Eli5: How do open wounds heal underwater?

Question

I just saw a video of a shark with a massive injury and it seems to be healing. I don’t understand how it’s not bleeding.

In: 15

Answer 1

The stuff that makes scabs and heals wounds is gooey and hard to wash away. Sort of sticky like melted snot. On land, the snot crusts over and the healing takes place underneath, but the crusty scab hinders healing. In water, that gooey stuff doesn’t crust over and the whole wound if full of scab slime that is free to heal the whole wound and not just the part below the scab.

Like people with severe burns. They need to keep the wound wrapped with salves to keep the wound fresh and stop it scabbing over to prevent severe scarring.