IF you’re planning a trip to the beach this summer and are worried about shark attacks, then this app is an absolute must.
Built by marine conservation group Ocearch, the tracking system shows the locations of finned predators across the globe.
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Dozens of the toothy man-eaters are tracked by the organisation as part of its research efforts.
Once you’ve opened the app, you can tap on a shark to look at its weight and length, as well as where it’s travelled since it was tagged.
The beast’s name, estimated age and the date it was tagged are also shown.
Deadly tiger sharks and great whites are among the species traced by the Ocearch, which is based in the United States.
As well as sharks, the tracker keeps an eye on other marine wildlife, including turtles and dolphins.
Ocearch says its scientists have tagged 416 animals in total.
They attach GPS trackers during expeditions aboard the research ship called the “M/V OCEARCH”, which serves as an at-sea laboratory.
The vessel contains a hydraulic platform designed to safely lift marine animals out of the ocean for access by a research team.
“Animals are caught from tenders, using handlines, and are guided by hand in the water on and off the lift,” Ocearch writes on its website.
“The animals are then brought to the submerged platform of the M/V OCEARCH vessel and the platform is raised.
“Once the animals are restrained and hoses of water have been set to enable a continuous flow of fresh seawater over the gills, the science team, made up of researchers and veterinarians, begins its process.
“Tags such as SPOT, acoustic, and accelerometer are attached, morphometrics are recorded, and samples, such as blood and tissue, are collected.”
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Science facts
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A sunken ship has been found in almost perfect condition despite spending 400 years underwater.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
