(NewsNation) — If you see a great white shark near the Cape Cod shore, there’s a chance you’ve spotted Scarface, Cow, Sean or one of the more than 700 sharks under Atlantic White Shark Conservancy monitoring.
Researchers tracking great white sharks in the Cape Cod area added more than 100 sharks to their catalog in 2023, furthering safety and conversation efforts. Scarface, Sean and Cow are among some of the most frequently detected sharks, but additions to the AWSC White Shark Catalog include a handful of new faces that could help further the group’s research and conservation efforts, according to Forbes.
The AWSC began tracking and cataloging the vulnerable species in 2014. The shark population growth in recent years has been a success, but the animals aren’t in the clear yet, according to the AWSC.
White sharks became a prohibited species in most federal waters in 1997, meaning people could no longer harvest or keep them. The species earned the same designation in Massachusetts state waters in 2005. Until then, white sharks were considered a trophy hunt, according to the AWSC.
The Cape Cod white shark population has since increased, but the status of each of those sharks is still uncertain, according to the research organization.
The public can log their sightings by submitting photos and details to the AWSC’s Sharktivity App, alongside sightings from researchers and safety officials. The New England Aquarium verifies those public sightings, which help crowdsource data and make waters safer by keeping humans and sharks at a distance.