Scientists consider great white sharks could also be breeding within the Mediterranean after a juvenile was found by fishermen off the eastern coast of Spain.
The creature, which was about 210cm long and weighed between 12st 8lb and 14st 2lb (80kg to 90kg) was by chance captured in April 2023.
Breeding populations of great whites were thought to have disappeared from the Mediterranean a while ago, so the invention of a young shark led scientists to analyze.
They concluded that while the species stays a so-called “ghost” population within the region, it has not disappeared altogether.
Lead researcher Dr José Carlos Báez, said: ‘Determining the presence of juvenile individuals is of particular importance.
‘The occurrence of juvenile specimens raises the query whether energetic reproduction could also be occurring within the region.’
Great white sharks gained notoriety in popular culture after Steven Spielberg’s classic Jaws broke box office records in 1975.
They’re mostly found off the coasts of Australia, South Africa and off the west coast of the US. Sightings within the Mediterranean are rare.
Dr Báez and his team examined records dating from 1862 to 2023 to grasp the species’ history and habits inside the region.
‘The foremost idea I need to convey to the general public is that these large marine animals have a fundamental role in marine ecosystems,’ Dr Báez said.
‘As highly migratory pelagic species, they redistribute energy and nutrients across vast distances. They function nature’s scavengers – by consuming carrion, they keep ecosystems clean.
‘Even in death, their descent to the seafloor provides a critical pulse of nourishment for deep-sea communities.’
Great whites are listed as a vulnerable species and their numbers proceed to say no.
Scientists involved within the study stressed that long-term monitoring programmes are essential to understanding the biology of great white sharks within the Mediterranean.
They said combining occasional sightings with modern tracking techniques could help develop effective conservation strategies for the apex predator.
The team’s findings have been published within the open-access journal Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria.
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