Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Land Sharks!!! Thankfully No...


Sharks are often mistakenly labeled as man-eaters, something they actually rarely indulge in. But one thing sharks aren't called is bird eaters...however, in many cases, that seems to be a more accurate label. Many land-based birds are being found in the stomachs of sharks, though "how" was a big question. Is it some horrific real-life "Street Shark" experiment gone wrong? Are humans next on the menu?
One advocacy group believes they found the answer. They believe that migrating birds mistake the lights of oil platforms for the stars by which they navigate. Confused, they circle or land on the platforms, realize there's no food or water, and if they stay too long, become to weak to make it to land, causing them to fall into the water. The problem actually has a pretty easy fix...just change the color of the lights...but I do find it interesting how drastic the unintended side-effects can be from such a tiny (in our minds) change.

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