A new study shows that electronically tagged sharks can serve as mobile sensors, collecting ocean climate data in regions that are difficult to observe using conventional methods.
The study was led by Laura H. McDonnell, Ph.D., who conducted the research as a doctoral student at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy.
The study originated from an interdisciplinary collaboration between former Rosenstiel School shark scientist Neil Hammerschlag, Ph.D. and atmospheric scientist Ben Kirtman, Ph.D., now dean of the Rosenstiel School. In 2018, they recognized that the data from shark-tagging studies used by Hammerschlag’s lab to study shark ecology could also benefit climate modeling.
By incorporating shark-collected data into a seasonal climate model, McDonnell and her team found that forecast errors at the ocean surface decreased substantially in certain regions, with improvements reaching as much as 40 percent in specific cases.
This is the first study to experimentally integrate animal-borne sensor data into a seasonal climate model and quantify its impact on forecast performance, suggesting potential for future operational use.
“Sharks are already moving through parts of the ocean that are challenging for us to observe,” said McDonnell, now a postdoctoral investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). “This research shows that data they collect can help fill important gaps and, when used carefully, can improve how we predict ocean conditions.”
Satellite tags attached to sharks record depth and temperature as they travel through the ocean, collecting and transmitting this data in near real time. Marine predators like sharks naturally seek out dynamic ocean features such as fronts and eddies.
McDonnell and Hammerschlag tagged 18 blue sharks (Prionace glauca) and one shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in the Northwest Atlantic. The sharks transmitted more than 8,200 temperature-depth profiles across a wide range of locations and depths—down to nearly 2,000 meters.
The researchers emphasize that animal-borne sensors are not a replacement for traditional observing systems but a complementary tool.
The study, titled “Improved seasonal climate forecasting using shark-borne sensor data in a dynamic ocean,” was published on April 28, 2026 in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science.
