Florida company searching for great white sharks

Several sharks have been spotted off the coast of Florida recently. That includes Breton, a 1,400-pounder, who pinged just north of Cocoa Beach last week. Dr. Harley Newton is the Chief Scientist and Veterinarian for the shark research group OCEARCH. She said Breton is just one of the 92 sharks her organization has caught, outfitted with a tracker, and released. Newton told News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells during a recent episode of Talk to Tom that OCEARCH wants to catch and tag eight more sharks, to reach its goal of 100. Newton said OCEARCH started tagging sharks in Cape Cod back in 2012. At that time she said they didn’t really know much about the oceans’ giants, but over the years they have been able to learn more about their migration, preferred habitats and diet. Part of that migration includes an annual trek around the Northeast to the Southeast coast of the U.S., which skirts Florida, and ultimately ends with them wintering in the Gulf of Mexico. Their travels can be tracked on the OCEARCH app and website. Newton said even though they have learned a lot since 2012 there is still more to learn, especially about reproduction. That’s why OCEARCH is looking specifically to catch and tag eight adult sharks that are within the reproductive stage of their life. She said it is no easy feat. “Weather is always a challenge — and it really is about having the right day on the water,” Newton said. But Newton said they have a great team. “We have an incredible master fisherman who looks at all the different aspects of oceanography and water temperatures and really picks the places where we want to go.” Newton said the goal is to share the information with other shark researchers so more can be done to protect Great White Sharks. She said OCEARCH’s most recent expedition left from Jacksonville and that they plan to open their global headquarters in that city in the near future. But their work will not be limited to the waters solely around the Sunshine State. In the Summer Newton said she will be heading over to explore the waters just outside of the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Spain and Ireland. Learn more about OCEARCH and their study of great white sharks on Talk to Tom. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts and watch any time on News 6+. Just download the app for your smart TV to see every episode of the show.