Atlantic Shark Institute Tags First-Ever Hammerhead Shark Off Block Island
The Atlantic Shark Institute, a Rhode Island nonprofit that studies sharks in the waters off Rhode Island, tagged a hammerhead shark for the first time in its history, in waters near Block Island, Rhode Island (Boston.com, July 29, 2026).
First scalloped hammerhead for the institute
The shark was a scalloped hammerhead, a species listed as endangered/critically endangered (WGBH interview with institute executive director Jon Dodd, July 30, 2026).
Warmer waters drawing sharks north
Hammerheads generally prefer warmer waters; their western Atlantic range typically extends from Brazil to the Caribbean Sea and as far north as New Jersey (Boston.com).
Jon Dodd said warming waters mean shark species that New England residents associate with Florida and southern states are finding New England water temperatures much more attractive than they would have just 25 years ago (Boston.com).
A 10-year acoustic tag
Researchers fitted the shark with a 10-year acoustic tag that pings once a minute. Thousands of acoustic receivers along the East Coast feed a shared database that lets scientists map the shark’s movements for a decade (WGBH).
Spotted during sandbar shark drone survey
The team was doing sandbar shark research with a drone when they spotted the hammerhead. Filmmaker Tomas Koeck captured the footage for an upcoming episode of the documentary series Ocean State: Rhode Island’s Wild Coast from Ocean State Media, releasing in seasonal installments through 2027 (Boston.com, WGBH).
For more on the Ocean State, see the Rhode Island guide.
Sources
Boston.com, July 29, 2026; WGBH interview with institute executive director Jon Dodd, July 30, 2026.