Ocearch said its team of fishermen and scientists has found the first known birthing site for great white sharks on the North Atlantic Coast. After 26 expeditions, Ocearch said the birthing site in the famous waters off Montauk, Long Island is the most significant discovery they’ve ever made.
“It’s kind of like step two in the science,” said Chris Fischer, founder of Ocearch and the expedition’s leader. “When we started this work back in 2012, 2013… the real question was where are these sharks in the North Atlantic giving birth? Because that’s where they’re most vulnerable.”
For researchers, finding the North Atlantic birthing site can lead to better protection policies and far more scientific knowledge.
“Why is this spot so important for you?” Glor asked veterinary pathologist Harley Newton.
“Because this is a unique population. This life stage hasn’t been studied very much.” Newton is with the Wildlife Conservation Society and has been studying sharks for 16 years. “The first one was very exciting. And actually every single one so far has been very exciting,” Newton said. But for all the fear of sharks, she said the actual facts remain scant.
In addition to applying the tags, the team is also taking blood samples and conducting muscle biopsies, with the goal of having the shark on and off the lift in under 15 minutes. And now, the team said it’s made history with the discovery of the birthing site.
“Definitely the nursery, likely the birthing site,” Fischer said. Fischer’s team will also determine if any of these sharks are the offspring of great whites they first encountered off Cape Cod.
“The strategy at the time was, get a tag out on big mature animals, and when you get one on a big female, 18 months later, she should lead you to the holy grail of the research, the birthing site,” Fischer explained.
In 2012, a 2,000-pound female named “Genie” became the first-ever great white successfully spot-tagged in the North Atlantic.
“Look, if we thought we were hurting these animals, we wouldn’t do what we were doing,” Fischer said, rejecting accusations that they may be hurting the young sharks. “We don’t learn unless we let them go in good shape. The fact of the matter is that we have to get tracking devices on a handful of these animals so we can help them all thrive.”
The team could go days without finding one shark, but on this trip, they seemed to be everywhere. This week alone, Ocearch has tagged and released nine great white sharks, including a female aptly named “Gratitude.”
“She was anxious to get off,” Glor said.
“She was, yeah. And she’s gone, but now everybody can follow her,” Fischer said.
Source: CBS News