Researchers Catch Arctic Shark Off Florida Coast
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) - Researchers at Florida State University made quite the unusual catch in the Gulf of Mexico recently.
The team of researchers caught a cold-water shark typically found in Arctic waters. The animal is known as a Greenland shark and it the first documented catch of one in the Gulf of Mexico.
Grubbs led a research mission to study deep sea marine life and examine the animals for toxins released during the 2010 oil spill. The scientists caught 31 species of bony fish and 13 shark species, including the 12-foot-long Greenland shark.
In a statement Thursday, Grubbs said that while Greenland sharks do travel south of the Arctic, no one knows how far.
The shark was caught on a baited line nearly 6,000 feet deep and 15 miles from the site of the Deepwater Horizon blowout.
