Most experts on shark behavior are saying that it is hard to pinpoint the cause of the shark attacks here in North Carolina over the past few weeks. National Geographic knows exactly the reasons
North Carolina’s “Perfect Storm†for Shark Attacks
There have been six shark attacks in North Carolina this year, all of them in June.
This is already more than last year, when the state saw four attacks. In the previous decade, there were only 25 shark attacks in North Carolina. And there have been just 55 documented shark attacks in the state between 1905 and 2014.
So what’s going on this year?
They provide 5 reasons.
- Warmer weather: they mean warmer water, which is something not unusual in NC, nor does it prove anthropogenic causation. Temps are up about 8F over average (remember, average is created by various temp levels)
- Higher salinity: this yammers on about drought. The coastal region is not in drought, and the central part is only in mild drought. Doesn’t prove anthropogenic causation.
- A bloom of bait fish: this makes a bit more sense. Also, add in more people chumming from the piers.
- Fishing near swimmers: bingo.
Then
5. Global warming
Although Frank J. Schwartz, a shark biologist with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says there’s too much natural variability in weather cycles to blame the recent shark attacks on global warming, Burgess says the link is plausible.“Clearly global climate change is a reality and it has resulted in warmer temperatures in certain places at certain times,†says Burgess.
As warming is expected to increase, it will likely bring more sharks farther north and entice more people to get into the water, which will lead to more bites.
So, all your people driving your fossil fueled vehicles to the beach are Responsible for the attacks, you are to blame. Of course, this doesn’t prove anthropogenic causation, either. But, hey, the Cult of Climastrology must always find a way to bring their pet political cause into almost any event.
8F is a huge temp anomaly
Hmmmm. how could that happen when the RSS says that the temp rise has “paused” ? And I thought that there was no heat being trapped in the ocean ??
Has the “pause” caused this temp increase ? When will the “pause” stop making things hotter?
Are we going to see the radical right begin to say that we should not politicize these shark tragedies ?
Most of the water that enters the ocean in NC does not come from rain that falls in the coastal region. Most of the water comes from inland where 75% of the state is abnormally dry or moderate drought.
And yes Teach all of us share some degree of responsibility, BUT fortunately we are as a nation making substantial progress with carbon emissions reduced to a 2007 level.
Would you describe that temp abnormality as “skyrocketing ” ?