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Hook, Line & Science

Sharks

Our readers love ’em. Here you can find everything you need to know about sharks of North Carolina, including one of the most popular Coastwatch features of all-time: “Sharks of North Carolina.”

image: bonnethead shark.

Jun 11, 2025

Why Are Bonnethead Sharks on the Move?

Water temperatures could be the key.
image: sandbar shark.

Sep 18, 2023

Sands of Time

A sandbar shark tagged in North Carolina waters resurfaces 23 years later off the Florida Keys.

Dec 8, 2022

Our Coast, Our Future: The 2022 North Carolina Coastal Conference

They came to Raleigh from across North Carolina, discussed urgent and emerging issues affecting our coast, forged new ties, and literally devoured new research for lunch — and you can watch it here.
image: thresher shark.

Dec 6, 2022

Sustainable Fisheries: Keeping Sharks Off Gear

North Carolina Sea Grant’s Sara Mirabilio is continuing collaborative research to keep sharks away from commercial fishing gear.

Dec 1, 2022

Shark Update: Are Young Great Whites Swimming Coastal North Carolina Waters?

New research shows these sharks might not be spending their winters where we expected. 

Sep 13, 2022

Ecofriendly Solutions: Social Media for Sharks 

A new study shows that YouTube can serve as a conservation management tool when it comes to misunderstood wildlife.
image: fishing poles.

Jun 21, 2022

Hook, Line & Science

Shark Thievery, American Shad in the Albermarle Sound, and How We Fished 12,000 Years Ago

Mar 17, 2022

Sea Science: Are Sharks Getting Smaller?

Around Cape Lookout over the last 50 years, the answer for many species is Yes. Sharks are important predators in marine food webs, but their numbers are thought to have been significantly altered by fishing and other human impacts, potentially disrupting coastal ecosystems.
Atlantic sharpnose shark

Sep 20, 2021

Sea Science: The Ever-Expanding Brains of Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks

This shark’s brain never stops growing throughout its entire life, especially the regions responsible for motor control and sense of smell.

Mar 8, 2021

Hook, Line & Science

Illegal Angling, Measuring the Megalodon, and More