With Maine's growing interest in sharks, students deploy a buoy that can track them in real time

There's been growing interest in the study of white sharks in Maine waters. Researchers are trying to better understand their movements and behavior, so that lifeguards and public safety officials can respond if a shark is spotted near shore. Both the University of New England and the state have deployed passive receivers in Maine's coastal waters, but they only provide notifications of a shark detection after the fact. Earlier this week, a team of students from UNE tested an acoustic telemetry device near Camp Ellis that can listen for the presence of white sharks that have already been tagged by researchers. John Mogan, a UNE marine sciences professor and his students said the real work of monitoring white sharks for the summer can begin in earnest. The Maine Department of Marine Resources has a second monitor-equipped buoy that's placed up the Maine coast near Popham Beach, which also provides real-time notifications.