Satellite tag shows tiger shark “Andy” has travelled more than 33,000 miles in three years

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A tiger shark named “Andy,” tagged in Bermuda in 2014 by the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU), has broken the record for distance travelled by a GHRI tagged shark, covering 33,820 miles in 1,113 days – a little more than three years – and is still going.

The GHRI has an extensive history of tagging sharks with satellite tags to study their migration patterns and interactions with fisheries. To date, more than 150 tiger, mako and oceanic whitetip sharks have been tagged with satellite tags around the world by GHRI researchers but Andy has surpassed them all.

The satellite tags used in this study report a shark’s location every time the dorsal fin breaks the surface of the water. Because tiger sharks spend less time on the surface than other species, the battery in their tags tends to last longer than other tagged sharks, including makos.

“We have had satellite tagged mako sharks go on some very impressive treks around the Atlantic but the batteries in those tags tend to run out after a year or two since makos go to the surface and report very frequently,” said GHRI Director and NSU Professor Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D. “Tiger sharks report less often, but in return have provided the longest time and distance tracks – and Andy is the new distance champion.”

Named after the angler who caught the shark for tagging, Andy has continued to add to the knowledge base of these wide-ranging animals and is still reporting from far out in the Atlantic, near the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Andy and all GHRI tagged sharks can be followed online in near real-time at www.GHRItracking.org.

“To have a shark report for such a long time is providing invaluable data for researchers,” said world renowned artist and Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) Chairman Guy Harvey, Ph.D. “Knowing where these animals travel year after year allows us to see annual patterns and migration routes. This knowledge is fundamental to managing the species.”

The GHRI’s western North Atlantic Ocean tiger shark study has shown definitive, seasonal migration paths of tiger sharks between Bermuda and the Bahamas. These findings, along with input from the Bahamas National Trust and Pew Charitable Trusts, were integral to proving the value of Bahamian waters to Atlantic tiger shark populations and compelled the Government of the Bahamas in 2011 to declare their federal waters a shark sanctuary, prohibiting the commercial harvesting of sharks.

About the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation

The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) conducts scientific research and hosts educational programs aimed at conserving the marine environment. The GHOF also funds affiliated researchers working to better understand our ocean ecosystem and educators helping to foster the next era of marine conservationists. The GHOF will help ensure that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a properly balanced ocean ecosystem. www.GHOF.org

About NSU’s Guy Harvey Research Institute

Established in 1999, the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) is a collaboration between the renowned marine artist, scientist and explorer, Dr. Guy Harvey, and Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center. The mission of the GHRI is to provide the scientific information necessary to understand, conserve, and effectively manage the world’s marine fishes and their ecosystems. The GHRI is one of only a handful of private organizations dedicated exclusively to the science-based conservation of marine fish populations and biodiversity. The research, education and outreach activities of the GHRI are supported by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, AFTCO Inc., extramural research grants, philanthropic donations by private businesses and individuals, and NSU.  Please visit www.nova.edu/ocean/ghri/index.html for more information.