ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Malaysia's reef sharks stricken with mystery skin disease

People looks at a grey reef shark at the exhibition "Sharks" in the Oceanography museum in Monaco, Thursday, June 27, 2013. This exhibition is displayed for a period of 2 years.(AP / Lionel Cironneau) People looks at a grey reef shark at the exhibition "Sharks" in the Oceanography museum in Monaco, Thursday, June 27, 2013. This exhibition is displayed for a period of 2 years.(AP / Lionel Cironneau)
Share
KUALA LUMPUR -

Marine biologists are investigating a mystery skin disease afflicting whitetip reef sharks in Malaysia, with some early reports suggesting rising sea temperatures could be to blame.

Named for the distinctive white tips on their fins, whitetip reef sharks are typically found resting in schools around reefs in the day and are a popular attraction for divers. They become active at night to hunt for small fish and other animals.

Pictures of one of the sharks with what appeared to be spots and lesions on its head went viral on social media in April after being taken by an underwater photographer off Sabah state on Borneo island.

Soon after, divers at Sipadan island, a famed diving destination nearby, and a team of experts from the state's university and government and conservation groups began seeing the skin disease in every group of sharks they encountered.

Attempting to diagnose what could be causing the illness, the team found the sea surface temperature at Sipadan had risen to 29.5 degrees Celsius in May, a degree higher than in 1985.

"We can almost certainly pin the warming ocean as having a role in what we are seeing with the sickly sharks in Sipadan," said Davies Austin Spiji, a senior marine biologist with non-profit conservation group Reef Guardian, ruling out human factors as Sipadan is a marine protected area where fishing is strictly prohibited, and there are no settlements or industries nearby.

The reported sightings coincide with reports of coral bleaching in the area, according to Mohamed Shariff Mohamed Din, a professor in aquatic veterinary studies with Universiti Putra Malaysia.

"We cannot ignore that changes are happening there due to higher temperatures," Mohamed Shariff said.

A full scientific study is yet to be done, however.

In May, the research team tried but failed to capture some of the sharks to secure samples for testing, said Mabel Manjaji-Matsumoto, a senior lecturer with the Borneo Marine Research Institute of Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

"If we can get shark specimens, we will surely at least be able to find out the pathogenic cause of the lesions," Manjaji-Matsumoto said, adding that the team plans to make another attempt in July.

(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Karishma Singh)

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

Local Spotlight

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.