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Florida Atlantic University scientists tag sharks to study their behaviors

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Posted at 3:13 PM, Jun 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-19 17:51:45-04

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Florida Atlantic University wants to learn more about sharks that are near the Hillsboro Inlet in Pompano Beach.

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Professor Stephen Kajiura and a research team set off Wednesday to find sharks in the water to tag.

"Whenever we take off from the plane in Pompano, I always see sharks milling around by the lighthouse there, and I don’t know what they are," said Kajiura.

Kajiura added the sharks could be blacktip sharks, which have usually migrated north this time of year.

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With chum in the water, the team only had to wait 20 minutes on Wednesday before they caught a shark. A little female blacktip shark was measured and had an ID tag placed on her dorsal fin.

If the team recatches her, they can track where she's been and how much she's grown.

Kajiura said it will be fun to learn about the young female and find others in that area.

"It will be interesting to see if the migratory ones are the males, and the ones that are staying here are juvenile females and not mature and ready to reproduce," Kajiura said.

The group plans to go back out and tag more sharks later this Summer.