Scientists explain possible reasons behind the increase in shark attacks off East Coast:
0:40Underwater creatures that have been dominating the oceans since before the dinosaurs roamed the earth have been causing quite a stir this summer with what seems like anAn uptick in human-shark interactions has been occurring on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island, New York -- so much so that beaches have closed as surfers, lifeguards and swimmers alike suffer bites from curious sharks in search of food.
Much of marine life existing beneath the surface are tied to specific ranges of temperature, meaning that species are going to rearrange their locations as conditions change, Mike Heithaus, a marine biologist at Florida International University, told ABC News. On Long Island, there has been "nothing unusual," especially given that there is a lot more wildlife off the south shore, Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Natural Museum of History, told ABC News. A region just off the coast of Long Island also served as a nursery for sand tiger sharks several years ago, a species believed to be responsible for one of the recent bites, Naylor said.
"For the most part, these are these smaller coastal sharks that are probably just getting confused," he said.It is also conceivable that some of the shark attacks occur at the surf zone because the mixture of water and sand where the waves break make it difficult for the sharks to see and allow them to mistake human hands and feet for fish, Naylor said, adding that more than 60% of bites occur in low-visibility water.
MORE: Baby great white shark populations are increasingly moving north on the California coast due to climate change, researchers say
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