Great white sharks with giant brains are washing up en masse on Atlantic beaches: scientists in Canada and the United States sound the alarm

Researchers are alarmed by an increasing number of great white sharks with enlarged brains washing up on Atlantic beaches. Scientists from Canada and the United States are trying to find out what causes inflammation in these predators.

This marine anomaly is a cause for concern for researchers. After all, until August 2023, experts from the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC), an organization that studies wildlife health issues, had not seen a dead white shark in 30 years, DailyMail reports.

The first great white shark to wash up on Prince Edward Island appeared to have no signs of injury, which puzzled experts. However, scientists eventually recognized the cause of death as meningoencephalitis, an inflammation of brain tissue that eventually disrupts normal cognitive functions.

After this incident, four more dead great white sharks washed up on the beaches of the Atlantic coast of Canada. Later, a similar phenomenon was observed in the United States, off the coast of Massachusetts.

Dr. Megan Jones, a veterinary pathologist and regional director at CWHC, said cases of bacterial infections that cause brain inflammation have been reported in the past. However, these infections were easier to identify.

Jones is part of a group of scientists who intend to find out if this species of shark is now facing a new unknown threat. "Three of these five great sharks have the same potentially infectious disease that affects their brains. We need to know more about what it is," the doctor said.

Megan Jones said that if a shark's brain is compressed, it can no longer feed or may get lost and stuck in shallow water, washing ashore.

Also, factors such as climate change have caused the Atlantic waters to become warmer, pushing predators northward.

Compared to other marine wildlife, such as whales and dolphins, there is still much unknown about sharks, and their research is underfunded, experts say.

According to biologists, great white sharks are listed as vulnerable worldwide, and their numbers are steadily declining. According to researchers, there are from 50,000 to 3,500 individuals left in the wild.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!