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So You Wanna Be a Shark Tracker?
Most beachgoers generally prefer to avoid bumping into sharks, but Chris Lowe spends his time and energy seeking them out.
As a marine biologist, professor, and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, Lowe has made a career researching the power and plight of the ocean’s fiercest predator. (As you might expect, Shark Week is basically his Christmas.)
“They’re really hard animals to study,” he says. “It’s very difficult to nail down how many are out there and where they’re located.”
Lowe is developing his own shark-tracking app to collect data from sheriffs’ departments, local pilots, and the Coast Guard. For now, to do his aquatic sleuthing Lowe uses a suite of existing apps that help him organize his research, navigate the tricky coastal weather patterns, and chart his team’s findings.
Windfinder
What it does: Predicts wind patterns and ocean currents
Why he loves it: “When we’re out looking for white sharks along the coast, we have to have really calm conditions. Often we’re using either helicopters or drones to spot them from the air, and if the ocean is too rough, we can’t see. Windfinder gives us accurate measurements in small, localized areas. You put in any location and the app will take data from buoys with wind sensors. Or it’ll use Codar (coastal ocean dynamics application radar), the low-frequency radar they shoot over the water to get surface currents. It’s great—we use it quite a bit.”
NOAA Radar
What it does: Delivers professional-grade weather reports
Why he loves it: “All my students use this one when they’re going offshore. It gives you an ability to say, OK, we might have an hour-long clear window before the fog rolls in, so you better get out now. It’s usually pretty darn accurate.”
Expedition White Shark
What it does: Tracks sharks
Why he loves it: “One of my colleagues started this app to tag and track white sharks. He’ll catch an adult white shark and put a satellite transmitter on the dorsal fin. Every time the shark pops up, the app gives a latitude and longitude. What’s really interesting is that he’s tagged some mature females. We know that they come to Southern California to give birth, but his app tells me when they’re coming back, so we can predict when babies may start showing up.”
Photographer Michael Muller has spent the last ten years photographing sharks around the world, supported by organizations like WildAid and EarthEcho.