Blacktip Sharks Extend East Coast Range to Long Island as Warming Seas Push Them North
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 31
Blacktip Sharks Extend East Coast Range to Long Island as Warming Seas Push Them North
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 31
Summary
Florida Atlantic University researchers say blacktip sharks are spending more summer time farther north along the East Coast, with many now reaching Long Island by late summer.
More than a decade of aerial surveys and satellite tagging links that shift to warmer ocean temperatures, which let the sharks travel farther north and spend less winter time in South Florida.
About 50 meters from shore, blacktip sharks often swim close to surfers and swimmers, making them the species beachgoers are most likely to encounter even as harmful incidents remain rare.
A new FAU study found beach nourishment projects can cloud nearshore water, potentially disrupting the sharks' hunting and raising the chance of accidental human encounters.
Researchers expect continued warming to push the species even farther north, underscoring how climate and coastal engineering are reshaping marine life along busy beaches.