Sharktivity

Conserve.io created the Sharktivity app in 2014 to help create a more positive relationship between the Atlantic While Sharks and the coastal communities adjacent to their territory. Conserve.io developed the app with community input from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, the Cape Cod National Seashore, and officials from Cape Cod and South Shore Towns, with all cooperating parties providing input on the common attitudes about the sharks and how data could be helpful to residents. Atlantic White Sharks are one of many threatened oceanic species, but because of their dangerous perception, they aren’t necessarily valued in the same manner as other threatened or endangered marine species.. Conserve.io’s app maps out the location of sightings by safety officials, researchers, and app users who submit their photos for confirmation by the folks at Conserve.io. Mapping out sightings means that fishermen, swimmers, and other recreational water users know which areas see a lot of “Sharktivity”, which will hopefully lead to respect for the shark’s territory and fewer confrontations. However, with there being so much animosity between residents and sharks, building a new relationship is a large challenge that will likely need much more than an app to be accomplished.

Categories

Aesthetic/Leisure, Biodiversity, Industry/Natural Commodities, Monitoring, Psychology, Regulation