Experts are warning of increased shark bite incidents in Australia, and human activity may be shaping shark behavior.
What's happening?
According to The Conversation, shared by Phys.org, residents of New South Wales, Australia, were put on high alert after four shark incidents over a 48-hour period in January 2026.
On January 20, a surfer was bitten by a shark along the coast. That came one day after a man was bitten on the leg by a shark, putting him in critical condition.
Over the 48-hour period, an 11-year-old's surfboard was bitten by a shark after an encounter, and a 12-year-old boy was bitten by a bull shark.
"This is the closest — in both proximity and in time — series of shark bites that I've ever seen in my 20 years of research," shark researcher Chris Pepin-Neff told the BBC.
Across the Pacific Ocean, shark sightings and incidents have troubled officials. In California, a woman who disappeared in December was suspected of being killed in a shark attack, and in the same month, officials issued warnings in Hawai'i over shark sightings.
Why is the increase in shark bites concerning?
Sharks prefer cooler waters. As ocean temperatures rise, sharks move toward colder waters, expanding their ranges and bringing them closer to humans.
Researchers noted that the four shark bites occurred after heavy rainfall in New South Wales, which carried pollution into the ocean, potentially altering ocean chemistry and affecting shark behavior.
According to the NOAA, approximately 80% of ocean pollution starts on land, which enters marine ecosystems through runoff.
What's being done about pollution?
While shark attacks are rare, one important way to prevent them is by keeping the ocean clean.
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$200 or more 💰 According to The Conversation, investing in better stormwater drainage and reducing runoff could help prevent pollution from entering the oceans and harming marine life.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has called on countries to clean oceans and reduce planet-warming gases. Meanwhile, scientists are testing out unique ways to clean oceans, from carbon capture to utilizing egg whites to capture microplastics.
More research into the neurological impacts of pollution on sharks could help contextualize the connection between pollution runoff and shark incidents, providing keys for researchers to prevent them in the future.
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