In 2020, scientists from the non-profit organization OCEARCH equipped a great white shark with a GPS transmitter during an expedition off the coast of the eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Since then, the more than four meters long shark, which the researchers have dubbed “Bretons”, has been well on its way…
And during his 444-day voyage across the Atlantic along the East Coast off the US states of New Jersey, Virginia and South Carolina, he drew a “self-portrait” (pictured below) with his GPS data.
GPS transmitter on the dorsal fin
“Breton” was caught off the coast of Canada in 2020 and equipped with a GPS transmitter on its dorsal fin. Whenever the shark, which weighs about 650 kilograms, appears, the transmitter sends a signal (called a ping, note) to the satellite. The data collected in this way is fed into OCEARCH’s Global Shark Tracker, where the animal’s path can be tracked on the organization’s website.
With a little imagination, the path of “Breton” through the Atlantic is reminiscent of the shape of a shark. The data collected using GPS is intended to analyze the behavior of the animals and also to prevent possible shark accidents.
Hundreds of animals equipped with transmitters
Over the years, the team of vzw OCEARCH has equipped countless sharks (but also sea turtles) with GPS transmitters. Under the motto #donotfearthefin, efforts are made to counter the growing fear of sharks. Hundreds of animals are already equipped with transmitters (marked red in the image above).
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
