August 1, 2018 — Shark fishing is big business in New Jersey.
People come to the Shore from across the state and throughout the region for their chance to hook the ocean’s apex predator. But the thrill only happens if the sharks show up.
But studies of the sharks in Jersey waters have been few and far between. Little is known about how many sharks there are, and when they migrate.
Now, a Monmouth University professor is working with local fishermen to get answers.
Enter Keith Dunton.
A native of Long Island, Dunton came to Monmouth University from Stony Brook University three years ago for the chance to the study sharks. Dunton said he was drawn to New Jersey because there was a lack of shark research in the Garden State, despite the popularity of shark fishing.
Last summer, shark research group OCEARCH conducted their first scientific voyage into New Jersey waters, with the goal of tagging white sharks in the deep ocean.
And the National Marine Fisheries Service has studied the shark population of Delaware Bay. But Dunton aims to create a definitive understanding of the sharks that live off of New Jersey.