The RI-based shark research group, the Atlantic Shark Institute, will be appearing in National Geographic’s wildly popular summer lineup, SharkFest, this Thursday, July 6tht at 9 PM EST in the program When Sharks Attack… and Why.
Executive Director Jon Dodd and the ASI’s Resident Research Scientist, Dr. Josh Moyer, were brought in to discuss a series of shark encounters that occurred last summer off of Long Island, NY.
“Last summer was very active along the south shore of Long Island as it relates to swimmers and sharks,” shared Dodd. “There were a lot of questions about the number of incidents, the possible species, if this was an anomaly, as history would suggest, or the beginning of a new norm,” he added.
Moyer’s research focuses on the anatomy and behaviors associated with feeding in sharks. He analyzed the bite marks left behind in the Long Island shark encounters. “Many of us are familiar with big Hollywood sharks like the Great White,” Moyer says. “But in cases when witnesses don’t immediately recognize the species, that familiarity can bias our identification.”
In When Sharks Attack… and Why, Moyer demonstrates how examination of wounds and bite marks can be coupled with knowledge of local sharks’ jaws and teeth to identify the true
species involved in a shark encounter.
When Sharks Attack… and Why premieres on the National Geographic channel Thursday night at 9 PM EST and is available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Your can learn more about the Atlantic Shark Institute and their research at www.atlanticsharkinstitute.org
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