Photo: John M Lund Photography Inc / DigitalVision / Getty Images
(Miami, FL) - Researchers at the University of Delaware and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA) are tagging blue and mako sharks with sensors that collect vital information about storm conditions in the Atlantic Ocean.
Using sharks to collect real-time information about ocean temperature, salinity levels, and current directions helps NOAA predict the trajectory and power of the Atlantic hurricanes.
"By attaching these tags to sharks, which are wide-ranging mobile predators, we will be able to observe a much larger part of the ocean that typically remains unobserved," said marine ecologist Aaron Carlisle of the University of Delaware.
Sharks typically lurk around surface waters at a depth of 330 to 1,150 feet. Carlisle says the sensors transmit data that is downloaded as the sharks near the ocean's surface.
He says researchers are still working out bugs and are limited in the number of tags that can be deployed.
Prior to using tagged sharks, NOAA deployed gliders to the continental shelf to collect crucial data but that was slow and expensive to maintain.
Researchers say the tagged sharks are capable of gathering that information more efficiently. When the dorsal fin breaks the surface, Carlisle says the data is transmitted to a satellite tracking the shark and then it's downloaded to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
In addition, a solar-powered drone will monitor shark activity off the Southern California coast during the 2028 Olympics.
The drone is being developed by scientists at the Cal State Long Beach shark lab. Several Olympic events will be taking place in the ocean, including surfing and some swimming competitions, making safety more important.
The autonomous vessel is about ten feet long with the width of a paddle board.
Technology onboard will be able to scan for tagged sharks below the surface of the water. It will be able to send real-time shark alerts to lifeguards.