The Cooperative Atlantic States Shark Pupping and Nursery program has been collecting information on sharks found in coastal habitats along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean since 1998. The Gulf of Mexico Shark Pupping and Nursery program was launched in 2003 to expand the data collected on known or assumed shark nurseries.
The Search for Atlantic Shark Nurseries
Every year, NOAA Fisheries, in coordination with numerous universities and state agencies, surveys shark populations in coastal habitats along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and into the Gulf of Mexico to identify nursery habitats.