Conservancy Marks Decade Of Collaboration With State NORTH CHATHAM — Working in partnership with state shark biologist Greg Skomal, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is marking the end of another successful season tagging white sharks off the beaches of Cape Cod. Over 18 research trips conducted between July and early last month, researchers tagged 31 individual sharks, shedding a bit more light on the q...

HARWICH — Swimmers along Earle Road Beach panicked last Wednesday after a fin was seen cutting through the waters just offshore. There were 30 to 40 bathers swimming and wading near the shore, and four kids headed for the buoys that mark the outer swimming limits at the beach. But quick action by lifeguards quickly defused the situation and prevented any injuries. Maureen Condon said she was in the water at...

NORTH CHATHAM — When it comes to finding ways to protect swimmers, surfers and boaters from shark encounters, a real-time white shark detection system is the holy grail for public safety officials. While such a system remains elusive, researchers are gaining useful insights that bring them closer to someday achieving that goal. “This is the basic question we’re trying to answer: the when, where and how do whit...

BREWSTER — In recent years, Cape Cod locals and tourists alike have grown more cognizant of the reality that we share our local waters with one of the ocean’s most high-profile apex predators: great white sharks. Our knowledge of great white sharks and their behaviors has grown as new technologies are introduced from local shark experts, including Sharktivity — the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s free mobil...

Knowing the exact location of white sharks off Cape Cod beaches is obviously important, both from a scientific and safety perspective. And that means the network of shark spotters – professional and amateur alike – plays a critical role. A new partnership between the North Chatham-based Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and the New England Aquarium aims to boost that network by encouraging more people to report...

WOODS HOLE – Sharks and seals are almost synonymous with Cape Cod. But what do people really think about the much-discussed fish and mammals? With shark and seal populations on the rise, a new multi-agency study looked at how sharks and seals are perceived by Cape voters, commercial fishermen and tourists, and how humans and marine life can better coexist. The study, “Human Dimensions of Rebounding Po...

CHATHAM – This summer's less-than-perfect weather has even impacted shark tagging efforts. Dr. Greg Skomal of the state division of marine fisheries and his shark tagging team have only been able to get out on the water a few days. Rain, wind and low-ceiling clouds – which prevented the team's spotter pilot from taking off – have all been factors, according to Marianne Walsh, education director of the Atlantic...

NORTH CHATHAM — White sharks are just offshore virtually all summer long, but when are they actively hunting and when are they just cruising? More than a matter of scientific curiosity, the answer is key to improving beach safety, officials say. The first research done on white sharks off Cape Cod began to show how many individuals might be in the area, and revealed that they’re here in greatest numbers in Aug...

If you love podcasts and are fascinated by sharks, you're in luck. The new Gills Talk podcast shines t he light of science on Cape Cod's most charismatic predatory marine megafauna. Living up to its motto, “Smart about Sharks,” Gills Talk is a natural extension of Gills Club, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's  STEM-based education initiative dedicated to connecting young shark enthusiasts...

CHATHAM — Having collected more than a decade’s worth of data from a host of receiver buoys, researchers can now show in fine detail where tagged sharks spend their time each summer. The new White Shark Logbook from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy allows users to select a certain buoy location and browse all of the logged shark visits. The Logbook (shiny.atlanticwhiteshark.org/Logbook/) draws on data ...

NORTH CHATHAM — A just-published study led by researcher Megan Winton of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy concludes that white sharks in local waters spend nearly half of their time in waters 15 feet deep or shallower. The research signals that, while rare, encounters between white sharks and people are a regular possibility. To assess the extent of potential overlap between sharks and recreational water...

When a 63-year-old woman was killed by a great white shark off Bailey Island in Maine in July, state officials needed help. This was the first ever fatal shark attack in Maine waters, and local authorities had little experience dealing with the apex predator. Greg Skomal, shark biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and several other experts were called in to positively identify the ani...

CHATHAM – Once in a while a local gets to experience a one-of-a-kind Cape Cod day after working all summer while the tourists enjoy this glorious place we all call home. We were invited to join friends Jerry Evans and Erin Hilley on Jerry’s Carolina Skiff to go on a shark spotting adventure. Our hosts had heard there were numerous shark sightings off Chatham’s shores so off we went on a sunny breeze towards “J...

CHATHAM – If you use the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app, you might have noticed some new alerts. Along with the familiar blue square with a white fin indicating a white shark sighting are new yellow boxes that when clicked, offer information on tagged sharks detected by real-time acoustic receivers. The new feature officially launched on Sept. 14, allowing users to access real-time detectio...

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) has launched a new Gills Club app. The app, which can be downloaded for free on the Apple Store and Google Play, features information about different species of sharks, access to ongoing shark research, projects and science activities for shark fans, and a means to connect with the Gills Club Science Team, made up of over 100 female shark researchers worldwide. The ...

Figuring out how, when and where great white sharks are likely to feed on seals close to the shore is the goal of a study now underway by Dr. Greg Skomal, shark scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Skomal's work, using different tags that collect a variety of information, will paint a broad picture of the behavior. Bryan Legare, a biologist at the Center for Coastal Studies, hopes that h...