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| Photo Credit: AP. |
Increased shark attacks have been reported in a number of beaches often visited by fun lovers this summer in places such as the waters off Long Island, New York to the beaches of Florida.
This series
of attacks is brewing vacation panic as officials warn beach goers not to swim in
shark infested waters. Marine biologist insists that the presence of more
sharps close to the shores is prove that conservation efforts are beginning to
pay off.
The sharks
often move close to the bays, estuaries and beaches where most of its prey –
smaller fishes colonies may be cohabiting.
“I would
argue there is a greater benefit of having sharks along our beaches,” shark
expert Chris Lowe said, according to The Washington Times. “We know the
ecological importance of these animals, and we know they’re good indicators of
ocean health.”
Why do we have more sharks in New York and Florida beaches?
The Washington Times reported that for much of the 20th century, shark populations declined
because of overfishing and pollution but since the 1990s, improvements in
fisheries management and tighter environmental standards have increased the population
of sharks as well as their prey.
This has
also increased the presence of sharks in beaches, a source of worry to swimmers,
beachgoers and other fun lovers. The great whites, hammerheads, thresher and
tiger sharks are vital to keeping the ecosystem in balance, according to The Washington Times.
‘Shark bites are mostly reported along the coast
of Florida but this summer, Long Island, New York, also experienced
unprecedented spate of shark attacks, according to The Washington Times.
Six shark
attacks were reported last month at Long Island beaches although with non-life threatening
injuries.
Christopher
Paparo, manager of the Marine Science Center at Long Island’s Stony Brook University
in Southampton said in a backgrounder video that conservation and environmental
efforts in the New York City area are to a large extent responsible for the
rise in shark incidents.
“In recent
years, we’ve been seeing far more shark sightings in the waters surrounding
Long Island, and that’s a good thing,” Mr. Paparo said, according to The Washington Times. “We’re seeing more sharks because our environment is much
healthier and the populations are much stronger due to conservation.”