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Increasing spells of warm weather could bring 10 new species of sharks to the UK within 30 years, scientists have said.

The average temperature in the UK is expected to rise due to climate change attracting species from areas like the Mediterranean and the African coast.

The UK already has 40 species of shark but experts say our waters could be home to a lot more by 2050

According to the research commissioned to mark Nat Geo WILD’s week-long “Sharkfest” of TV programming this week, the famous Hammerhead Shark, the the Goblin Shark and the Tiger Shark are all among the new types of species that could swim into UK waters.

Dr Ken Collins, from the University of Southampton, based at the National Oceanography Centre, and former administrator of the UK shark tagging programme produced the research.

He told ITV news: “It’s likely we will be seeing more sharks spread from warmer regions such as the Mediterranean Sea towards our waters in the UK over the next 30 years.

“These include the likes of blacktips, sand tigers and hammerheads, which are currently found swimming off the coasts of Spain and Portugal.”

He added: “Though while the potential number of shark species around the UK may increase in the next few decades, the overall number of sharks, especially the larger ones, will fall as a result of over-fishing, plastic waste and climate change.

“It’s really important we work together to prevent a premature extinction of these wonderful creatures.”

He also warned of the potential of Great White sharks moving into British waters as they are currently found in the colder waters of South Africa and favoured eating seals found in Cornwall.

A polling of 2,000 British adults surveyed for Nat Geo WILD found that four in ten people are afraid of sharks while swimming in the sea.

The full list of the 10 new species include:

The Hammerhead- The Hammerhead Shark is known for its famous snout that resembles a hammer. It has evolved to become an expert hunter with circular vision, wide set eyes and pores that can detect electric signals.

Blacktip Shark- The Blacktip Shark gained its name from its black fin. Although it is not dangerous to humans it is a fierce hunter of the ocean diving at fish shoals from underneath.

Spotted Raggedtooth Shark- Despite their terrifying name, these sharks are fairly sociable creatures and tolerant of humans.

Bigeye Thresher- Bigeye Thresher Sharks have elongated fins which they use to stun fish. They are usually found swimming in the open ocean.

Longfin Mako Shark- Little is known about these sharks but that they lurk in the depths of the ocean. They are among the fastest of their species and can be found in the open sea.

Bronze Whaler: Also known as copper sharks, these big fish are 3.3 metres long and hunt in groups of up to 100. Their name comes from the Greek translation of sharp nose and their backs are bronze in colour.

Oceanic Whitetip Shark: These sharks have been known to feast on shipwreck survivors and live out in the open water where food is scarce. It is believed that survivors from the USS Indianapolis, which was torpedoed in WW2 were eaten by these sharks.

Silky Shark- This shark is named for its smooth skin. It is one of the species of shark with the biggest population in the ocean. However its numbers have been dwindling recently due to overfishing.

Dusky Shark- The number of Dusky sharks in the ocean are also depleting due to over fishing. These sharks live longer than most with an average life span of 50 years. But, their life cycle is also long which means they cannot replenish their numbers once they diminish.

The Goblin Shark- This shark gets its name from its elongated snout and translucent skin. It is known to be a fearsome predator of the ocean due to its dislocating jaw which extends by up to 3.1 metres per second.