Researchers catch sharks off NY’s Hamptons, attach trackers to toothy predators

On a popular beach in New York's Hamptons, researchers caught a young sand tiger shark and attached tracking devices to study the local shark population. Greg Metzger, a shark researcher, reeled in the young but powerful female shark, taking tissue samples and attaching the devices before releasing her back into the ocean.

These researchers aim to understand the local shark population and the nursery area in the Hamptons where juvenile great white sharks spend their early years. Other confirmed nurseries for great white sharks can be found off the coasts of California, Mexico, and Australia.

Warmer waters are bringing tropical sharks closer to the Hamptons. Different types of tags are used to monitor the sharks' movements, revealing how these predators cover vast distances annually. Bradley Peterson, a Stony Brook University marine scientist, noted that tags have been detected in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico before the sharks return to the Hamptons.

The research also suggests that more shark species are migrating from warmer southern waters during the summer months due to rising ocean temperatures, likely caused by climate change. Frank Quevedo, executive director of the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center, observed an increase in spinner sharks, black tip sharks, and bull sharks in the area.

While the waters off Long Island have historically been known to be shark-friendly, Metzger emphasized that popular beliefs about a surge in shark numbers are not accurate. The increase is mainly due to advancements in technology, such as drones and cellphones. Young great white sharks, measuring around 4 feet (1.2 meters) at birth and weighing up to 80 pounds (36 kilograms), venture into the relatively shallow coastal areas off Long Island to feed on schools of fish and avoid other predators. As they grow, they move north to feast on larger prey, often close to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.