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HOW DO BIOLOGISTS LEARN ABOUT SHARKS? Studying sharks can be a dangerous job! Often, biologists track sharks by attaching a receiver to the shark’s dorsal (top) fin. This tracker then reports information to either a satellite or a stationary

GANGES SHARK Growing to nearly 7 ft. (about 2.13 m) long, the Ganges shark is featured in many stories of sharks attacking (and eating) humans who accidentally venture into its territory. While some people who live in areas frequented by the Ganges shark still believe this to be true, scientists think that this fear is actually a case of mistaken identity, as the Ganges shark is often confused with the more common (and far more aggressive) bull shark. The Ganges shark is only found in the Ganges river of India and Bangladesh. The bull In order to track sharks, biologists have to find them first! With river sharks, this is difficult. Biologists regularly survey, or look over, rivers in search of freshwater sharks, but it’s rare that they find them. Sometimes, scientists spend years trying to find certain species, such as the northern river shark. This makes it difficult to fully understand the habitat, diet, and behavior patterns of these sharks. When biologists are unable to study live specimens, they get information from dead sharks that have washed up on beaches and from fossilized sharks that have been preserved for many years. While these methods can provide some information, such as bone structure and habitat, nothing takes the place of being able to study a live shark. Biologists are working every day to come up with more sophisticated shark-locating methods so that they can learn more about these river giants. SIDEBAR receiver, which then relays information about the shark’s movement patterns back to a computer. The computer then generates a map that shows biologists where and how frequently the shark moves. Trackers allow biologists to learn about a shark’s habitat, feeding patterns, and mating habits. While tagging sharks does cause a moment of discomfort for the shark, the tag allows scientists to learn valuable information about how to best protect sharks and help increase their populations.

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