Do sharks travel up the Mississippi river?


Do sharks travel up the Mississippi river? It is very possible that bull sharks are quite capable of traveling between saltwater and freshwater environments without alerting us to their presence, and that they have been doing so for a very long time. A recent study officially confirms that bull sharks travel more than 1,000 miles up the Mississippi River.


Is the Mississippi river a dead zone?

The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is an area of hypoxic (link to USGS definition) (less than 2 ppm dissolved oxygen) waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Its area varies in size, but can cover up to 6,000-7,000 square miles.


Which rivers have sharks?

Unlike most sharks, bull sharks can survive in freshwater for long periods of time. They have even been found in the Mississippi and Amazon Rivers. They prefer shallow coastal water, which means they can often come into contact with humans.


Has a bull shark ever been found in a lake?

The bull shark is commonly found worldwide in coastal areas of warm oceans, in rivers and lakes, and occasionally salt and freshwater streams if they are deep enough.


What kind of sharks are in the Mississippi River?

Common Sharks in Mississippi Waters
  • Bull Shark. Carcharhinus leucas.
  • Blacktip Shark. Carcharhinus limbatus.
  • Spinner Shark. Carcharhinus brevipinna.
  • Atlantic Sharpnose Shark. Rhizoprionodon terraenovae.


Are there any lakes with sharks?

These are some of the lakes that sharks live in: Lake Nicaragua in Nicaragua. Carbrook Golf Club in Queensland, Australia. Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana.


Do sharks swim up the Mississippi River?

Bull sharks are euryhaline and can thrive in both salt and fresh water. They are known to travel far up rivers, and have been known to travel up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Illinois, about 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) from the ocean, but few freshwater interactions with humans have been recorded.


What is the number 1 beach for shark attacks?

New Smyrna Beach, Florida New Smyrna Beach has seen more shark attacks than any other beach in the United States.


Could a bull shark live in the Great Lakes?

But Bull Sharks are able to recycle salt in their kidneys, maintaining salt levels critical to its survival. Yet even the Bull Shark would not be able to make its way into the Great Lakes watershed and survive! The water temperature in the Great Lakes is far too cold for most sharks (including the Bull Shark).


Are there alligators in the Great Lakes?

Alligators are rarely found in the Great Lakes. Although some alligators thrive in freshwater, it's just too cold in the north for them to survive. They don't typically live farther north than North Carolina. It's unclear how the alligator arrived to Lake Michigan.