A brand new inhabitants research of nice white sharks off Cape Cod exhibits that the area is likely one of the largest white shark hotspots on the earth, because the apex predators flock to the Cape to hunt seals.
Local shark researchers not too long ago discovered that about 800 particular person white sharks visited the waters off the Cape from 2015 to 2018. This depend of 800 sharks is the first-ever estimate of white shark abundance within the North Atlantic Ocean.
Megan Winton, lead creator of the research and a employees scientist for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, had revealed this inhabitants estimate final month throughout a brand new National Geographic particular for Sharkfest.
“Cape Cod is the only area in the region where researchers can feasibly monitor the population, and our estimates suggest that the Cape is among the larger white shark hotspots worldwide, which is good news from a conservation standpoint,” Winton stated.
The researchers discovered that white shark numbers alongside Cape Cod peaked within the late summer time and early fall, when water temperatures are warmest, and declined as sharks migrate out of the realm for the winter.
They discovered that the variety of white sharks visiting the location elevated over the length of the survey, and estimated about 800 people visited the waters off Cape Cod from 2015 to 2018.
The workforce of scientists from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries performed an intensive mark-recapture survey for the inhabitants research.
Mark-recapture strategies use repeated surveys of uniquely marked animals to estimate inhabitants measurement. In the case of white sharks, people will be distinguished primarily based on distinctive markings and notches of their dorsal fins.
From nearly 3,000 movies collected throughout 137 analysis journeys performed off Cape Cod’s seashores, the researchers recognized 393 particular person white sharks.
“By comparing the number of previously identified individuals to new individuals encountered over time, we were able to estimate the number of sharks visiting the site in each month of the survey, as well as the total for the four-year period,” Winton stated.
While the danger of a damaging encounter with a shark is low, the elevated presence and inhabitants of white sharks off Cape Cod underscores the necessity for ongoing analysis, public security initiatives, and education schemes within the area, the researchers stated.
Greg Skomal, who leads the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries’ Shark Research Program, emphasised that it’s necessary for the general public to know that there usually are not a whole bunch of sharks swimming off Cape seashores all on the identical time.
“Their movements are very dynamic, they trickle in and out,” Skomal stated. “Some white sharks simply stop by on their way north while others spend more time along the Cape, likely because they have success feeding on seals.”
The research was revealed on Thursday within the journal “Marine Ecology Progress Series.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”