Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are using drones to track and study the behavior of white sharks along the California coastline, shedding light on the complex factors that influence their movement and presence near popular beaches.
Predicting the Unpredictable
Predicting the future of white sharks is among the Holy Grail questions born out of more than a decade of studies by researchers at UC Santa Barbara.
Using aerial drones to see how the presence of sharks changes with oceanographic conditions, researchers are finding that things like water temperature, seasonality and time of day are key in driving where and when these apex predators appear.
Data gathered in this way is already revealing the variety of elements that are blended to create white shark movement and behavior, including what life stage they are in, there feeding patterns as well as how climate change impacts their behaviour over time. This knowledge might be invaluable for the condition of beachgoers and coastal places to better understand and live in this magnificent creature.
Drones and Collaboration: A Powerful Combination
The researchers will be using drones as part of their surveys. Flying a drone over sharks provides the team with a greater view than traditional techniques like divers and sonar, without disturbing their behavior.
This never was the full picture, with drone data as only one piece of the puzzle. The UC Santa Barbara team is also working with a team of experts at the Shark Lab at CSU Long Beach, who have been studying white sharks in the area for years. Those counts will dovetail with others done using drones, which will be able to photograph the animals from above — and match the visual data up with acoustic monitoring data collected from the drone deployments and other equipment like tags and buoys over much of the field season.
So too has been the project team’s commitment to an interdisciplinary approach, and a willingness to talk to the local community. Researchers say they will share their findings in real-time, enabling beachgoers to be part of the research experience — and sparking a shared stewardship and sense of wonder about our natural world.
Conclusion
The research currently underway at UC Santa Barbara is a clear example of the potential of science and technology to reveal some of wonders of the world. Through cutting-edge technologies such as drones and collective efforts of various experts, they are able to understand the behavior and movements of white sharks along the coastline better than ever.
Knowing this is not only fundamental to protecting sharks and safeguarding the public, but it also helps us understand, appreciate respect these amazing animals even more. With a combination of fine-tuning their forecasting models and outreach to the local community, the team envisions a brighter future for humans sharing beaches with sharks in California.
