Image of the Day: Shark Fitbits

To track the behavior of blacktip sharks, researchers are equipping them with radios and satellite sensors.

Written byCarolyn Wilke
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

B

lacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in the Atlantic migrate south to Florida for the cold winter months and swim north as far as New York when the weather warms. Shark researcher Stephen Kajiura at Florida Atlantic University has tracked the animals’ migratory patterns for years through images captured from boats, drones, and aircraft. Now, he and colleagues are outfitting sharks with instruments that let the scientists keep tabs on their every move.

The team has attached radios and satellite sensors to two sharks’ dorsal fins. The instruments reveal more about their behavior by recording the swishing of their tails and depths at which they swim, according to a news release.

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here
February 2026

A Stubborn Gene, a Failed Experiment, and a New Path

When experiments refuse to cooperate, you try again and again. For Rafael Najmanovich, the setbacks ultimately pushed him in a new direction.

View this Issue
Human-Relevant In Vitro Models Enable Predictive Drug Discovery

Advancing Drug Discovery with Complex Human In Vitro Models

Stemcell Technologies
Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Beckman Coulter Logo
Conceptual multicolored vector image of cancer research, depicting various biomedical approaches to cancer therapy

Maximizing Cancer Research Model Systems

bioxcell

Products

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Pioneers Life Sciences Innovation with High-Quality Bioreagents on Inside Business Today with Bill and Guiliana Rancic

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Expands Research Reagent Portfolio to Support Global Nipah Virus Vaccine and Diagnostic Development

Beckman Coulter

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Partners with Automata to Accelerate AI-Ready Laboratory Automation

Refeyn logo

Refeyn named in the Sunday Times 100 Tech list of the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies