The Sharktivity app, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent are this summer’s should beach essentials along the East Coast of the United States. Experts believe that conservation successes for fragile species may be to blame, while climate change may also play a role as the apex species’ prey migrate to new waters. Do you want to know why shark encounters are increasing on the east coast? You can read it here:
From June to August and September to October, the number of great white sharks migrates northward from the Atlantic Ocean to New England. State of Massachusetts senior fisheries scientist Gregory Skomal tells AFP that the recent increase in population is a result of fish populations rebuilding due to the state’s protection efforts.
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More than 300 of the world’s largest known fish have been tagged over the years, with about a hundred traveling through Cape Cod’s waters each year. Jaws” was filmed in this area, and the animals are a significant tourist attraction, with t-shirts and baseball caps bearing their likeness.
On the other hand, beach closures have already been put in place this year after verifiable sightings. Because their primary prey, seals, have rebounded due to enhanced safeguards, this is a crucial factor. Cape Cod is a popular tourist destination thanks to the appearance of sharks in the film Jaws.
When more sharks are feeding close to land and more people are swimming, the risk of encounters like this grows, Skomal explained.
Introducing the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. Massachusetts wildlife officials helped build the Sharktivity app, which provides information on shark attacks from researchers, safety agencies, and the public.
Patrols of surveillance
Additional patrols using drones and helicopters have just been announced by the governor of New York State. After three years without a single shark bite on Long Island’s tourist beaches, half a dozen have already been reported.
If a great white shark attacks, it is more likely to be attacked by a tiger shark or bull shark than it is to be attacked by one of the other species that inhabit the area. Great white sharks, the seals’ natural predators, are making a comeback in the waters off Cape Cod.
Menhaden, also known as bunker or porgie, may be responsible for an increase in the number of shark encounters in this area, says Nick Whitney, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium.
Remember, please use the @sharktivity app to report your shark sightings!#CitizenScience @A_WhiteShark @CenterOceanLife @NEAQ @MassDFG https://t.co/7VudUC116F
— MA Sharks 🦈 (@MA_Sharks) May 30, 2022
Cleaner waters off the coast of New York and New Jersey may have something to do with it, but “it’s tough to figure out how much of it is rising populations or just populations shifting around as a result of changing ocean conditions due to climate change.”
According to Gavin Naylor, the director of a study program on sharks at the University of Florida’s College of Biological Sciences, things can fluctuate dramatically from year to year on a local level. However, the global level remains constant at roughly 75 shark attacks recorded each year.
During the first two years of the COVID-19 epidemic, the number of cases dropped to roughly 60. Around five people die each year in the world. As of 2018, there have only been two deaths in the US north of Delaware in the past twenty years; the first was Cape Cod and the second was Maine.
However, it is reasonable to expect that the number of deaths will grow in the future. “There will be more deaths. Because there are more white sharks around, the chances of encountering one are rising “Even if the trend isn’t yet statistically significant, Naylor expects it to continue.
In 2021, half of all unprovoked attacks were committed by surfers who ventured further into the water. Florida, with its many tourist beaches and tropical environment further south, is still the site of 60% of US attacks and 40% of global attacks.
Take Precautions
When it comes to sharks, they’re not as scary as they’re made out to be. In particular white sharks, whose vision is notoriously poor, studies have revealed that they are capable of mistaking surfers or swimmers for their typical prey.
“With so many people on a global scale in the sea, if sharks liked to feed and prey upon humans, we would’ve had tens of thousands of attacks each year,” Skomal explained.
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Sharks will be able to stay in the northern United States longer as ocean temperatures rise due to climate change, according to an expert. So, what can be done to keep the dangers to an absolute minimum? To keep track of shark sightings, the Sharktivity app should be downloaded.
Whitney advised folks to be careful of their surroundings. Check out the area to see if there are birds flying about schools of baitfish. The main danger of being bitten is bleeding out, therefore it’s crucial to get to shore and contain the bleeding until aid arrives if you’re swimming alone.
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