In this Aug. 22, 2019, photo, sand tiger sharks and a barracuda swim in a tank at the Florida Aquarium exposing Floridas natural ecosystem at Apollo Beach, Florida.
Shark researchers at the New England Aquarium are seeing an increasing population of sand tiger sharks in Boston Harbor, according to the Boston Herald.
Scientists have been tagging and tracking the sharks in the area for years. The harbor is believed to be their nursery ground, reports the paper. They are typically born further south, off Florida and North Carolina, but come up to northern waters to avoid larger predators.
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Along with protection, the region is a prime feeding ground for sand tiger sharks, which prey on pogies, according to the Herald.
For the study, these sharks are captured with rod and reel, quickly sampled and then released back into the water, reports the paper, and are tracked both in Boston Harbor and along the East Coast.
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Since last summer, researchers have tagged 11 juvenile tiger sharks in Quincy Bay and tracked their movements within the harbor for up to three months, according to the paper.
Researchers, according to the Herald, found that these sharks arrive at Boston Harbor in July, stay until mid-September and then migrate south along the East Coast — with some returning annually to the same location.
