It is a complex and delicate problem. Some German researchers gave the news. They examined shark teeth in different oceanic acidification scenarios. They proved that the acidity of the oceans causes more fragile and weak teeth. Sharks would run out of teeth in the future.
Sharks are famous for their ability to replace their teeth. They grow new as the current ones exhaust. It is vital for its survival. But acid oceans would complicate this, according to Frontiers research. "Shark teeth are vulnerable to corrosion in future oceanic acidification scenarios." This was stated by Maximilian Baum, Biologist of the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf (HHU). "Our results demonstrate how vulnerable the most sharp weapons of nature can be."
Losing the teeth
Ocean acidification is a process during which the ocean pH constantly decreases, resulting in more acidic waters. This is mainly due to the release of CO2 generated by the human being. Currently, the average pH of the oceans of the world is 8.1. It is expected that in 2300 it will go to 7.3. This would do it 10 times more acidic than it is currently.
More than 600 discarded teeth were used from an aquarium that housed sharks. The teeth were incubated for eight weeks in separate tanks. The most acidic exposed teeth suffered significantly higher damage.
In living sharks, the situation could be more complex. They could remineralize or replace damaged teeth faster. But the energy cost of this would probably be greater in acidified waters. Black tips sharks should swim with their mouths permanently to breathe. Your teeth are constantly exposed to water. If the water is too acidic, the teeth are automatically damaged.
Losing the teeth
Sharks would run out of teeth if everything continues as it is. «Even moderate descents of pH could affect more sensitive species with slow dental replication cycles. We have to keep the ocean pH near the current average of 8.1. It is crucial for the physical integrity of the tools of the predators ».
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