Florida's saltwater anglers are increasingly frustrated by sharks swooping in and taking their catch in what is known as shark depredation.

The resurgence of shark populations is affecting recreational fishing across the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast.

Marcus Drymon, associate extension professor at Mississippi State University and marine fisheries specialist for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, said the issue has become particularly pronounced in the Sunshine State, where anglers report losing more fish to sharks than ever before.

"For recreational fishermen in Florida, this is causing a lot of anger and frustration over lost fishing opportunities," Drymon observed. "Anglers are saying when they used to be able to catch fish without sharks biting them and they can no longer do that."

A recent panel at ICAST, the world's largest sportfishing trade show, focused on shark depredation, which took place in Orlando last month. Experts said the issue affects the broader fishing industry, particularly charter fishermen who depend on successful trips for their income.

Some are calling attention to the bipartisan SHARKED Act, which passed unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year, intended to assemble a task force to explore solutions to the problem.

Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said the increase in shark depredation is partly due to the success of shark conservation efforts over the past few decades. He is hoping to see the final passage of the SHARKED Act to help guide any actions taken based on science.

"Ramp up the amount of scientific knowledge and the sharing of knowledge and the gathering of scientific data when it comes to shark populations," Macaluso urged. "To see if there are some management changes that could take place that would reduce these negative encounters with sharks. "

As shark populations recover and more anglers take to the water, the conflict between sharks and anglers will likely intensify. However, experts are hopeful with continued research and legislative support, effective solutions can be found to balance anglers' needs with the ongoing success of shark conservation efforts.

Scientists in Massachusetts are working to protect historic shipwrecks and the habitats they provide from dangerous marine debris.

There's more than two hundred shipwrecks in the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary near Cape Cod alone. It's also a popular whale watching and fishing location.

Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser - an associate scientist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - said discarded nets, traps, and plastics are damaging the ships' structures and harming the creatures who call them home.

"All of that impacts wildlife because it becomes ingested," said Meyer-Kaiser. "It can entangle organisms such as seals and fish."

She said new federal funding will help develop robotic technology to safely undo entangled nets from some of the deepest shipwrecks and float them to the surface, where they can be retrieved.

The Biden Administration has allocated nearly $30 million to tackle the increasing amount of marine debris through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

One study alone shows there's now enough fishing line left in the ocean each year to reach the moon and back.

Meyer-Kaiser said she and her colleagues aim to work with commercial and recreational fisheries to find out why, and develop ways coastal communities can find solutions.

"We want to have an honest conversation with all relevant parties at the table," said Meyer-Kaiser. "And begin to constructively and collaboratively design a policy recommendation, that can be implemented to prevent marine debris from entangling on shipwrecks in the future."

Meyer-Kaiser said new funding will also develop classroom lessons to teach K-12 students about the harms of marine debris to ocean creatures and their historic homes.

That includes what's often referred to as the Titanic of New England - the steamship Portland, which sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1898.





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A new marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean aims to protect one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet from overfishing.

Located 130 miles off Cape Cod, the area spans more than 3 million acres and is part of the Biden administration's plan to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

Keith Shannon, Northeast chief of public affairs for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, called the monument a "living laboratory" of pristine ocean habitat.

"Dolphins, multiple whale species and sea turtles and seabirds," Shannon outlined. "It's considered the Serengeti of the sea. There's so much wildlife out there."

Officially called the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, Shannon said it contains areas deeper than the Grand Canyon and taller than the Rocky Mountains, and will be safeguarded for years to come.

Debate over how to manage this vast marine environment has been ongoing. Former President Donald Trump lifted restrictions on commercial fishing in the monument area in 2020. The Biden administration reestablished protections one year later, in a move praised by environmental groups and condemned by fishermen, who said it would put more people out of work.

Shannon pointed out the new monument management plan helps ensure the unique area is protected from the harms of overfishing while the larger ocean ecosystem benefits.

"That should allow for species that are fished to come into the monument waters, breed and create more species in the areas outside the monument," Shannon explained.

The monument contains an abundance of phytoplankton, fish, squid and shrimp that serve as vital links in the marine food chain. New federal data show while some recent progress has been made in rebuilding fish stock in U.S. waters, nearly 50 species including Atlantic cod and mackerel remain overfished.

The public comment period is now open on California's new framework for deciding which managed areas within coastal waters meet the definition of "conserved," and where protection improvements need to be made.

California's goal is to preserve 30% of state lands and waters by 2030. The Ocean Protection Council released science-based guidelines this week on what counts as "conserved."

"An area is considered a conservation area if the lands and coastal waters are durably protected and managed to sustain functional ecosystems, both intact and restored, and the diversity of life that they support," said Jos Hill, project director at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

People can weigh in on the process at a series of upcoming workshops in Arcata, Monterey and San Diego. The Ocean Protection Council will also hold two webinars this summer and will accept feedback by email.

Hill said the new framework will be used by the state to evaluate protections in marine-managed areas. The state's "30-by-30" policy sets goals to improve biodiversity, public access and climate resilience.

"The stakes of failing to protect nature are high, and the loss of biodiversity undermines the ability of ecosystems to function and support a healthy environment," Hill said. "And this is particularly important in a changing climate, in which loss of biodiversity reduces nature's resilience to change."

The evaluation criteria will be finalized in the fall and the preliminary decision on which places qualify as conservation areas will be presented in December.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.