Shark Tagging
Researchers with the Shark Assessment and Monitoring Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science have tagged and released more than 6,400 sharks since their tagging studies began in 1990. Tagged sharks are reported by commercial and recreational fishers, and data from recaptured individuals provide insight on their growth and movements. Tag-recapture studies are particularly useful for populations of juvenile sharks in nearshore nursery areas where vulnerability to recreational fishing, and thereby recapture likelihood, is increased.
Shark researchers at VIMS have also used acoustic and satellite tags to monitor the movement and behavior of sharks directly.