{"id":33248,"date":"2026-08-08T21:28:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=33248"},"modified":"2026-08-08T21:28:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:28:45","slug":"scientists-using-sharks-to-predict-intensity-of-east-coast-hurricanes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=33248","title":{"rendered":"Scientists using sharks to predict intensity of East Coast hurricanes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F08%2F136817633.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Scientists may<em> fin<\/em>-ally understand more about hurricanes.<\/p>\n<p>This summer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.udel.edu\/faculty-staff\/media-experts\/spotlight\/?postid=11842\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">researchers at the University of Delaware<\/a> are experimenting with using sharks to predict the intensity of hurricanes as they approach the East Coast.<\/p>\n<p>They are attaching electronic tags to the fish, which collect data such as ocean temperature and salinity measurements from the Atlantic Ocean that otherwise prove challenging and pricey to monitor.<\/p>\n<p>This could lead them to gain more knowledge on the Mid-Atlantic\u2019s \u201ccold pool,\u201d a layer of bottom water under 50 degrees Fahrenheit that forms in spring and disappears in fall \u2014 which can determine how fast hurricanes intensify.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnimal-borne sensors have been used successfully by oceanographers for years, particularly on elephant seals in polar regions where scientific observations are scarce,\u201d said UD marine scientist\u00a0Aaron Carlisle, who is leading the research.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>University of Delaware researchers are tagging sharks to collect data that can lead to a better understanding of hurricanes. <span class=\"credit\">University of Delaware<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>His team has been out in the Mid-Atlantic on the\u00a0R\/V Daiber, a research vessel owned by the university\u2019s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, to test out the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/07\/us-news\/nearly-a-dozen-great-white-sharks-spotted-off-popular-maine-beach-over-48-hours\/\">shark<\/a> tagging, which before now, was mainly used to track their route and habitat.<\/p>\n<p>The group heads\u00a030 to 40 miles offshore, sets up baited lines and then waits in anticipation \u2014 sometimes for as long as three hours \u2014 for a shark to take the bait.<\/p>\n<p>The scientists, who began tagging the creatures in May, when sharks move closer to the coast after leaving their winter habitats, have found that shortfin mako sharks, blue sharks, smooth hammerheads and juvenile great white sharks are best fit for the experiment.<\/p>\n<p>That is because those species tend to come to the surface most frequently, allowing their tags to transmit their findings to satellites. \u200b<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe tags are attached to the dorsal fin. Then every time the shark fins (swims) at the surface, the tag can communicate and <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/07\/24\/shark-tracking-may-be-the-best-indicator-for-hurricane-season\/\">transmit data<\/a> to the orbiting network of satellite receivers,\u201d Carlisle said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Mako sharks are one of the species best fit for the experiment.   <span class=\"credit\">via REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The tagging is done in a manner that does not harm the sharks.<\/p>\n<p>First, each candidate undergoes a health exam to ensure they are not stressed or harmed, which would compromise the data, and the tags themselves are made of materials that eventually corrode and fall off.<\/p>\n<p>Carlisle, who holds a PhD in biological sciences from Stanford University, explained why the heat at the top layer of the ocean is most important for their research. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the part of the water column that really drives <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/05\/31\/lifestyle\/why-a-shark-invasion-may-forecast-hurricanes-weeks-ahead\/\">hurricane intensity<\/a> \u2014 warmer mixed layer equals stronger hurricane \u2014 as it holds \u200bthe heat that feeds hurricanes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>UD marine scientist Aaron Carlisle, who holds a PhD in biological sciences, is leading the project. <span class=\"credit\">via REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Carlisle hopes his team\u2019s research will enable residents from North Carolina to Massachusetts to better prepare for hurricanes before they hit. <\/p>\n<p>He also wants the project to dispel the stereotype that sharks are merely scary creatures that should be feared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are amazing animals perfectly adapted to the ocean, and we can learn a huge amount from them,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we can show that sharks can help people, it\u2019s a win-win situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>With Wires<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scientists may fin-ally understand more about hurricanes. This summer, researchers at the University of Delaware are experimenting with using sharks to predict the intensity of hurricanes as they approach the East Coast. They are attaching electronic tags to the fish, which collect data such as ocean temperature and salinity measurements from the Atlantic Ocean that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/136817633.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}