5 reasons humans should follow OCEARCH's shark search
Research vessel will launch from Wilmington area seeking sand tigers
N.C. COAST -- On Thursday, a ship with the power to scoop sharks out of the water will set sail from Southeastern N.C. OCEARCH, a research organization that tracks sharks globally, is partnering with N.C. Aquariums on a week-long search for sand tiger sharks off our coast. Here are a few reason why even the least shark-savvy humans should keep an eye on this project:
1. It's helping local students: When OCEARCH's 126-foot vessel hits the open sea Thursday, young scientists from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) will be on board. At a presentation at UNCW Wednesday, OCEARCH founder Chris Fischer said the school is one of 11 institutions whose scientists will get data from the trip. Others include the Georgia and Florida's aquariums, SeaWorld and Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.
When the crew lifts a shark on board the ship this week, scientists will have 15 minutes with the animal to take blood samples, run ultrasounds and put movement-tracking tags on the animals.
"We want to catapult all of their knowledge forward so that those emerging scientists have data to get their papers published that we can leverage for policy," Fischer said.
2. It means healthier oceans: As apex predators, sharks are what Fischer calls the "balance-keepers" of the ocean -- keeping populations of other species at healthy levels. For instance, when sharks decline, rays explode and gobble up scallops. That means less is left over for humans.
"What we've learned in the last decade is that if we lose our sharks there will be no fish, there will be no shellfish," Fischer said. "(We're) just trying to make sure that our great-grandchildren can eat a fish sandwich just like we can today."
3. Sharks love our area: OCEARCH is focusing on the Carolinas for this expedition simply because this is where the sharks are. Sand tiger sharks, in decline in other parts of the ocean, are still showing up off North Carolina.
"Sand tiger sharks in the past have been threatened and in trouble. And we see a healthy population of sand tigers, or what we think is maybe a recovering population of sand tigers here," Fisher said.
At the same time, he said that shouldn't scare off swimmers. This new data doesn't mean sharks are suddenly swarming the area, rather that they've been here all along.
"Nothing's changed," Fischer said. "You go swimming, you go surfing, you go enjoy the ocean. We're all swimming with them all the time and that's okay because they're not really interested in us."
4. You can track the entire expedition: OCEARCH is known for its social media savvy, especially its wildly popular Shark Tracker that's boosted sharks like Mary Lee and Lydia to celebrity status. While the sand tigers tagged on this expedition won't be added to the Shark Tracker, all of OCEARCH's work is open-sourced, meaning anyone interested can head to their website, Facebook and Twitter for updates on the project.
"It's by the people, for the people, rather than people being separate from the science," Fischer said.
5. Our future scientists already care: When Fischer finished his presentation Wednesday and opened the floor to questions, 9-year-old Isaac Lonander quickly raised his hand. Wearing a shirt emblazoned with a great white, the budding marine biologist peppered Fischer with questions about the expedition and various shark species.
"I like them because not many people study them in this area," Issac said. "It's more like an undiscovered thing than a discovered thing."
Issac, who recently celebrated a birthday, said one of his wishes was to help tag a shark this summer. After the presentation, Fischer handed him his card with a promise to be in touch next time OCEARCH is in the area.
Reporter Cammie Bellamy can be reached at 910-343-2339 or email@example.com.
Sand tiger shark 101
Taxonomy: Carcharias taurus
U.S. Distribution: Maine to Texas
Habitat: Roughly 2 to 191 miles from shore, surf zone, bays, reefs, continental shelf
Size: About 10 feet long
Appearance: Grey and light brown skin, triangular fins, long mouth, flat snout
Source: Florida Museum of Natural History