CHATHAM – The shark research season is kicking into high gear as researchers tagged their eighth shark of the year this morning.
The 12-footer was tagged about a quarter mile off Monomoy by state shark expert Dr. Greg Skomal.
The work is part of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s five year white shark population, which is in its final year.
A sighting of a great white shark off Wellfleet this afternoon closed Marconi Beach to swimming for an hour.
Plymouth public beaches were also closed to swimming this afternoon after a confirmed sighting off Manomet Point.
Cynthia Wigren, the president of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, said August is historically a busy month for shark research and that they expect the number of taggings to climb.
Researchers are usually out on the water at least twice a week through the end of November.
The first tagging of the season was on July 9.
Last year 30 sharks were tagged.