Scientists teaming up for 5-year juvenile shark study

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – Shark researchers from three states are launching a five-year study of juvenile great white sharks off the coast of southern New England and Long Island, New York, to better understand their life cycle.

Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute in Wakefield, Rhode Island, says a better understanding of younger sharks is critical for their conservation and long-term health.

He says more information is needed related to reproduction, habitat use, abundance and migratory patterns.

Dodd is teaming with Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and Craig O’Connell, director of the O’Seas Conservation Foundation in Montauk, New York.