Awareness Inspires Conservation: White Sharks in the North Atlantic

Despite its well-established presence in the North Atlantic, the white shark is not considered an abundant species. Off the coast of Cape Cod, scientists have predictable access to white sharks, but rely on outside funding to conduct research. Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) was established in 2012 to fund white shark research and promote shark conservation. From 2009-2016, Massachusetts scientists have tagged over 100 white sharks with coded acoustic transmitters and/or satellite-based tracking tags to examine fine- and broad-scale movements along the east coast of the US. In 2014, these scientists began a multi-year study to estimate local and regional white shark population sizes in the Western North Atlantic. This presentation provides information on AWSC and highlights the results of the research.

Cynthia Wigren holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management from University of New Hampshire and Masters in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. Cynthia spent twelve years working for online trading companies in the energy industry, with a focus on project management and strategic planning. Cynthia is an avid traveler and a scuba diver with a deep appreciation for wildlife on land and sea. Her underwater experiences with whale sharks, great hammerheads, nurse sharks, and great white sharks, led her to leave the corporate world and establish Atlantic White Shark Conservancy to support shark research and conservation.