Shark Research: The Rewilding of Cape Cod

Research

The projects are:

» Development and Testing of a Near-real-time White Shark Forecast System for Cape Cod Massachusetts
Megan Winton, a research scientist with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC), and Greg Skomal, a biologist with Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries who has been studying white sharks for a decade, will develop and evaluate near real-time ‘shark forecast’ maps that can be disseminated by town and beach managers and via the AWSC’s ‘Sharktivity’ app to alert beachgoers when conditions indicate a high probability of white shark presence.

The concept is based on acoustic telemetry data from tagged sharks and satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) and water turbidity data. Available tagging data suggest that temperature is a factor in the distribution of sharks, and that variations in ambient light levels due to cloud cover and water turbidity are linked to when and how the sharks hunt. The scientists plan to test the concept by retroactively forecasting the probability of white shark presence in previous years and validate it using available tagging data.

» Human Dimension of Rebounding Population of Seals and White Sharks on Cape Cod, MA

The increasing seal population has been targeted as one major cause of the influx of the sharks that prey on them. Gaining an understanding of what the public knows and understands about sharks and their seal prey underpins any strategy to change human behavior.

Jennifer Jackman, a professor of political science at Salem State University, who researches human dimensions of wildlife, will lead a collaborative research project to generate knowledge about the views and experiences of residents, tourists, and commercial and recreational fishers with regard to seals and sharks.

Working with collaborators at the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), University of Massachusetts- Boston, Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC), Center for Animals and Public Policy of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, and the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance (CCCFA), the project will use a survey to measure experiences with seals, beliefs about seals and the impacts of seal-human interactions, and attitudes toward seal management as well as to measure values, perceptions and knowledge of sharks and attitudes toward human-shark conflict mitigation strategies. The understanding of the values, perceptions, and knowledge gained from the survey will enable managers, policy makers, and non-governmental organizations to develop appropriate messaging that advances wildlife conservation and responsible stewardship of the interfacing human and marine ecosystems.