Sharks Geared With Improved Smart Sensors, Cameras For Better Monitoring

Scientists are linking improved sensors and cameras to white sharks off the Cape Cod coast. These efforts are done to monitor the sharks' locations and keep beachgoers safe and wary.

Improved Sensors Attached to Sharks Off Cape Cod Coast

According to Yahoo! News, the program follows the influx of tourists in rental areas and hotels on the Cape over the summer and the return of white sharks to feed on the many seals filling the region.

While shark-human interactions are rare, there is still an undeniable and pressing risk. According to Fox News, there have been five reported cases in Massachusetts since 2012. Three of these were bite cases, with one being fatal.

Greg Skomal, a shark expert from the state Division of Marine Fisheries, explains that because of this, they have strengthened their research in the area to know more about the behavior of white sharks.

For over ten years, roughly 300 sharks have been tagged by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy with acoustic sensors. These sensors release high-frequency sounds to recipients off the coast. Lifeguards and public safety officers get notified when sharks enter the acoustic sensor's range.

Now, scientists are linking even more camera sensors to these sharks. Such sensors do not just snap video footage; they can also pick up the direction, depth, surrounding water temperature, and acceleration of the sharks. This enables scientists to track sharks every second.

Staff scientist Megan Winton from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy explains that it is like giving smartphones to these creatures.

The information generated is then downloaded to a free app that the public can access. This comes with the hope that beachgoer safety gets promoted and encounters get reduced.

The technology has also granted insight regarding the sharks' curiosity. These creatures have been observed to rise to the surface to check on birds, flotsam, or a lobster.

Skomal also adds that researchers have started utilizing drones to find sharks from an aerial perspective. This technique has been employed in other regions across the world, such as Australia.

The technology's drawback, however, is that a shark that is not tagged does not get detected. Nevertheless, the program is doing its best to offer data to the public in order to facilitate more informed decision-making.

Shark Attacks on Humans

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, only roughly a dozen out of over 300 shark species have been involved in human attacks. Humans are not included in the typical diet of sharks due to how the latter evolved millions of years before the existence of humans.

These opportunistic feeders tend to feed on smaller invertebrates and fish. Some of the bigger ones feed on sea lions, seals, and other mammals of the sea.

They are known to attack humans out of curiosity or confusion. When they spot humans splashing in the sea, the creature could try to investigate and accidentally attack.

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