Sharks frequent waters near crowded urban beaches, Miami study finds

Beachgoers in urban areas are likely swimming near sharks without even realising it, according to a new study by University of Miami researchers, who tracked the ocean predators’ movements off the southern Florida coast.

The director of the university’s Shark Research & Conservation Programme, Neil Hammerschlag, said he wanted to find out if sharks steered clear of densely populated areas in a rapidly urbanising world.