Fellowship Year:
2025
Degree:
MEM
Research Country:
United States
Research Continent:
North America
Abstract:
Shark attacks are increasing around Oahu, with higher and rising numbers on the North Shore despite greater beach use on the South Shore. This project examines the drivers of spatial variation in shark attack risk. I hypothesize that higher prey abundance at North Shore reefs attracts sharks, increasing bite frequency, or that heavier human use of South Shore beaches displaces sharks northward. To test these hypotheses, I will assess prey abundance and human beach use around Oahu’s coastline, focusing on tiger sharks, using underwater visual censuses and terrestrial counts of beachgoers.