Study Finds Pacific Great White Shark Population At Least Five Times Previous Estimates
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -Great white sharks may not be headed to the endangered species list after all.
A recent study published in PLOS ONE found that the number of sharks swimming in the Pacific roughly 2,400, about six times the number previously estimated.
The study director says this is a rare piece of good news for shark conservationists.
"It's an outstanding sign," said George Burgess, of the Florida Program for Shark Research. "Sharks around the world, of course, are in deep trouble. Most species of sharks and populations are going down hill pretty fast."
The Pacific Coast numbers come on the heals of research that discovered a rebound in the great white population off the Atlantic Coast.
Scientists say the population surge is no cause for alarm for beachgoers. Even though there are more sharks out there, they aren't likely to begin targeting humans. Here's a look at where attacks have been reported over the last 90 plus years:
Want to know where sharks have been tracked by scientists in recent weeks? Ocearch.org maps Great White sightings online.