A famous shark research center in California is at risk of shutting down after the state pulled funding for a program that provides safeguards against attacks.
Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Research Institute at California State University, Long Beach, told Fox News Digital that the program monitors great white sharks along the Southern California coastline.
“In 2018, we received funding from the state of California to start the California Shark Beach Safety Program, and it’s important to note that great white sharks are being seen in increasing numbers along California’s coastline, especially public beaches. Because it became,” Lowe said.
“And this caused concern for the lifeguards who are responsible for keeping people safe. So they asked us, why are the sharks here? And are they posing a danger to people?” “Is it harmful?” Lowe said. “And at the time, we didn’t really know.”
Southern California beachgoers fear shark attacks this summer as research funding is cut
Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Research Institute is in danger of nearly running out of funding by summer and may have to shut down its shark monitoring program. (St. Petersburg)
Lowe said that since the program began, the funds have been used to tag more than 300 juvenile great white sharks, 235 of which had active transmitters.
He said he decided to tag great white sharks because they accounted for 97% of bites in California over the last century.
Shark experts explained that the program also includes installing 120 acoustic receivers and drone equipment along the sunny California coastline to “listen” for tagged sharks.
“This gives lifeguards data on what types of sharks are on the shore, how long they’re there, what they’re doing and when they leave,” Lowe said. Told.
A great white shark swimming in the sea. (St. Petersburg)
Lowe said the study found that sharks are “constantly around humans” and “mostly ignore humans.”
“We also use drones, which was also a key part of our monitoring. That way we can see where the sharks are near people and ask questions about what the risks are. Because we can deal with it,” Lowe said. “And some of our data shows that sharks are always around people in Southern California. And they mostly ignore people.”
Three great white sharks sing near coast of Georgia, South Carolina: ‘It’s time to move on’
Without this program, lifeguards would not be able to properly manage Southern California beaches from sharks, Lowe said.
“We don’t think there will be a spike in shark bites even if the program is closed. We think the monitoring will help lifeguards improve beach management,” Lowe said.
“For example, let’s say there’s a juvenile 9-foot-long shark outside a public beach, and it’s been there for days or weeks, and lifeguards know about it from acoustic telemetry monitoring data or drone data. “No surfers have seen the shark,” he said. “Normally you would close the beach, but why would you close the beach when the sharks are always there and no one sees them and they’re not bothering anyone?”
On Friday, July 14, 2023, at approximately 12:15 p.m. PT, San Diego Fire and Rescue Lifeguards patrolling approximately 100 yards off the coast of Black’s Beach discovered three juvenile great white sharks. (San Diego Fire Department)
The shark expert explained that lifeguards have a wealth of information to help determine whether a beach needs to be closed.
“If a tagged shark is spotted off a beach, lifeguards can instantly get that data from real-time buoys and click on a link to find out where the shark is and how big it is. And what they see is that these sharks are visiting other beaches or staying on beaches for weeks or months at a time. There are so many things that happen.”
He explained that lifeguards no longer need to close beaches, but only need to post public warnings about the presence of sharks.
Florida beachgoer catches shark with fishing rod: video
“Previously, if a great white shark was seen on the coast, we would either close the beach or pull people out of the water,” Lowe said. “And now they don’t have to close the beaches. They’ll put up signs warning the public that this is great white shark habitat. Thanks to all the data, they don’t have it to close the beaches. ”
Lowe said the closure of the beach would have a negative impact on the local economy.
“Every time a Southern California beach closes, there is an economic impact on that community,” Lowe said. “Simply by learning more about sharks, we could reduce the number of beach closures that have an economic impact on California communities.”
“The result is that coastal communities have saved significant amounts of money from unnecessary beach closures,” he said.
A large great white shark is staring straight into the camera. Caught in the clear blue waters of South Australia. Three great white sharks were attacked this week off the coast of the southeastern United States, researchers said. (St. Petersburg)
Lowe said California has seen an increase in great white shark numbers in recent years, in part because of continued conservation efforts.
“The great white shark population has been steadily increasing because great white sharks have been protected in California since 1994,” Lowe said.
He said the increasing number of sharks in California waters is “causing great concern.”
“We didn’t know if that would make people more likely to be bitten because shark numbers are increasing,” Lowe said. “And because the young sharks are using the beach as a nursery habitat, it caused great concern because there are many people in the ocean off Southern California who are surrounded by sharks year-round.”
California budget crisis could reach $73 billion, state watchdog warns
Lowe said if he didn’t raise money from local supporters, he would be forced to close.
Aerial view of the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento, California on February 1, 2023. (Justin Sullivan/Justin Sullivan)
He said the funding was cut because California’s state budget is “very meager” this year.
“Our program has five years of funding and we received funding in 2018. We extended that $3.75 million in state funding to six years,” Lowe said. “We were very frugal with our funds and gained a lot of useful information.”
“Our funds ran out in June and are very scarce this year because of the national budget,” he said. “It looks like there are no plans for a refund.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He said he is seeking private funding from individuals and foundations.
“We use a lot of technology in shark research, and a lot of those technology companies are based here in California, so perhaps some of the big technology companies would be willing to collaborate and help us “We hope that we may be able to assist you,” he said.
