Boston, MA, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OCEARCH and its team of collaborating marine scientists are officially bringing important multi-institutional great white shark research back to federal waters surrounding Massachusetts. The 15-day expedition will aim to build off of the increasingly advanced understanding of white shark data that the organization has developed and helped get published since the organization started its work in the Northwest Atlantic in 2012. The expedition will support 20 individual research projects conducted by 33 scientists from 21 institutions and will also look for ways to help improve shark safety in the area.

“The waters around Massachusetts are critical to our understanding of the increasing white shark population in the Northwest Atlantic. Coastal residents understand that white sharks naturally live off their shores, and the number of sharks there are growing,” said Dr. Robert Hueter, OCEARCH Chief Scientist. “OCEARCH’s multi-faceted approach to white shark research both addresses the behavior, ecology and health of the sharks and also serves to promote greater safety for the ocean-going public, through knowledge unobtainable by the methods used by other biologists working in the area.”

OCEARCH is committed to bring its infrastructure and resources, including its one-of-a-kind research vessel, to benefit the local coastal communities by open-sourcing the data collected to also be used for public safety programs. Collaborating microbiologists will also analyze the bacteria found inside of sharks mouths to help determine the best antibiotics to be used in humans after a shark bite, a study that has already started generating preliminary results. Additional studies will focus on the Northwest Atlantic white shark population’s reproductive biology and overall health levels while others will examine behavior. All of these data can be used to make informed decisions about both conservation efforts and public safety decisions.

“We’re dedicated to the coastal communities of Massachusetts and the rest of the Northeast Coast,” said Chris Fischer, OCEARCH’s Founding Chairman and Expedition Leader. “The economic livelihood and safety of these communities relies on understanding these important apex predators, that’s why big collaborative expeditions like this are so important. Right now every shark we sample, tag, and release is the most comprehensively studied white shark in history and we’re learning about them faster than ever before. This 38th expedition is an important step to continue that momentum.”

So far data gathered by OCEARCH has been used to help publish 55 peer-reviewed studies around the world in only the past decade and dozens more are nearing completion. By bringing together large collaborative and multi-institutional science teams, the OCEARCH science model helps scientists efficiently gather the data they need to publish their work. It also unites experts of varying disciplines so that they can work together and start solving more complex problems than ever before.

“It’s a myth to say that white sharks' lives are a mystery even though you will frequently hear that idea kicked around,” Fischer said. “In less than a decade, we’ve cracked the mystery wide open by creating an environment where a robust team of researchers with different expertise work together. As a result, we now know when and where white sharks can be found, we’re starting to see where the population is healthiest, and where it might be at risk. We also even know where at least some of them give birth and the size of their nursery. We do have a couple important pieces of the puzzle left to solve though, and this expedition will be a vital step in putting together the complete life history puzzle of the white shark for the first time ever in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.”

The expedition will start on August 5 and take off out of Boston Harbor and work throughout the New England area, including off the coast of Cape Cod. Due to strict COVID-19 protocols being taken on the ship, OCEARCH will not be opening up the ship to public tours and other outreach events, like it has been accustomed to doing prior during past expeditions. The public is instead encouraged to tune into OCEARCH’s social media channels to stay up to date in near real time as the expedition unfolds.

For More Information Contact

Nicole Ralston

OCEARCH CMO

(383)547-6150

nralston@ocearch.org

John Kanaly

OCEARCH Communications Manager

(303)217-1680

jkanaly@ocearch.org

About OCEARCH

OCEARCH is a data-centric, non-profit organization built to help scientists collect previously unattainable data in the ocean. It’s mission is to accelerate the ocean's return to balance and abundance through fearless innovations in scientific research, education, outreach, and policy using unique collaborations of individuals and organizations in the U.S and abroad. OCEARCH provides a free open-sourced Shark Tracking service and app that allows scientists, educators, and fans alike to learn about the never before documented movements of our ocean's apex predators. Learn more at OCEARCH.ORG. Additional OCEARCH Expedition Massachusetts 2020 materials can be found here and an assortment of video and photos for the press can be found here. Visit the Expedition Massachusetts Landing page for more information here. 

Nicole Ralston
OCEARCH
386-547-6150
nralston@ocearch.org

John Kanaly
OCEARCH
303-217-1680
jkanaly@ocearch.org

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