On August 8, researchers from the University of Delaware began using sharks as "marine probes" to collect data that would improve the accuracy of hurricane intensity predictions.
According to the researchers, the sharks are equipped with special CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) sensors capable of measuring water temperature, depth, and electrical conductivity. When the sharks approach the water's surface, they transmit the collected data via satellite.
According to Professor Aaron Carlisle of the University of Delaware’s School of Marine Science and Policy, who supervised the study, scientists are primarily interested in the amount of heat present in the upper mixed layer of the ocean, because this part of the water column plays a key role in determining the intensity of hurricanes and is a source of the energy needed for their development.
The researchers chose shark species that regularly move between the deep layers and the surface to make their measurements, including the mako shark, the blue shark, the hammerhead shark, as well as young great white sharks.
The installation of the equipment begins in May, when the migratory species approach the coast. Researchers head out to sea, between 50 and 65 kilometers from the shore, and the sensor installation process itself takes less than five minutes.
