Study in Saco Bay aims to fill data gaps about juvenile white sharks

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 8, 2026

A biology professor from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is studying juvenile white sharks who come close to Maine’s coast, at a time when there have been multiple sightings near a beach in Scarborough. “Is this an anomaly, or are these animals becoming residents of your coastal waters?” Diego Bernal said in an interview Friday. His study is focused on Saco Bay, working primarily from Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough. “Our goal is to tag 30 juvenile white sharks in that area to see what they do, where they go, how long they stay and do they come back next year,” Bernal said.