by Tanya Houppermans, underwater photographer, conservationist and Shark Angels Advisory Board Member and Dr. Carol Price, managing director for Spot A Shark USA.
Sand Tiger Sharks
Sand tigers sharks are best known for their rows of jagged teeth and ferocious appearance, but they actually tend to be quite docile. They can be found in temperate shallow waters around the world, with the exception of the eastern Pacific. They are especially prevalent year-round off the coast of North Carolina, an area known as the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’ due to the large number of shipwrecks along the coast. Many of these wrecks are known aggregation sites for sand tiger sharks, but the extent to which the species relies on this habitat is uncertain. Importantly, pregnant sand tiger sharks are found in North Carolina waters during summer, fall, and winter, suggesting a key role of this habitat in their reproductive ecology. The North Carolina Aquariums as part of their shark research have made progress towards understanding sand tiger shark habitat use in the northwestern Atlantic through the development of their citizen science program Spot A Shark USA.
Spot A Shark USA
Spot A Shark USA was launched in 2018, and aims to help researchers better understand sand tiger shark populations along the Atlantic coast of the United States. SCUBA divers are asked to photograph the sand tiger sharks they encounter on their adventures and post their images to the Spot A Shark USA website. Scientists then use unique spot patterns visible along the sides of the photographed sharks to identify individual animals.
There are over 1350 individual sharks in the Spot A Shark USA database, with more than 50 sharks that have been photographed on more than one date. Repeat records of even more individual sand tiger sharks will help track their movements and behavior over time so that scientists can begin to unravel mysteries such as where sand tigers mate and give birth, why they are often found around shipwrecks, and what their migratory patterns are. This information is also used by international partners to facilitate management decisions aimed towards conserving sand tiger sharks, which are critically endangered in several parts of the world.
Findings To Date
Sand tiger sharks rely heavily on shipwreck habitat and they show some site fidelity. This means that they either stay at or return to the same shipwreck. Some sharks seem to reside on wrecks for weeks or even months at a time, return to the same shipwrecks years apart and in specific seasons. Divers have reported this to Spot A Shark USA, and through the number of images now in the database, some patterns are beginning to emerge. For instance, current evidence shows that sand tigers can be found at some wrecks in the summer, while other locations have more sharks in the winter. Environmental or ecological factors that are driving these movements is still unknown.
One of the biggest mysteries is when and where mating occurs and where females are pupping. Strides have been made over the last couple years in developing hypotheses of sand tiger mating behavior, but more photographs of sand tigers are needed to help piece this part of the puzzle together.
How To Get Involved
Divers who have photographed sand tiger sharks along the east coast of the U.S. in the last 10 years are encouraged to submit their images to the Spot A Shark USA website at www.spotasharkusa.com. Ideally the photo should be taken of the side of the shark, with the spots on the shark clearly visible. Along with the photo, the diver can enter the date the photo was taken, the location, and any other information observed such as the sex of the shark, any behaviors witnessed, etc. Every image submitted helps researchers to understand more about sand tiger sharks, and in turn this will influence conservation efforts for these fascinating animals.
Dr. Carol Seals Price is the managing director for Spot A Shark USA. She is also a Conservation Research Coordinator at North Carolina Aquariums and Instructor at North Carolina State University. As the conservation biologist for the North Carolina Aquariums she develops, conducts and oversees research and field work that aim to protect species and habitats of high conservation need. Her work reflects the commitment of North Carolina’s three amazing aquariums and their educational pier to promote appreciation and conservation of the diverse natural resources of our state’s ocean, estuaries, rivers, streams and other aquatic environments.
Tanya is the owner of Blue Elements Imaging, and is also an Advisory Board member for Shark Angels. She first began diving with sand tiger sharks as a new diver in the summer of 2009 off the coast of North Carolina. This piqued her interest in sharks, which resulted in her becoming involved in shark conservation in 2012. By 2014 she decided to begin photographing sharks in the hopes of dispelling misconceptions about sharks and motivating the public to want to help them. A year later, after having already won several awards for her images, she left the corporate world behind to become a full-time photographer and conservationist. Although she travels the world to photograph numerous shark species, she is best known for her images of North Carolina’s sand tiger sharks. In 2018 Tanya partnered with the North Carolina Aquariums and the South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction and Conservation (SEZARC) to develop the citizen science program Spot A Shark USA, and continues to work with researchers to study sand tiger populations off the coast of North Carolina. She also leads group dive trips off North Carolina for those who want to experience the thrill of diving with sand tiger sharks themselves. To see Tanya’s images and for more information about her annual North Carolina group trip, go to her website at www.blueelementsimaging.com.