We’re smack dab in the middle of our theme week on Stories You Might Have Missed in 2024. Last year, scientists made a major discovery about how Greenland sharks live so long. Greenland sharks live deep in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. They have the longest lifespan of any known vertebrate, estimated to be between 250 and 500 years! Scientists have been trying to understand how these sharks live so long, and in July 2024, researchers discovered that their metabolism is likely the reason. They studied 23 Greenland sharks from 60 to 200 years old and found that there were no differences in enzyme function between the sharks of different ages. That implies that Greenland sharks don’t age the same way as other species and suggests their metabolism doesn’t slow down over time, likely contributing to their longevity.
Greenland sharks are also some of the largest sharks in the ocean. The largest confirmed specimen was 21 feet long and weighed more than 2,200 pounds! They grow very slowly, at an average of 1/4 inch a year. Because they live in such cold waters and have such a low metabolism, Greenland sharks are sluggish and slow-moving, with the lowest swim speed for their size across all fish species. Learn more in the audio below!