Stress may have caused leopard shark pup deaths near Torrey Pines, expert says

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Shark Lab Beach Safety Team
ºÚÁÏÍø Shark Lab Safety Team

Chris Lowe, director of ºÚÁÏÍø's Shark Lab, told that stress may explain why several dead leopard shark pups were found along a coastal trail near Torrey Pines. Female leopard sharks typically come close to shore to give live birth, but they can spontaneously abort their young when stressed. Lowe suggested that an angler may have caught a pregnant female and, while carrying it up the trail, the shark aborted its pups. The story also appeared in , , and several other media outlets.

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Professor Chris Lowe
Professor Chris Lowe