When #SharkWeek borders on NSFW Nurse sharks are the most common species of shark to encounter in the Dry Tortugas, but they come here to participate in behavior that is otherwise quite uncommon to see. According to scientist Nick Whitney, the shallow waters of the Dry Tortugas are "the only place in the world where scientists can study shark mating behavior on a reliable basis." 👀 While much is unknown about the reproductive behavior of many shark species, nurse sharks have provided researchers with a glimpse into this world for over 30 years. The Dry Tortugas Nurse Shark Research Project (NSRP) began in 1991 to study nurse shark reproductive behavior and population dynamics. Scientists Wes Pratt, Whitney, and colleagues from the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life (@andersoncabotcenter) capture and tag nurse sharks that have come to the shallows off the Dry Tortugas to mate. Some sharks are fitted with tags that allow the scientists to track each shark's movement post-release. Their research has yielded valuable results, including some surprising insight into the behavior of nurse sharks. Nurse sharks were previously not known to migrate, but some of the sharks tagged as part of the NSRP were recorded migrating over 200 miles away! The Alliance for Florida's National Parks (@nationalparksfl) currently funds this research. This study helps to understand and conserve the park's ecosystem as a whole. NPS Photos Image 1: One scientist kneels in the water while another stands over a large nurse shark that is being released. Image 2: Two scientists kneel in water over a nurse shark that is being held in a large net. They use a tape measure to measure the length from its snout to tail. Image 3: A scientist holds a shark, restrained by a large net. The shark is resting belly up so its white ventral side is visible. #SharkWeek #Shark #NationalParksFL #NewEnglandAquarium #AndersonCabotCenter #DryTortugasNP #DryTortugas #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque