Young sand tiger sharks are becoming more common at a nursery off the coast of Great South Bay in Long Island.
According to Live Science, the sand tiger sharks at the nursery range in age from a few months to four or five years and are making the trip early in their lives. After they do a bit of growing, the sharks typically migrate up and down the coast.
"It's quite interesting, because this is sort of a resident population," Jon Dohlin, vice president and director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium, told Live Science. "We think these animals migrate up the coast from where they're born at a very early age. They have these nursery habitats, which we're starting to delineate, which seem to be protective and great food sources. And they are resident there for three or four years until they get to a certain size."
Sand tiger sharks are rare, but easily identifiable by their teeth seemingly always bared and their narrow snout, giving them a menacing look. They can also grow up to 10 feet long, but are not know to attack humans without provocation.
"The discovery of a shark nursery is fantastic news for local conservationists seeking to learn more about sharks and other species in the New York Bight," Dohlin said in a press release. "Through field projects and outreach efforts by the New York Aquarium and other organizations, we hope to raise awareness about our local marine environment and the need to manage our natural wonders."
