After a program to monitor sharks’ movements may be discontinued, beachgoers in Southern California should be on guard for an increase in shark attacks.
The Shark Lab at California State University at Long Beach is concerned that state funding for its programs will be reduced by June. It has been actively raising $7 million to keep them afloat.
Chris Lowe, Shark Lab director, told ABC7 that “it’s becoming pretty serious.”
Lowe stated that if funding is not increased, the team will have to remove all equipment from the water. We won’t be monitoring sharks in California anymore.
The Shark Lab is responsible for monitoring hundreds of juvenile and adult sharks swimming along the Southern California coastline.
The lab will also send an immediate warning to the lifeguards in case a shark comes too close to shore.
The Shark Lab was founded in 1966 and has an impressive array of receivers, underwater monitors, and buoys to allow it to track and tag the sharks.
The Shark Lab Director expressed his disappointment at the possibility that the program could be forced to close its doors due to the loss of federal funding.
Lowe stated that this was a unique experience. It’s considered to be one of the world’s best shark mitigation programs.
