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Science 7 October 2005:
Vol. 310. no. 5745, pp. 104 - 106
DOI: 10.1126/science.1114616
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Reports

Satellite Tagging and Cardiac Physiology Reveal Niche Expansion in Salmon Sharks

Kevin C. Weng,1 Pedro C. Castilho,1 Jeffery M. Morrissette,1 Ana M. Landeira-Fernandez,1* David B. Holts,2 Robert J. Schallert,3 Kenneth J. Goldman,4 Barbara A. Block1{dagger}

Shark populations are declining globally, yet the movements and habitats of most species are unknown. We used a satellite tag attached to the dorsal fin to track salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) for up to 3.2 years. Here we show that salmon sharks have a subarctic-to-subtropical niche, ranging from 2° to 24°C, and they spend winter periods in waters as cold as 2° to 8°C. Functional assays and protein gels reveal that the expression of excitation-contraction coupling proteins is enhanced in salmon shark hearts, which may underlie the shark's ability to maintain heart function at cold temperatures and their niche expansion into subarctic seas.

1 Tuna Research and Conservation Center, Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, 120 Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA.
2 National Marine Fisheries Service, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
3 Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, USA.
4 Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 3298 Douglas Place, Homer, AK 99603, USA.

* Present address: Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

{dagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bblock{at}stanford.edu

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