Greenland sharks are the longest-living vertebrates known to science, with some surviving for as long as 400 years. New research led by University of California, Irvine associate professor Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk suggests their eyes may also remain functional far longer than scientists expected, according to ScienceDaily.
For years, researchers believed the sharks might be functionally blind because they live in dark Arctic waters and often have parasites attached to their eyes. But after studying preserved shark eyes collected between 2020 and 2024 near the University of Copenhagen's Arctic Station in Greenland, the team found no signs of retinal cell death.
The study, published in Nature Communications, also found that rhodopsin, a protein needed for vision in dim light, was still active in the retina. The protein appeared tuned to blue light, which may help the sharks see in the low-light conditions deep below Arctic waters.
The findings suggest Greenland sharks may have a DNA repair system that helps protect their vision over centuries. Researchers say the work could offer new clues for understanding aging and may eventually inform studies of eye diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma.
