TRANSCRIPT:
Hello this is Dr. Tom Mullikin with SCDNR for Into the Wild.
When people hear the word shark, they usually picture deep ocean water. But many young sharks spend part of the year much closer to shore, inside South Carolina's bays, sounds, and estuaries.
Species such as bonnetheads, Atlantic sharpnose, blacktips, and sandbar sharks use these productive waters during warmer months. Estuaries offer abundant food and shallow habitats where young animals can grow. SCDNR researchers capture, measure, tag, and release sharks to learn how they use these nursery areas.
A tidal creek may look calm from the surface, but it can be connected to the life cycle of an animal that will later travel far along the coast. Protecting estuaries means protecting the beginning of journeys that continue well beyond the inlet.