Sharks Equipped With Sensors to Aid Hurricane Prediction

Researchers at the University of Delaware are testing whether sharks can serve as mobile, real-time ocean data collectors to improve hurricane prediction. The project involves attaching small electronic sensors, known as CTD tags, to sharks off the U.S. East Coast. These tags measure water temperature, salinity via electrical conductivity, and depth as the animals swim and dive, providing data crucial for understanding hurricane intensity.

The initiative, led by principal investigator Aaron Carlisle, a professor in the university's School of Marine Science and Policy, aims to leverage the natural behavior of sharks to gather oceanographic data. Traditionally, shark tagging has focused on tracking movement and habitat use. Now, scientists are targeting species that surface frequently enough for the tags to transmit data via satellite to an orbiting network of receivers. The preferred species include shortfin mako sharks, blue sharks, smooth hammerheads, and juvenile great white sharks.

"We are really most interested in the heat content of the top layer of the ocean, which is known as the mixed layer," Carlisle said. "This is the part of the water column that really drives...