SOFO Presents at International Shark Conference

The South Fork Natural History Museum’s Shark Research and Education Program’s lead scientist, Dr. Tobey Curtis, and Chief Field Coordinator Greg Metzger made presentations at the 2023 White Sharks Global Conference. The conference, which featured over 150 participants, was held in Port Lincoln, South Australia, from November 12 to 17, 2023. This was the first international great white shark conference in 13 years. Both Curtis and Metzger spoke on data from our young-of-the-year (YOY) white shark work here on Long Island. Curtis spoke about the potential shift in white shark nursery habitat caused by climate change, and how that shift could impact the survivability of individuals. Metzger spoke about the rapid migratory range expansion of the sharks they have tagged over the first 5 years of their life.

“We are proud to have SOFO represented on the world stage amongst so many excellent leaders in white shark science. It was exciting that several opportunities emerged for potential collaborations. We are also very proud that of all the YOY white sharks tagged in the world, the SOFO team has tagged roughly half! There was a great deal of interest in our access to this under-studied white shark life stage right here off Long Island,” said SOFO Executive Director Frank Quevedo.

“It was rewarding to see that SOFO’s public messaging regarding shark safety for beachgoers has been accurate and consistent with other regions around the world dealing with similar challenges — such as California, South Africa, and eastern Australia” said Metzger. “Overall, we learned a lot from our colleagues that we can apply here in our backyard.”

SOFO’s collaborating research team has been studying sharks off Long Island since 2015 and was the first to satellite tag baby white sharks in the Atlantic Ocean. The local waters include the only known nursery area for white sharks in the Atlantic, and this area is the focus of its scientific efforts. Cutting-edge technologies are used to better understand and conserve the sharks found off Long Island, and collect data for scientists and managers up and down the coast.

In addition to its shark exhibit, SOFO continues to host a variety of shark-themed educational programs, public lectures, and school outreach.

SOFO’s one-of-a-kind interactive exhibit brings visitors virtually face-to-face with these important marine predators. Incorporating scientific data directly from its team of collaborating scientists, the interactive exhibit includes a virtual shark tagging experience, satellite tracking maps, photos from the field, and all kinds of biological factoids about our local sharks.