Aug 5, 2024 - News

Two shark species found in the Sound for first time

Christine Clarridge

A shark is seen in the water with a line in its mouth. — Researchers at Oregon State University have for the first time documented the presence of the soupfin shark in South Puget Sound. Photo: Dayv Lowry/Courtesy of Oregon State University

Two species of sharks have been found in Puget Sound for the first time, according to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon State University researchers.

Why it matters: The recent confirmation of broadnose sevengill sharks and an endangered soupfin shark near Olympia could signal how climate change is altering the inland waterway, per OSU's Big Fish Lab.

What they're saying: "Two sharks where we would not expect them to be is an exciting discovery," WDFW spokesperson Chase Gunnell told Axios.

The intrigue: Warming ocean temperatures may have led to a rise in the Salish Sea anchovy population — a primary food for soupfin sharks, per OSU.

What they did: Over 10 days of field work in 2022 and 2023, researchers caught nine sevengills more than 190 miles farther south than their previously documented range in the Salish Sea and one critically endangered soupfin shark, according to OSU.

The research was published in Frontiers in Marine Science in June and July.

Threat level: Neither species is considered a danger to people, as both swim in deep water and "are much more interested in small fish, octopus and squid," said Gunnell.

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Two shark species found in the Sound for first time

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