Dead California sharks suffered from internal bleeding

By Bonnie Eslinger, Daily News Staff Writer
12 May 2011 Officials have completed a necropsy on one of the dozens of leopard sharks found dead in Redwood Shores last month but aren’t any closer to pinpointing the cause of the sudden die-off. The necropsy performed by a California Department of Fish and Game pathologist found “inflammation, bleeding, and lesions in the brain, and hemorrhaging from the skin near vents.” Bleeding was also detected around the female shark’s internal organs. Additional tests, such as a bacterial study and microscopic tissue analysis, may provide an answer, according to a statement released by Redwood City. Results could be available by the end of the week. “The … pathologist is not drawing any conclusions until more examinations and all tests are performed,” the statement said. About 50 leopard sharks have been found dead in Redwood Shores since mid-April, according to the city. Hundreds of the creatures have washed up on the shores of other Bay Area communities in recent weeks, said Sean Van Sommeran, executive director of the Santa Cruz-based Pelagic Shark Research Foundation. They have been reported in Foster City, Tiburon and as far north as Marin, but the highest concentration has been in the waterways of Redwood City. “I suspect we’re only seeing a tiny fraction of what’s going on,” he said. …

Dead sharks found in Redwood Shores were suffering from internal bleeding, necropsy shows