What do you get when you cross citizen science, sand tiger sharks, photos and artificial intelligence?
Answer: Spot-A-Shark USA! And here’s why.
It’s almost impossible for scientists to know the size (health) of the shark population. Some people say it’s growing (if they see a lot of sharks), while at the same time other folks say the shark population is declining because they haven’t seen any.
Fortunately, sand tiger sharks, which hang out along the North Carolina coast, are fairly easy to identify because of their markings. The sharks are often spotted swimming around the many shipwrecks that dot the coast. There’s lots of other fish found on the wrecks also. You can understand why the sharks are there.
So researchers are asking divers who spot sand tiger sharks to snap a photo and upload it to a special website.
Scientists working on the project will then use computer software to identify and track the sharks over time.
Watch a Sci NC story about Spot-A-Shark USA below!
Researchers are asking divers who spot sand tiger sharks to snap a photo and upload it to a special website.
Scientists working on the project will then use computer software to identify and track the sharks over time.