Tools for Studying Sharks

Movement Monitoring Tools

• Studying the movement of a shark provides information about the distance an animal travels, as well as the areas of the ocean it frequents. A telemetry tag provides a way of doing this, with a tag using satellites to monitor its exact position. Attaching a tag to a shark enables the accurate tracking of its movement. A telemetry tag may also provide additional information, such as the depths at which a shark swims and water temperature. Collecting data from a tag allows scientists to build an accurate picture of a shark's movement to learn more about how it lives.

Safety Tools

• Getting in the water with sharks to study them at close quarters may prove dangerous. Safety tools that reduce the risk of the experience include personal shark repellents. These repellents typically use chemical, audio or electric fields as a means of keeping sharks at a safe distance and less likely to attack. For larger and more dangerous species, shark cages provide the opportunity to get into the water with the animals. The cages provide a safer setting in which scientists can get a close-up view of a shark's behavior.

Photo Identification Tools

• Many shark species have body markings and fin shapes that make photo identification possible. Photo identification tools, such as underwater digital still cameras, provide the opportunity for scientists to record and identify individual sharks. Having the capabilities of monitoring an individual shark over time allows scientists to study its behavior in terms of feeding, interaction with other sharks and breeding. It also allows scientists to study the growth and aging of a shark.

Shark Cam Tools

• Attaching a small video camera to a shark provides the opportunity to view behavior such as hunting, feeding and interaction with other sharks. The camera typically sends a live picture back to scientists in a control room. Recording the pictures allows the scientists to study them in detail to identify different aspects of shark behavior. The camera provides a useful view of a shark's world, with the information helping scientists build a more accurate picture of the life of a shark.