>>EWAT 7 TO AGE AND CLU COULD BE HIDING RIGHT BENEAT YOUR FEET. DING RIGHT BENEAT LOCALCITISTS ARE USG THESFOILS FOUNIN TH GULF TLEARN MORE ABOUT ANS TH MAY HAVE LIVED HERE MILOFYEARAGO. >> IN TOGHT’S COVER STORY, GULF COAST NEWSCH CHRIS T SOTO DIVES INTO WHAT THESE DISCOVIES REVEAL ABOUT THE EAH’S PAST AND WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR SHORELIN >> IT’S SRET VENICE’S E SHARK TOOTH CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.T WHAT LIES BEATH E SAND? JUST A UPLE MILES OFF E COAST IS A STORY BOOK DATG BACK MILLIONS OF ARS. >> WITN THESE WARS IS A STY CREARES WHO ONCE ROAMEDURRLD FROM TH75 FOOT MEGALOD TO THGIANT WIING MAMAUS THEIR REMAINS ARE BURIED RIGHT OFF E GULF COAST. FG PROFESSOR HERRING FINDS YOU’REHOLDING ECE ING HISTORY INOUHAS. REMA OM AN EXTINCT ANIMAL. MA CASES MILLIONS OF YEARS OLD. >>OU’RE THE FIRST PERSON MAY SAYS THE THRILL ISN’T JUST IN. THE BIG DISCOVERIES HAVE TO BE REALBIG TO BE SIGFICANT. CLD BE SOMETNG LATIVE SMALL. STILL TELL US A LOT ABOUT. >> SEAEVEL CHANGE IN TEMPERATURYO ON MON SHARK BULL SHARWE VE >> EXTINCTPECI LIKE THIS NOVEL TO HERE AND MAYBE 15 O SPEES ARE REPRESENTED HERE. >> THE BK OF E OTHER SPECIES ARE ALL SOSMALL. VE TO GO INDE E LAB IN UNDER A MICROSPETOLEARN MORE. CASEE A SHARP TEET IN A STING, RIGHT? HE’S RIGHT IN THE CENTER HERE. >> AS A DEIGHT TNG, FALCON FOR ANYTHINGHAT STANDS OUT, ANYTHING THAT’S DIFFERENT. >> SOME THE ALL TEETH TH WERE EITHERIRST REPORTS FR FLORIDA OR VERY COMMON FINES FROM FLORIDA WEREOUND RIGHT HERE IIS LAB. ESE ARE. >> AND KYRA SKIPD OVER AND MISSEDAND TH DO TELL US A LOT ABOUT WHAT OUR PASSES RIGHT IN FLORIDA. >> IS IN THESE MICROFSILS THMAS DISCOVER SHARK AN RAY SPECIES THAT HAVE NER BEEN RECORDED IN FLORIDA. HIS FINDINGS ARE THE MOST DIVERSE LLECTION REPORTED IN OUR ATE OF THE 45 SPECIEOF SHARKS AND RAYS THAT I DOCUMENTED. 8 OF THEM AR GLOBALLY EXTINCMAY SAYS TO UNDERSTAND OUR ROLE. NOW WE NEED TO UNCOVER R PASTIT CAN TELLS A LOT ABOUT THE ANCIENVIRONMENT, WATER MPERATURE, SEA LEVEL TI. I CAN TELL US ABT ECOSYSTEMS, WHAT SORT ECIES OFHARKS AND RAYS AND ANOTHER ANIMALS FOR PRESENT. YOU KNOW WHA WHAT WATHE FOOD? LIKE BACK? >> 15 LLION G THE OPEN WATER IS LIKE AN OPEN WITH PAGES. WE HAVEN READ IT IT’S. >> INCREDIBLE. ING ON T BEH THINKINGS HUNDREDS 0’S MICROFOSSILSIN EVERY ST YOU TAKE ON THE BEACH. >>T’STILL PLENTY MORE COME. >>ND SO MUCMO TO AS CH GRAIN SAND CARRIES A ORY SHAPE BY TIME. REPORTING IN VENICE FOR LF COAST NEW I’M CHRIY FASCINATI. ANK CHRISTINE. IF YOU NT TO CHECK OUT THE NEWLY DISCOVERED FOSSILS, THEYWILL EVENTUALLY BE DISPLAY AT E ORIDA MUUM OF NATU
Paleontologist uncovers a lost world beneath Florida’s Gulf Coast
Updated: 9:32 PM EST Nov 17, 2025
Dr. Harry Maisch, a paleontologist at Florida Gulf Coast University, has made a groundbreaking discovery: several shark and ray species in fossil form —never before recorded in Florida. Just off Venice’s coast, beneath the Gulf waters, fossils of ancient creatures lie buried in the sand. These aren’t just the big, famous ones, like megalodon teeth, but tiny microfossils, too. Maisch and his team collected sediment from the seafloor. In samples that measure less than a centimeter, they found micro teeth from species previously unknown in that area. “Fossils don’t have to be huge to be important,” Maisch said.The new finds help scientists reconstruct ancient sea levels, water temperatures, and ecosystems from millions of years ago.Some of the species he identified are globally extinct, and the discovery marks the most diverse fossil shark-and-ray community ever documented in Florida. For Maisch, the work is more than just science, it’s about piecing together the story of our planet.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
VENICE, Fla. —
Dr. Harry Maisch, a paleontologist at Florida Gulf Coast University, has made a groundbreaking discovery: several shark and ray species in fossil form —never before recorded in Florida.
Just off Venice’s coast, beneath the Gulf waters, fossils of ancient creatures lie buried in the sand. These aren’t just the big, famous ones, like megalodon teeth, but tiny microfossils, too.
Maisch and his team collected sediment from the seafloor. In samples that measure less than a centimeter, they found micro teeth from species previously unknown in that area.
“Fossils don’t have to be huge to be important,” Maisch said.
The new finds help scientists reconstruct ancient sea levels, water temperatures, and ecosystems from millions of years ago.
Some of the species he identified are globally extinct, and the discovery marks the most diverse fossil shark-and-ray community ever documented in Florida.
For Maisch, the work is more than just science, it’s about piecing together the story of our planet.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.