Scientists use drones to study great white sharks along California coast

A juvenile white shark is tracked with a drone by California State University Long Beach Shark Lab graduate student, Patrick Rex, during tagging operations along the coast of Carpinteria, California, U.S., November 6, 2019. Picture taken November 6, 2019. Patrick Rex/Shark Lab/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

DEL MAR, Calif. (Reuters) - Scientists are using drones and other technology to study great white sharks along the coast of Southern California to better understand interactions between these marine predators and people and assess the risks to human beachgoers.

The two-year study by the Shark Lab at California State University deploys drones for aerial surveillance of the sharks and uses underwater robots, while the scientists also tag some sharks using a spear that fits the animals with a transmitter to track their movements.