sharks: more journalistic bad faith

i was trying to wind down, get to bed, and one of the last things i wanted to check up on was the story about the hybrid shark species found down australia way, you know -- the one that prompted my weirdness with an evolutionary theme the other day.

sad to say, there has been a great deal written, most of it dealing with the journalist author, one amy coopes.  she apparently has something of a reputation for championing causes perceived as liberal and saw this story as a willing vehicle to transport a little heavy-handed global warming propaganda.

as if reality did not offer enough?

she misquoted lead researcher jess morgan who is adamant about not having attributed to climate change the very real expansion of the shark's oceanic range toward more temperate waters.

here is an explanatory blog post from the daily telegraph's tim blair:

Readers may recall Amy Coopes, the AFP reporter who really hates certain conservative politicians. Well, it turns out that Amy was a significant source for this week’s awesome story on theAustralian climate change sharks: 

World-first hybrid shark found off Australia

By Amy Coopes (AFP)

SYDNEY — Scientists said on Tuesday that they had discovered the world’s first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, a potential sign the predators were adapting to cope with climate change. 

Her story cited University of Queensland researcher Jess Morgan, whose views were subsequently expressed as follows by Business Insider, drawing from Coopes’s AFP piece: 

According to lead researcher Jess Morgan, the hybridization might be a sign that the animals are adapting to rising temperature levels as a result of climate change. 

But there’s a small problem. Researcher Morgan claims to have been misquoted: 

Quote not correct – I have now stated numerous times that it is extremely unlikely that climate change caused the hybridization event – however, the hybrid-Australian blacktips are now being seen further south of their known range (Australain blacktips have a tropical distribution) in cooler waters suggesting that the hybrids may have a wider temperature tolerance than their parents (ie the hybrids may be better adapted to handle changing water temperatures). 

As Anthony Watts reports, Business Insider has since changed its story – but not before the fable of the Great Warming Shark gained currency worldwide. And once you’ve got warmy sharks, you know what happens next: