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Drones Tackle Shark Safety on New York's Beaches
Warmer and cleaner waters are a big draw for swimmers, surfers, and beachgoers. They’re also a big draw for some oceanic animals, a combination that has led to an increase in bait fish populations, drawing in larger predatory fish like sharks.
Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Safety officials at New York's Jones Beach are using drones to monitor for potential human-shark interactions.
The New York State Park Police maintains a fleet of 19 lifeguard-operated drones stationed along the beach, and officers can provide augmented monitoring via a command center van.
Officers in the van can review livestreamed drone footage to see if a shark is in the vicinity and determine whether swimmers should be evacuated.
The drones' cameras can penetrate the water's surface from high overhead and have previously captured footage of sharks swimming alone and feeding on large schools of fish.
Park Police Captain Rishi Basdeo said, "The more drones that are flying in the air, there's more of a chance of seeing these animals in their natural habitat."
From Forbes
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