Track sharks in real-time from you mobile device before paddling out. Photo: Shutterstock
There’s an app for just about everything these days. Want to learn how to play the guitar? There’s an app for that. Want to tighten up that frumpy excuse of a butt? There’s an app for that, too. Want to see if there are sharks out in the lineup before paddling out? Well, now you can. An international team of researches and scientists have joined forces in Queensland, Australia to make this possible.
Last week, researchers tagged three tiger sharks off Fraser Island, located off the southern coast of Queensland, Australia, and their movements can be followed by anyone with a smartphone. According to Daily Mail, this expedition was part of a larger campaign by researchers who are taking a three-week trip from Brisbane to Port Douglas where they will catch and tag twenty three tiger sharks with special satellite tags. These tracking devices will then transfer data in real-time to computers and smart phones via a free app called Global Shark Tracker.
Screen shot from the interactive shark tracking app.
Southeast Queensland tiger shark researcher Bonnie Holmes told Daily Mail that the app could one day be used to alert beachgoers when a shark is in the area. “Having that information in real-time is fantastic and if people do want it for a slight safety reason then absolutely.” In addition to the life-saving properties of this app, this technology may give researchers the ability to gather valuable data about these misunderstood creatures. It may provide insight into migratory, breeding and feeding patterns, and, in turn, reduce the number of sharks killed under governmental culling programs.
The tiger shark expedition is lead by Ocearch Founder, Chris Fischer from Louisville, Kentucky. He explained that learning more about tiger sharks will be a giant leap forward in achieving safer beaches and ensuring the continuity of their species. In an interview with Daily Telegraph, Fischer said, “The new data will help provide Australia with a better understanding of when, how and why tiger sharks forage, particularly near public beaches. There’s a real public safety element in turn. The whole world will be able to track these sharks every time they stick their fin out of the water, so when people go to the beach, they will have more information than they have ever had.”
In addition to improvements made in safety for both sharks and humans, Fischer suggests that the interactive social media aspect could change public perception of sharks. “There’s this fear that exists and it’s the fear of the unknown because we lack basic data of when and where they move, “ Fischer told the Daily Telegraph. “Opening the source to the public you replace the fear of the unknown and replace it with the fascination of the facts and turn it into a different type of conversation. So here in Queensland you will all be talking about the movements of tiger sharks, which will be the first conversations to replace the fear of the unknown and replace it with fascination.”
This particular technique of catching, tagging and tracking sharks has been available for several years now. However, organizations like Ocearch have struggled to secure enough funds to accomplish their endeavors on a larger scale, which is essential in providing the public with access to reliable, living-saving information.
Track the sharks at ocearch.org or via the free Global Shark Tracker app on smart phones.
