A new peer-reviewed scientific study reveals that the Gulf serves as a regular winter habitat for white sharks migrating thousands of miles from Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States.
The research, published in the journal Wildlife Research, tracked the movements of 92 white sharks tagged between Nova Scotia, Canada, and Jacksonville, Florida as part of a long-term collaborative research effort coordinated by OCEARCH.
Using satellite-linked smart position (SPOT), pop-up archival (PSAT), and acoustic tags, researchers discovered that more than half of the sharks tracked — 57 individuals across all life stages — spent significant time in the Gulf or Straits of Florida, primarily between December and May.
The findings reshape long-standing assumptions about the species’ seasonal movements in the western North Atlantic.
Continue reading at ocearch.org.
