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SharkCam

August 6, 2013

Right on the tail of an 18-foot great white shark is a WHOI underwater robot called REMUS—making history as the first autonomous underwater vehicle to successfully track and film a live, moving shark. The 5-foot REMUS, specifically outfitted for this mission, debuted last night as SharkCam on a program during Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. Great whites have been sighted more frequently off Cape Cod recently, probably because of rebounding gray seal populations. WHOI will host and Webcast a forum with scientists and engineers who study these species tomorrow. The public is also invited to explore educational displays and hands-on activities and talk with researchers 5:30 to 9 p.m., in the Discovery Tent behind Redfield Auditorium. (Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)