Stress may have caused leopard shark pup deaths near Torrey Pines, expert says

Chris Lowe, director of CSULB's Shark Lab, told NBC San Diego that stress may explain why several dead leopard shark pups were found along a coastal trail near Torrey Pines. Female leopard sharks typically come close to shore to give live birth, but they can spontaneously abort their young when stressed. Lowe suggested that an angler may have caught a pregnant female and, while carrying it up the trail, the shark aborted its pups. The story also appeared in KCRA Sacramento, KNBC San Francisco, KSBY San Luis Obispo and several other media outlets.