The secrets of Salish Sea’s sixgill sharks

Scientists studying bluntnose sixgill sharks in the Salish Sea have discovered that the region is one of the world’s few known breeding and rearing grounds for the species. A genetic analysis of 274 tissue samples collected over 16 years by researchers from NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife revealed that females mate with multiple males and that family groups return to Puget Sound across generations, highlighting the Salish Sea’s importance as a productive ecosystem that connects offshore and nearshore food webs.