Track Miss Costa, the Newly Tagged OCEARCH Great White Shark

NANTUCKET, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/25/16 -- Meet Miss Costa. A 1,168-pound, 12-foot, mature female great white shark OCEARCH and its collaborative team of multi-institutional scientists just satellite-tagged off Nantucket, MA. Named by OCEARCH in honor of its longtime partner Costa Sunglasses, Miss Costa will provide a broader understanding of the ecology, physiology, and behavior of the north Atlantic Great White.

"This early success on Expedition Nantucket promises to be the opportunity we've needed to increase our sample sizes of Atlantic white sharks," said lead scientist Dr. Robert Hueter, Director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory. "Through real-time tracking of the sharks' movements, long-term satellite and acoustic tracking, health assessments through blood, parasite and mucus sampling, and more, these vital studies will show us the threats that white sharks face and the places where we need to protect them."

Since 2012, Costa Sunglasses and OCEARCH have come together to provide local scientists access to great white sharks in the North Atlantic region. Among the white sharks already tagged are Mary Lee, Katharine, and Lydia.

"At Costa, we believe in supporting research missions like OCEARCH to help better inform policies and procedures related to the health of our oceans with real scientific data," said Al Perkinson, Vice President of Marketing for Costa. "The more we know and understand shark species, the more efforts we can put in place to help protect this vitally important apex predator."

According to OCEARCH Founding Chairman and Expedition Leader, Chris Fischer, there is nothing better than working with a company whose mission is to make business and "do good" at the same time. "Costa Sunglasses embodies this philosophy and has inspired OCEARCH to do the same," Fischer said. "When our funding comes from sustainably innovative organizations, it allows us to open source exploration, science and education, transforming a compelling research project into a global ocean movement. We are proud and humbled to have been inspired by Costa Sunglasses and to call them a partner."

As Miss Costa's fin breaks the surface, the satellite tag will transmit her location, allowing anyone and everyone to follow her movements by accessing the near-real time, free online Global Shark Tracker or by downloading the Global Shark Tracker App available for Apple and Android platforms.

"Everyone will be able to follow along with Miss Costa as we watch and study her migratory patterns," Perkinson added. "It's this kind of scientific data that will help us collectively make more informed decisions about how to protect this incredible species. Safe travels, Miss Costa."

You can follow Miss Costa on Twitter (@MissCostaShark), and support her by purchasing the new Miss Costa shirt. A portion of the proceeds from the sale benefits OCEARCH's science and education programs.

About OCEARCH
OCEARCH is a non-profit organization with a global reach for unprecedented ocean-based research on keystone species such as Great White and Tiger Sharks, supporting leading researchers and institutions seeking to attain groundbreaking data on the movement, biology and health of apex predators to protect their future while enhancing public safety. The researchers OCEARCH supports work aboard the M/V OCEARCH, a 126' Cat powered vessel equipped with a 75,000 lb. hydraulic research platform, where the ship serves as both mothership and at-sea laboratory. Scientists have approximately 15 minutes of access to live, mature sharks to conduct up to 12 studies. The sharks are measured, tissue and blood samples are collected, and satellite and acoustic transmitters are attached. OCEARCH expeditions are largely supported by Caterpillar Inc., as part of a socially innovative multi-year partnership to impact ocean sustainability. Additional partnership support is provided by Costa Sunglasses, DYT Yacht Transport, Contender, Yamaha, SAFE Boats, MUSTAD, and Landry's Inc.

About Costa
As the leading manufacturer of the world's clearest polarized performance sunglasses, Costa offers superior lens technology and unparalleled fit and durability. Still handcrafted today in Florida, Costa has created the highest quality, best performing sunglasses for outdoor enthusiasts since 1983. For Costa, conservation is all about sustainable fishing. Many fisheries that should be vibrant and healthy are all but devoid of native fish because they have fallen victim to poor fishing practices, unregulated development, lack of watershed protection or all of the above. Costa works with partners around the world to help increase awareness and influence policy so that we will have healthy waters to enjoy in the future. Costa encourages others to help in any way they can.

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Source: OCEARCH

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