Atlantic Shark Institute announces 'significant milestone:' Tagging 30th great white shark

The Atlantic Shark Institute of Wakefield says it has "achieved a significant milestone" in tagging its 30th great white shark as it researches shark movement and behavior off Rhode Island and beyond.

“When we started this project, we hoped we would be able to capture and tag 10 white sharksto shed more light on white shark activity here in (Rhode Island) and surrounding waters,” JonDodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute, said in a news release announcing the 30th tagging.

“To reach 30 white sharks tagged, this quickly, simply increases the likelihood of answering questions about how white sharks use" Rhode Island waters, said Dodd, whose institute tagged its first great white shark in 2021.

The Atlantic Shark Institute and more than 30 collaborators track white sharks using a combination of conventional tags, acoustic and satellite tags and acoustic receivers, according to Dodd.

The tags and monitoring systems enable researchers to determine, among other things, where the sharks are, how long they spend in an area and which other species they come into contact with, Dodd said.

Sharks typically head to warmer waters for the winter. The 30th shark was tagged by an Atlantic Shark Institute research partner off the Carolinas about 10 days ago, Dodd said.

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"The white sharks like the water temperature and the food sources off the Carolinas this time of year, so it’s an area we focus on in the winter months," Dodd said.

What they hope to learn from tagging sharks

Shark research is important, Dodd said, and there is "still a lot" to learn about white sharks, especially younger sharks. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Dodd said, the white shark is considered vulnerable to extinction worldwide and their population is declining.

“Shark lovers around the world all hope to avoid the species’ elevation to the IUCN’s next designation: endangered,” he said.

Josh Moyer, resident research scientist for the Atlantic Shark Institute, said, "People are often surprised to learn that a female white shark may not reach maturity until she’s in her 30s. That’s three decades that she’s not reproducing and replenishing the stock, and when she does, she only has between two and twelve pups per litter."

"That means that the species is slow to rebound in the face of fishing pressure," Moyer said. "It also means that determining where juvenile white sharks spend their time, find food and avoid predators is key to responsibly managing the species and ensuring its longevity."

It's illegal to fish for great white sharks in U.S. waters, but they are sometimes caught accidentally, and they are sometimes targeted by poachers.

With the water warming, sharks will soon return to Rhode Island waters, and Dodd says his team will be ready.

"We are wrapping up data-analysis season, and field season is almost here," Dodd said. "In one way, it’s likethe holidays for shark researchers. We love to be on the water. In another way, it can be themost grueling period of long, salty days waiting to encounter a shark."