{"id":1375,"date":"2020-04-20T02:25:51","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T02:25:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/hooklinescience\/?p=1375"},"modified":"2023-07-26T13:22:45","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T17:22:45","slug":"what-attracts-blacktip-sharks-to-fishing-piers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/hooklinescience\/what-attracts-blacktip-sharks-to-fishing-piers\/","title":{"rendered":"What Attracts Blacktip Sharks to Fishing Piers?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Research shows the number of anglers makes a difference.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Prime angling from fishing piers is upon us. But, spring also ushers in the increased presence of larger sharks off North Carolina\u2019s beaches, among them, blacktips. For those who would rather not mess with catching a shark \u2013 and who would rather keep their bait \u2013 some factors could influence the probability of encountering one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fishing piers and other manmade coastal structures often become a hotspot for various species of fish. The blacktip shark is one of the most common shark species people spot at fishing piers on the North Carolina and South Carolina coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anglers often have seen blacktip sharks feeding off their fish scraps, but researchers have believed these sharks frequent piers based on additional factors, notably tides and temperatures, as well as other environmental cues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, can the presence of anglers also affect where and why blacktip sharks gather?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If such patterns exist, revealing them could help to clarify the shark\u2019s behaviors and help to design measures to minimize chances of incidental capture and injury at piers, especially since the current population trend for blacktip sharks is unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\nResearch Need<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n