Australia's Sharks Are Now On Twitter, Sending Warning Tweets When Approaching Beaches
January 4, 2014
Scientists in Australia have attached small transmitters to more than 320 sharks — including the fearsome Great White — to monitor their movements along the coastline. When any one of them comes within a kilometer of a swimming beach, a computer system automatically logs the shark's movements and turns the data into a TWEET on the Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed.
Each tweet details the breed of the shark as well as the time it triggered the alarm and the shark’s approximate location.
As well as warning nearby swimmers to avoid potentially shark-infested waters, the tags are additionally being used by researchers to learn more about the sharks’ movements and behavior.
Dr Rory McAuley, from the Department of Fisheries told Sky News: ‘The battery life of internal acoustic tags is up to 10 years so the scientific data that may be collected from this shark is unprecedented.’
Despite this rise, deaths from shark attacks are rare. According to figures from National Geographic, people have a one in 3.7 million chance of being killed by a shark.
Dogs Are Forced To Wear The Things They Steal — And It’s Hilarious
Meet Nazgul: The Dog Who Crashed An Olympic Ski Race And Nearly Won
Bill Murray Says This Painting 'Saved His Life' — And It Still Inspires Visitors Today
Professor Watches His Student Compete At The Olympics After She Requested An Extension On An Assignment
He Lost Everything And Had To Give Up His Dog — Then Strangers Brought Her Back Home
10 Powerful Inventions Where Helping Others Came Before Profit
James Van Der Beek Has Passed. But What He Said Before He Died, We All Need To Hear
Snowplow Driver Spots Two Boys Shoveling — Then Reverses To Help
He Ordered A Doctor Bag — But The Size Has Him Laughing Uncontrollably
Woman Stunned By Valuation Of Rare Māori Jade Hei-Tiki Found In Her Garden
Mom Red Fox Calls Her Adorable Pups Out For The First Time
