a split second to escape." Nieder told ABC News the rig shark is able to produce this clicking sound due to its flat teeth, which differ from the teeth other sharks possess. Neil Hammerschlag, president of Atlantic Shark Expeditions who was not part of this study, said he has "long thought they must have some way to communicate through sound." "The idea that some sharks are making sounds is exciting because to me. That suggests they could use that as a form of communication. This opens up an avenue for future research," Hammerschlag told ABC News. Nieder hopes this initial observation will inspire others to dive into research surrounding sharks and that more people will be "curious about current notions and to keep listening to other animals and species that are deemed silent." First sound recordings of sharks captured by researchers, new study shows originally appeared on
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
First sound recordings of sharks captured by researchers, new study shows
The first-ever sounds of sharks have been captured by researchers, according to a new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The study, published Wednesday, found that the rig shark -- also known as the spotted estuary smoothhound -- produces clicking sounds when handled, according to the study. "Sharks are maybe not as silent as we thought," Carolin Nieder, marine biologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and lead author of the study, told ABC News. Nieder said the sounds were "discovered by accident" as she was conducting another study analyzing the hearing capabilities of sharks during her doctorate program at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. "I had never considered that any of the sharks I was studying could make any sort of sound. I was under the assumption that sharks are silent fish, so they wouldn't make any active sounds," she said. Nieder caught seven rig sharks in the Kaipara Harbour in New Zealand, obtained three more from a local commercial fisherman and housed them in a marine laboratory in "circular flow-through holding tanks," the study said. MORE: 2 friends injured in shark attack in the Bahamas speak out After acclimating for at least a week, the sharks were transferred from their holding tank into an experimental tank, where the handling took place, the study said. During the handling, the rigs were "opportunistically observed to produce clicking sounds underwater." On average, the sharks produced "nine clicks during handling underwater" over the course of 20 seconds, with significantly more clicks during the preliminary 10 seconds, the study said. The overall click duration was only 48 milliseconds, the study said. Twenty-five percent of the clicks occurred when the sharks reacted with "vigorous bending of the head and body from side to side," about 70% occurred with "calm swaying," and 5% of clicks occurred in "the absence of any obvious body movements," the study said. The initial handling "triggers a stress to startle response, resulting in increased click activity" and as the sharks become more accustomed to the handling, "the behavioral response likely diminishes, leading to fewer clicks over time," the study said. MORE: American swimmer Ali Truwit wins silver in Paralympics 1 year after losing leg in shark attack "The rig is a smaller shark. It's vulnerable to predation," Nieder said. "Maybe if a small shark like this gets attacked, maybe these clicks can disorient the predator for just a split second to escape." Nieder told ABC News the rig shark is able to produce this clicking sound due to its flat teeth, which differ from the teeth other sharks possess. Neil Hammerschlag, president of Atlantic Shark Expeditions who was not part of this study, said he has "long thought they must have some way to communicate through sound." "The idea that some sharks are making sounds is exciting because to me. That suggests they could use that as a form of communication. This opens up an avenue for future research," Hammerschlag told ABC News. Nieder hopes this initial observation will inspire others to dive into research surrounding sharks and that more people will be "curious about current notions and to keep listening to other animals and species that are deemed silent." First sound recordings of sharks captured by researchers, new study shows originally appeared on
