How an Israeli power plant provides a safe haven for sharks
Hundreds of sharks head to Israel's Mediterranean coast every winter because the Hadera plant pumps hot water into the sea
While some may shy away from Israel for political reasons, scientists are learning how the Hadera power plant on the Mediterranean coast has the opposite effect on some of the sea’s most intimidating creatures – sharks.
It seems that Sandbar and Dusky Sharks don’t mind what goes on above the surface, because the plant pumps clean hot water back into the Med making it ten degrees warmer than the rest of the sea, which they don’t mind at all.
Expert say the warm water stimulates sharks’ metabolisms, improves their breathing cycles and even facilitates their pregnancies, prompting scientists to look more closely at the ‘Hadera Effect’ and collect data.
Aviad Scheinin, manager of the top predator project at the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, established by the University of Haifa, said hundreds of sharks now head there every winter, which makes it “a legitimate and rare phenomenon”.
He said: “The paradox we see here is that this is not a natural environment … and you cannot see it anywhere else in the vicinity. This phenomenon is influenced and created by man, both with the power plant and the sea’s increasingly warm water.”
Alen Soldo of the Swiss-based Shark Specialist Group at the International Union for Conservation of Nature said: “The spectacle is logical, but still very mysterious. We know sharks love this water, and we can hypothesise, but we can’t say with certainty exactly why.”
Hadera is not unique in the Med – sharks gather at coral reefs near Beirut, perhaps driven by salinity and temperature levels – but new species are now starting to appear in the steadily warming sea, heated by climate change and Red Sea waters following the recent expansion of the Suez Canal.
“The winters are not as cold as they used to be here, and they are no longer a limiting factor for sharks,” said Scheinin. “Many new shark species are coming to the eastern Mediterranean from colder areas and establishing populations.”
With plans already afoot to build an observation and learning centre for tourists, he said Hadera could “help us assess what will happen to different species when waters elsewhere reach the temperatures we have here now”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
