Study finds more sharks off SE coast

By The Associated Press

Posted 9:41AM on Wednesday 9th September 2015 ( 8 years ago )

A newly released federal study shows a record number of sharks swimming off the coast from Florida to North Carolina.

The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk (http://bit.ly/1JUnnBK ) reports that the increase in sharks comes as North Carolina set a record for shark attacks this summer. Eight people have been attacked by sharks along the North Carolina coast this year, the most since a Florida group began counting attacks 80 years ago.

The new study shows researchers captured or tagged 2,835 sharks from Florida to North Carolina in April and May. That compares with 1,831 sharks tagged in the most recent survey in 2012.

The most common species were sandbar, Atlantic sharpnose, dusky and tiger sharks.

The largest captured was a 12-1/2-foot tiger shark off the North Carolina coast.

In this photo taken, Tuesday, July 7, 2015, beachgoers avoid the ocean on a beautiful summer day in Avon, N.C. In a 28-day span this summer, eight people were bitten by sharks in N.C., with three of the attacks happening on the barrier islands of the Outer Banks. (AP Photo/Tamara Lush)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/9/334613/study-finds-more-sharks-off-se-coast