August 30, 2019 — When a black electronic device shaped like a mini soda pop container washed up Tuesday on a Jersey Shore beach, the discovery was, to Long Island researchers more than 150 miles away, like finding a treasure map sealed in a bottle.
That’s because the shark-tracking device — plucked by a lifeguard from the sand at Island Beach State Park in Ocean County, New Jersey — contains reams of data to help researchers, including those at the South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center’s shark research program, learn more about the mysterious fish and how it roams Long Island’s waters.
For Greg Metzger, the research program’s field coordinator, discovering the device is as unlikely as it is beneficial to understanding sharks’ swimming patterns, including how deep and where they swim off Long Island and what temperatures they prefer.