Great White Shark Research – California, USA

Coral Maya Conservation is supporting cutting-edge marine research focused on understanding how juvenile great white sharks use coastal habitats and how these patterns are shifting in a rapidly warming ocean. The project, led by scientists Anthony McGinnis Jr. and Dr. Salvador Jorgensen, builds on long-term research along the California coast, where juvenile great white sharks have historically concentrated in warm, shallow nearshore waters that serve as critical nursery habitats.

As ocean conditions continue to change, Anthony’s research explores how nursery habitats may be expanding within California’s Monterey Bay, how juvenile sharks move through these coastal environments, and how humans and sharks can safely coexist in shared spaces.

Conservation and education are central to this project. The research team collaborates directly with coastal communities to promote beach safety, reduce fear through science-based understanding, and encourage coexistence between people and sharks.

By funding acoustic tags, Coral Maya Conservation provides vital support for this research while strategically amplifying its impact through professional storytelling and positive media outreach. The project ensures that field data informs conservation and management decisions while reaching wider audiences, building understanding, trust, and lasting support for the protection of juvenile great white sharks during their most vulnerable life stages.

Project done in collaboration with the Jorgensen Ocean Predator Ecology Lab, Ocean Tracking Network, Cal State University Shark Lab, and Innovasea.

Image Credit: Jayne Jenkins / Ocean Image Bank

We won’t be in the field with Anthony’s team until Summer 2026, we will share images of the project afterward.