Researchers at a new field station on an island off Nova Scotia’s South Shore are working to gather more information about white sharks in the area. Based at the Tancook Islands Marine Field Station on Big Tancook Island, a team of around twelve graduate and undergraduate students are utilizing various tracking technologies under the leadership of Nigel Hussey, an integrative biology professor at the University of Windsor in Ontario.
In their inaugural year of operations, the team successfully tagged 16 white sharks along the Nova Scotia coast. The 2026 tagging expedition is set to commence this weekend. Additionally, the field station has introduced its own tracker, allowing the public to monitor the sharks tagged in 2025 and those to be tagged in 2026.
However, complications arise due to the challenges of Canada’s permitting system for researching white sharks. Hussey expressed concerns about the current lack of infrastructure to handle white sharks in Atlantic Canada, emphasizing the need to establish suitable organizations promptly.
The idea for the Tancook Islands Marine Field Station came about after Hussey participated in a tagging expedition by Ocearch in Atlantic Canada in 2018. Despite initial skepticism about finding sufficient sharks, the expedition’s success inspired the establishment of a research hub in Nova Scotia to study these creatures while they are present in the region.
Key questions the field station aims to address include identifying migration corridors, shark congregation areas, population size, and their impact on the ecosystem. Various tracking methods, including satellite tags, are being utilized to gain insights into white shark movements.
Despite progress, Hussey highlighted the challenges posed by the permitting system, which mandates a special permit from Fisheries and Oceans Canada to work with white sharks due to their endangered status. Permit applications need to be renewed annually, and delays in permit issuance can impact logistical planning for expeditions.
The field station’s presence has also benefited the local community, with plans to expand to include an educational center for public engagement. Long-term goals include supporting economic growth on the island while fostering the next generation of scientists.